Henry Thornton had a day to remember. After frustrating the India A bowlers with a 91-run last-wicket stand alongside Todd Murphy and registering his highest First-Class score — an unbeaten 32 off 46 balls — the South Australian pacer returned to rattle the host with four wickets. Using his skiddy round-arm action to good effect, Thornton claimed four for 36, dismantling the Indian middle order in a fiery three-over burst.
His all-round effort helped Australia A post 420 in the first innings before bowling out India-A for just 194, securing a commanding 226-run lead on the second day of the multi-day fixture at the BRSABV Ekana Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
“It was awesome,” the 28-year-old said after day’s play. “I thought Murph (Todd Murphy) batted really well. I think it’s his highest score as well in First-Class cricket. We were just having a fair bit of fun out there, and it was a good challenge against some really good bowlers to see where your skills are at.”
Australia A resumed at 350 for nine, with Thornton and Murphy already having added 21 runs late on Tuesday. On Wednesday morning, the pair counter-attacked, taking on Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna with freedom.
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“It was a pretty simple game plan. If they missed, we tried to hit the ball for four, and it came off today,” Thornton explained. When spin was introduced, both batters took charge, with Murphy and Thornton launching Ayush Badoni for two sixes over long-on.
“Once we started getting a bit of a partnership together, we had a lot of fun. They brought their spinners on, and we thought we could score. It was a nice feeling,” he said.
With the bat behind him, Thornton made an immediate impact with the ball. Introduced in the 10th over, he struck in successive overs to remove N. Jagadeesan, Devdutt Padikkal, and captain Dhruv Jurel.
“The plan was to put energy on the ball, bash the top of the stumps and use a sniff. I felt like I was in the game, bowling that length,” said Thornton, who now has 25 wickets from seven First-Class matches.
He was particularly pleased to dismiss three established names. “This is what Australia A is all about. You want to play against the best and see where you’re at — bring your Shield skills to the next level and see how you stack up.”
Thornton also used the bouncer effectively, one of which struck Prasidh Krishna on the helmet and forced him to retire hurt. India A later brought in Yash Thakur as a concussion substitute.
“I think it got him pretty flushed. I asked him if he was alright, and he said he was okay. But it was a delayed kind of concussion. I was going to bowl the next over to him, and he started getting headaches and dizziness. I think it just caught him in a bad spot. I hope he’s all right,” Thornton said.
Published on Sep 24, 2025
