Iyer century helps India A take lead

SHREYAS IYER HELD THE INNINGS TOGETHER WITH A QUICKFIRE INNINGS THAT COMPRISED 14 FOURS AND COUPLE OF SIXES

VIJAYAWADA: Shreyas Iyer smashed 108 off 97 balls as India A took a healthy first innings lead against New Zealand A on Day Two of the first unofficial Test here on Sunday.

In response to New Zealand’s 147, India scored 320 courtesy Iyer, Ravikumar Samarth (54 off 100) and Rishabh Pant (67 off 41) after resuming at 71 for two.

New Zealand were 64 for two in their second innings before bad light forced early stumps.

India A scored at close to five runs per over. Samarth, starting on overnight score of 38, was not able to last long and so did Karun Nair (20) leaving India at 111 for four in the 36th over.

Iyer then held the innings together with a quick-fire innings that comprised 14 fours and couple of sixes.

Pant got into the act later on to push the total beyond 300. His blazing knock consisted of nine fours and two sixes.

Iyer, who won the IPL emerging player of the year in 2015, came into the limelight at the end of 2015-16 season, finishing with 1321 runs in the Ranji season that helped Mumbai clinch their 41st title. He made over 700 runs last season. He is coming in to this game, having scored a 140* in a ODI against South Africa A at Pretoria. Leg-spinner Ish Sodhi was the stand out bowler for New Zealand, taking five for 94.

Brief scores: New Zealand A147 all out in 63 overs and 64/2 in 32 overs vs India A 320 all out in 67.2 overs (R Samarth 54, S Iyer 108, R Pant 67; I Sodhi 5/94)