Denly and Bresnan looking good for the future...

It will be interesting to see how India do when they bat because I suspect it's a pretty good batting track, but it's still good to see England Lions get a decent total against India. In particular, Joe Denly looked, by all accounts, like the dominating batsman that England have been searching for at the top of the order since Marcus Trescothick's off-field problems. For most of his inning he was scoring at more than a run a ball, but then went for one shot to many, being lured out of his ground by a flighted Ramesh Powar delivery.

Tim Bresnan also batted excellently for his hundred, coming up off 141 balls, and England will be hoping that he can continue this form over this summer so that he can play a part in the ODI series v India. If he is to get that chance though, the key will be his bowling as he went for well over 6 an over in his previous 4 ODIs. Stuart Broad's 50 came as a result of 3 dropped catches - another for real averages!

The 3 leading candidates for one place in the Test side, Strauss, Shah and Bopara, will be kicking themselves for not taking their opportunity, although Bopara will feel a little miffed at his bad luck on Friday 13th given that he was caught at short-leg off the face of the bat. If Joe Denly musters another decent score in England's second innings, what odds would you get on him walking out to bat at Lords with his old under 19 opening partner Alastair Cook on Thursday?