Sianna Ginger further enhanced her reputation as a player to watch with a crucial century on day three of the ‘A’ red-ball game in Brisbane
Sianna Ginger hit her first century for Australia A, before Raghvi Bist went big again as India A built a significant lead on day three of the four-day ‘A’ game in Brisbane.
India A were 8-260 at stumps on Saturday afternoon, with Joshitha VJ and Titas Sadhu unbeaten on nine and two apiece, leading the hosts by 254 runs with a day left to play at Allan Border Field.
It was 20-year-old Queensland allrounder Ginger who was the star of the day for Australia A, further enhancing her reputation as a senior international player in waiting with her crucial innings of 103.
Ginger had resumed on 24no alongside Nicole Faltum on Saturday morning with Australia A 5-158, still 141 runs shy of India A’s first-innings total of 299.
The pair’s partnership extended to 102 runs before Faltum was bowled by Joshitha VJ for 54.
Ginger put on another 44 runs for the seventh wicket alongside Maitlan Brown (22) and helped Australia A edge past India’s total before she reached triple figures in style with the sole six of her innings.
Her 138-ball knock, which also featured 12 fours, ended when she was the final wicket to fall, caught off the bowling of Saima Thakor as Australia A’s innings ended on 305.
Ginger did not have to wait long to find herself back in the thick of the action, securing the first breakthrough of India A’s second innings when she trapped opener Nandini Kashyap lbw (12).
Experienced international Shafali Verma was again in fine form, hitting two sixes on her way to a 58-ball 52 before falling to the spin of Amy Edgar, who also dismissed first drop Dhara Gujjar (20).
But India A kept the scoreboard ticking over at more than four runs an over, quickly amassing a lead above 200 as Bist carried on the form she had shown in her first innings 93.
Her second chance at a red-ball century went begging however when she played a rare loose shot against Edgar, holing out for 86, leaving the tourists 8-249 in the shadows of stumps.
Australia A v India A multi-format series
First T20: Australia A won by 13 runs
Second T20: Australia A won by 114 runs
Third T20: Australia A won by four runs
First one-dayer: India A won by three wickets
Second one-dayer: India A won by two wickets
Third one-dayer: Australia A won by nine wickets
Australia A four-day squad: Tahlia Wilson (c), Nicole Faltum (vc), Lauren Cheatle, Maddy Darke, Amy Edgar, Sianna Ginger, Lucy Hamilton, Ella Hayward, Anika Learoyd, Maitlan Brown, Lilly Mills, Georgia Prestwidge, Rachel Trenaman, Courtney Webb
India A four-day squad: Radha Yadav (c), Minnu Mani (vc), Shafali Verma, Tejal Hasabnis, Raghvi Bist, Tanushree Sarkar, Uma Chetry (wk), Tanuja Kanwer, Nandini Kashyap (wk), Dhara Gujjar, Joshita VJ, Shabnam Shakeel, Saima Thakor, Titas Sadhu, Prema Rawat
Only four-day match: August 21-24, Allan Border Field, Brisbane, 9:30am AEST
All matches live on cricket.com.au and Kayo Sports.
