- Boyle and Foxcroft make it a long, tough day for India. Bowlers Matthew Boyle and Dean Foxcroft have so far added 205 runs for the fourth wicket after joining New Zealand at 13 for 3 in the eighth over. The three that matter: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah, all smiling after dismissing Pat Cummins. The three who count: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah, all smiles after dismissal of Pat Cummins, India vs Australia, World Cup, Chennai, October 8, 2023. Akash Deep scored his highest first-class score.
- Mohammed Siraj and Mukesh Kumar had the new ball on the ropes, bowled four first overs on the trot and made short work of the New Zealand A top three.
- But the second day of the second four-day match belonged to Matthew Boyle and Dean Foxcroft, who got the India A bowlers to work through two wicket sessions to put the home side in a strong position.
Boyle and Foxcroft make it a long, tough day for India. Bowlers Matthew Boyle and Dean Foxcroft have so far added 205 runs for the fourth wicket after joining New Zealand at 13 for 3 in the eighth over. The three that matter: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah, all smiling after dismissing Pat Cummins. The three who count: Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah, all smiles after dismissal of Pat Cummins, India vs Australia, World Cup, Chennai, October 8, 2023. Akash Deep scored his highest first-class score.
Mohammed Siraj and Mukesh Kumar had the new ball on the ropes, bowled four first overs on the trot and made short work of the New Zealand A top three. But the second day of the second four-day match belonged to Matthew Boyle and Dean Foxcroft, who got the India A bowlers to work through two wicket sessions to put the home side in a strong position. India A’s bowling attack has the combined experience of 82 Tests with 243 wickets.
That’s more games than the 71 first-class games Foxcroft and Boyle played between them. And yet, despite facing a team that faltered at 13 for 3, they didn’t give the bowlers a single glimpse as they built an unbroken 205-run partnership, with Boyle’s century the icing on the cake. The Match of the Day gave visitors an insight into what could be a major challenge as the Test series begins: how do you get wickets when the new ball isn’t so new anymore?
Earlier, Jurel, who started the day with 99, bowled the third ball of the day to cover to score his eighth first-class century. Jurel and Akash Deep had to be alert against the New Zealand A-Quicks as Fraser Sheat got the second new ball that moved away consistently and Brett Randell brought it in. Randell’s second over produced a heavyweight chime and a Jurel Edge that was uncarried.
On his next play, Jurel hit it inside and Rhys Mariu made a good diving catch to his right at second slip. With Jurel gone, Akash Deep began to go on the offensive. He missed a catch off a Sheat bouncer, but as Sheat got fuller, he swung the ball long-on for six to take India past 300.
Siraj had a difficult start to the innings as he was hit by Randell on the first ball in the box. Akash Deep showed a good sense of exploiting the stroke and at the same time dealing with the bowlers. He hit four fours in a row against Randell – a heave over midwicket, a hook over fine leg, a dab between third slip and gully and a drive through midwicket – to score his second first-class fifty.
It was a trying and frustrating day for Mohammed Siraj and the other Indian bowlers, India vs South Africa, 2nd Test, Guwahati, Day 2, November 23, 2025. When Kristian Clarke came into the attack, Akash Deep took him behind point for another boundary but the other bowling change brought the breakthrough. Siraj had been cautious until then, but on the last ball of Jarrod McKay’s first over of the day he tried to step back and hit a full ball and lost his off-stump in the process. Akash Deep stayed a little longer and got another boundary when he pushed McKay over his head, but missed a catch to get to cover from Clarke when he tried to push another and fell for 68 as India scored 346.
If Siraj was still feeling the effects of the blow, he didn’t show it when he opened the bowling as he and Mukesh pinned the New Zealand openers with the new ball. Mariu finally got New Zealand A going with a backhand strike through the covers on the second delivery of Siraj’s third over, but two balls later Siraj bowled an opener and had him stumped behind. It didn’t take long for Mukesh to get on the board and entice Curtis Hehy into a drive, only to send it into the gully.
A ball later, Mukesh got a ball back to Tim Robinson – who he had constantly tested with a series of outside swings – to put him in front, leaving New Zealand A struggling at lunchtime. However, everything changed after the break. Siraj and Mukesh had somewhat dispeared from the radar after lunch and Foxcroft and Boyle added 37 runs in the first six overs after the break to take the team to fifty.
The few short balls and anything that was too full were put aside for boundaries, with the left-right combination seemingly disrung the rhythm of the Indian bowlers. The only real chance of the session came from Washington Sundar, who beat an advancing Foxcroft down the leg side, but Jurel missed the chance and instead conceded four byes. The scoring slowed as Washington and Akash played deep together, but Foxcroft and Boyle remained steady, occasionally going further beyond the boundary.
The duo ensured a wicketless middle session in which New Zealand A added 92 runs. The score of the century peared shortly after tea break, which Boyle celebrated by swinging Siraj to mid-wicket for the first six overs. As Siraj changed his angle to cross the wicket, Boyle drove him down for four more hits.
Dhruv Jurel hits the ball down the leg side, Sri Lanka v India, 2nd Test, Colombo, Day 2, August 24, 2026 With Jurel withstanding Mukesh’s stumps and Foxcroft at bat, the onus was on Boyle to continue the runs. When Manav Suthar was finally introduced in the 40th over, Boyle greeted him with successive boundaries to reach his 11th first-class fifty before beating Mukesh with a stylish straight drive. Boyle started Akash Deep’s second over with a shot to mid-wicket before also knocking him down.
Foxcroft fielded Suthar with a four and improved his fifty, leading to scores of 51 and 42 in the first unofficial Test. Both continued to frustrate India A throughout the third session, with the bowlers enjoying few enthusiastic but unsuccessful chimes. Boyle added to his century in the 53rd over when he pulled Siraj for four, the partnership reaching 200 shortly afterwards.
Boyle was unbeaten on 107 when play was abandoned five minutes earlier due to poor light, while Foxcroft will come in to bat on day three, 20 runs shy of his century as India look for ways to break that partnership. Matthew Boyle and Dean Foxcroft have added 205 runs for the fourth wicket so far after joining New Zealand at 13 for 3 for the eighth wicket. Hampshire v Middlesex, Vitality Blast, Southampton, July 8, 2026 Matthew Boyle and Dean Foxcroft have added 205 runs for the fourth wicket so far after joining New Zealand at 13 for 3 in the eighth over. Matthew Boyle plays in the field, Hampshire v Middlesex, Vitality Blast, Southampton, July 8, 2026 WI-A v ENG-L 2026/27, WI-A v LIONS 2. Unofficial T20I match report, November 3, 2026 – Boyle and Foxcroft make it a long and hard day for the Indian A WI-A v ENG-L bowlers 2026/27, W. Indies A vs Eng Lions Match Report: Matthew Boyle and Dean Foxcroft have added 205 runs for the fourth wicket so far after taking New Zealand to 13 for 3 in the eighth over. Matthew Boyle and Dean Foxcroft have added 205 runs for the fourth wicket so far after taking on New Zealand at 13 for 3 in the eighth over.
