Coach Boon finds reasons to be cheerful despite Colts' defeat

It's been a steep learning curve for England's youngsters on the Under-19 tour of India where they lost the three-Test series 1-0.

But coach Tim Boon is optimistic that the school of hard knocks which they have encountered on the sub-continent will prepare them well for cricket's university of life.

With the teams preparing for a three-match one-day series starting on Friday in Hyderabad, Boon was looking at the pluses to emerge from the tour.

He said: "There has been an improvement beyond recognition in the way the batsmen have applied themselves against spin.

"When we played the Rest of India before the Test series, we were beaten by an innings and the batters' method looked totally ineffective.

"For example, Nicky Peng played the spinners in the last Test better than at any point on tour so at least we have achieved one of our objectives."

Skipper Ian Bell was the leading run scorer in the Tests, hitting 332 runs at 55.33 including a century. Peng, who has only just turned 18 and so has another year at this level, hit a century in the Second Test, finishing the series with 286 runs at 47.67.

Peng's county colleague Gary Pratt has top-scored on the tour with 415 runs in all matches at an average of 51.87, including a 100 and three 50s. In the Tests he scored 278 runs at 55.60, including a gritty century in the Third Test.

Of his bowlers, Boon said: "The seamers have bowled well but they have lacked stamina and they all need to work on their fitness.

"The spinners still have much work to do and that is borne out by a direct comparison with the Indian spinners. It is vital that we start to set up exchange programmes where our spin bowlers can come out here and spend time learning how to bowl in these conditions."

England's opening bowlers, Essex youngsters Andrew McGarry and Justin Bishop, both took nine wickets in the series at an average of below 30, reasonably impressive figures in hot conditions and on flat wickets.

But both England's left-arm spinners struggled. Kent's Rob Ferley took five wickets at 53.80 and Northamptonshire's Monty Panesar's four wickets cost him 80 apiece.