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India
December 10, 2006 10:27am CST
England spinner Monty Panesar struggled as Adam Voges capped a memorable day by helping Cricket Australia Chairman's XI to a seven-wicket victory over an England XI on Friday. Western Australia batsman Voges hit a stylish 71, hours after receiving a first call-up to the Australia squad for next week's Perth test. Panesar, also in line for an England call after being overlooked for the first two tests, took two wickets but went for 63 in his 10 overs, including being hit for three sixes in successive overs by Luke Ronchi. Voges and his club team mate Ronchi, who scored 89, guided the home side past the tourists' total of 259 for eight with almost nine overs to spare. The match at Lilac Hill provided several England fringe players with a chance to stake a claim for test selection, but while Panesar had a mixed day, wicketkeeper Chris Read had one to forget. Read failed to take his first opportunity to put pressure on England selectors ahead of the WACA test starting on Dec. 14, facing just five balls before he was removed for a duck. He will now be hoping to make a decent score in the two-day match against Western Australia over the weekend in his bid to replace Geraint Jones, who managed only 11 runs during England's second test defeat in Adelaide. Panesar started well by capturing a wicket with his second ball but he proved expensive as wicketkeeper-batsman Ronchi ignited his 49-ball knock with three sixes in successive overs off the spinner. Ronchi's boundary blitz followed a blast from the past from former England wicketkeeper Alec Stewart, who showed why he was such a force for more than a decade. In his first game at any level since he retired from first class cricket after his 133rd and last test match in Sept 2003, the 43-year-old Stewart top-scored for England with 69, which included five fours and two sixes. Australia lead the five-match Ashes series 2-0 after victories in Brisbane and Adelaide.
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