Live: England v India

Andrew Flintoff: fell for 99
14 April 2012
India 75-2 (13.0 overs)
England 307-5 (50 overs)
India won the toss

India endured a calamitous start to their pursuit of England's formidable 307 in today's second NatWest Challenge match at The Oval.

The tourists found themselves 14 for two after losing both openers inside the first four overs on a true and pacy pitch which should have given them prospects of at least approaching an England total based on a record stand of 174 between Andrew Flintoff (99) and Paul Collingwood (79no).

First, Virender Sehwag paid for a loose forward push in Darren Gough's first over when he was pinned in front and umpire Darrell Hair judged the ball was not making too much height to preclude his lbw decision.

Then captain Sourav Ganguly departed in comically dispiriting circumstances for his team, pushing a near yorker from Stephen Harmison for a single only to collide mid-pitch with his partner VVS Laxman and stand well short of his ground and without his bat as Flintoff threw down the stumps from short mid-off
England had been hugely indebted to Flintoff and Collingwood for their fourth one-day total in excess of 300 on this ground.

The fifth-wicket pair came together after a run of four Indian successes in only nine overs. But from 105 for four in the 21st over, they invested due caution before building momentum towards an imperious late onslaught.

The Oval did not seem big enough for Flintoff - who hit nine fours and four sixes from 93 balls - and Collingwood was no slouch either in an 85-ball stay which featured 11 boundaries.

Their stand - England's best for the fifth wicket - came at better than a run a ball and, after something approaching a mid-innings crisis, ensured the hosts had enough runs to get India's powerhouse batting in trouble from the off.

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