Stiff takes initiative

Australia Under-19 221 England Under-19 57-1

The Yorkshire pace bowler Dave Stiff took five wickets as England Under-19s enjoyed the better of day one of the deciding third Test against Australia here yesterday.

Stiff (5 for 35) helped to bowl the hosts out for 221 at the Bankstown Oval, despite 62 from the opener Matthew Harrison and an unbeaten 42 from wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Crosthwaite. England replied with 57 for the loss of Yorkshire's Andrew Gale by stumps on day one of four in the final match of a series currently standing at 1-1.

First day of four; Australia Under-19 won toss

AUSTRALIA UNDER-19 – First Innings
L M Davis c Hodd b Stiff 13
M Harrison c Patel b Stiff 62
G I Hunt c Hodd b Shafayat 1
T P Doropoulos b Patel 35
M J Bright c Hodd b Stiff 25
A J Crosthwaite not out 42
A C Bird lbw b Stiff 0
T P Kelly c Edwards b Patel 0
G J Sullivan c Hodd b Plunkett 0
D J Cullen c Hodd b Lawson 9
L R Davis b Stiff 6
Extras (b8, lb6, w2, nb12, pens 0) 28
Total (68.5 overs) 221

Fall: 1-27, 2-43, 3-104, 4-149, 5-153, 6-153, 7-169, 8-169, 9-191.

Bowling: Bresnan 14-1-61-0; Stiff 13.5-4-35-5; Plunkett 10-3-34-1; Shafayat 9-1-30-1; Patel 19-7-29-2; Lawson 3-0-18-1.

ENGLAND UNDER-19 – First Innings
A W Gale c Cullen b Bird 21
N J Edwards not out 23
J A Pearson not out 10
Extras (lb2 nb1 pens 0) 3
Total (for 1, 27 overs) 57

Fall: 1-34.

To bat: B M Shafayat, R S Bopara, S R Patel, A J Hodd, T T Bresnan, L E Plunkett, M A K Lawson, D A Stiff.

Bowling: Bird 8-0-17-1; Kelly 5-1-19-0; Sullivan 6-2-15-0; Cullen 6-5-1-0; Bright 2-1-3-0.

Umpires: N S D Fowler and S A Reed.