Ice-cool Bancroft leads Aus A to win

Australia A have taken a 1-0 lead in their two-match first-class series against India A at Brisbane's Allan Border Field.

When play on day four began at 1pm following after-effects of Saturday's torrential downpour, West Australian Cameron Bancroft played the lead hand with a patient 58 as the home side chased down the 159 required with three wickets in hand.

Tasmanian Beau Webster (30) and Warrior Sam Whiteman (14) both fell in pursuit of the target, leaving Mitch Swepson (0no) to help Bancroft get the side home in the final session.

The hosts had stumbled somewhat on day three in their pursuit of a modest but nonetheless challenging total in this low-scoring contest, going to an early stumps at 4-59 after rain washed out the final session.

India A quick Shardul Thakur had struck twice in as many balls during a fiery spell that summed up this eventful and occasionally ill-tempered contest.

Joe Burns (11) was first to go, bowled by Thakur with the score at 17, and Travis Dean went next ball, wafting a cut shot straight to backward point to leave the Indian on a hat-trick.

Thakur had to wait an over for his attempt at a personal milestone but it was safely negotiated by Peter Handscomb, the Australia A captain then mixing finesse with fortune on his way to a rapid 24 from 18 balls.

But when Handscomb was undone by Hardik Pandya, and his Victoria teammate Marcus Stoinis went for a duck a short time later, the match was suddenly in the balance.

Repeated pitch inspections on day four under blue skies frustrated players and spectators alike, and when play finally got underway at 1pm, India's pacemen struggled to get much out of the wicket, which looked to have slowed somewhat from days two and three.

Bancroft and Webster settled into the task at hand, the latter's pull shot for four off Thakur a particular highlight from his 87-ball stay in the middle.

The Tasmanian was trapped lbw by Varun Aaron with the score at 107, and when Whiteman edged spinner Jayant Yadav to Karun Nair at first slip shortly after tea and with 28 runs still required, there were nerves aplenty in the hosts' camp.

Redbacks' seamer Chadd Sayers chipped in with a handy 15 before Thakur returned to remove him with an excellent inswinging yorker with victory in sight for the hosts.

Bancroft though, remained resilient, moving to his half-century after tea, finishing unbeaten on 58.