Nick Gubbins

India A failed to maintain the momentum garnered from emphatic wins in back-to-back warm-up games as a thoroughly professional England A cruised to a seven-wicket victory in the opening encounter of the tri-nation A series, on Friday.

Pakistan paceman Mohammad Abbas took six wickets for just 11 runs, including a hat-trick, on Friday to leave Hampshire on course for victory over Middlesex in England's County Championship.

In a season cut short by the coronavirus, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) decided it would be impossible to complete the usual two-division County Championship programme in full.

The seasoned Alastair Cook warmed up for next month's Test series against India with an unbeaten century as England Lions made a solid start against India A on the first day of the only four-day unofficial Test.

England Lions tightened the screws on India A as they dismissed the visitors for 197 and were going strong at 159 for 4 in their second innings on the third day of the only four-day unofficial Test here.

New Zealand were well beaten Sunday in their final warm-up game ahead of next week's first Test against England at Lord's, with Ben Compton's fifth hundred of the season guiding a County Select XI to a seven-wicket win at Chelmsford.

Tilak Varma solidified his burgeoning reputation with a brilliant century for Hampshire against Nottinghamshire in the County Championship. His composed 112-run innings, featuring elegant drives and fluent strokeplay, helped Hampshire take closer to avoiding a follow-on. Varma's consistent performance in English conditions, averaging just under 79, is making a strong case for his inclusion in India's Test squad.

India's Cheteshwar Pujara scored his second double hundred in three matches on Saturday as he shared a century stand with Pakistan's Mohammad Rizwan for English county Sussex.