|
England uncomfortable as Rana rips thru top order
Afrid, Inzi fall victim to
third rated umpiring - Inzi equals Miandad’s Centuries’ record
From Our Correspondent
FAISALABAD—An accidental gas cyllender blast during play and Pakistan’s
sharp pace attack combined to make a scary day for England in the second
cricket Test.
The tourists — one down in the three-Test series — were 113-3 when bad
light stopped play for the day, still 349 behind Pakistan’s challenging
first-innings total of 462.
Ian Bell (36) and Kevin Pietersen (four) were the not-out batsmen.
England were on 92-2 when the game was held up for nine minutes on
Monday following an explosion in one of the stands. Marcus Trescothick
and Bell remained on the field along with Pakistan’s cricketers as
police and commandos rushed to the ground to provide security cover.
A local official later said the explosion was caused by a gas cylinder
in one of the drinks dispensers. A policeman was slightly hurt.
When play resumed, Trescothick fell soon afterwards.
The left-handed opener, who was on 41 when the blast stopped play, added
seven more runs before falling to a low catch by wicket-keeper Kamran
Akmal off paceman Mohammad Sami.
England’s early problems came from little-known seamer Rana
Naved-ul-Hasan, playing only his sixth Test.
Naved-ul-Hasan dismissed Andrew Strauss and skipper Michael Vaughan in
successive overs to reduce the visitors to 39-2 before Trescothick and
Bell added 68 for the third wicket.
Strauss inside-edged a delivery on to his stumps while attempting to
pull, while Vaughan was stunned by a yorker that uprooted his
middle-stump.
Pakistan were indebted to captain Inzamam-ul-Haq for posting a big
total. The middle-order batsman scored an elegant 109 to equal Javed
Miandad’s Pakistani record of 23 Test centuries in 20 fewer Tests (124).
The Pakistani batting flourished in the morning session, thanks to
Inzamam’s polished century and Shahid Afridi’s fireworks at the other
end.
The captain, 80 overnight, struck 13 fours in his 200-ball knock before
being adjudged run out by third umpire Nadeem Ghouri of Pakistan.
Fast bowler Steve Harmison fielded a drive on his follow-through, saw
Inzamam out of the crease and threw down the stumps.
Inzamam played a major role in putting his team in a commanding
position.
He put on 128 for the fourth wicket with Mohammad Yousuf on Sunday and
145 for the next with Afridi, who fell in the morning session after
smashing six sixes and as many fours in his 85-ball 92.
Afridi, who made 67 in his team’s overnight total of 300-4, continued to
demoralise England’s bowlers with his hard and clean hitting.
He set the tone in the day’s first over with a firm drive for four past
paceman Matthew Hoggard before falling to the same bowler.
He swung Hoggard for two successive sixes over wide long-on and steered
the next ball past second slip for four before Trescothick held a low
catch in the slips.
There was no respite for England as lower-order batsmen Akmal (41), Rana
(25) and Mohammad Sami (18) played their parts in swelling Pakistan’s
total.
Scoreboard
Pakistan 1st innings: 462
Inzamam 109, Shahid Afridi 92, Mohammad Yousuf 78, Kamran Akmal 41;
Harmison 3-85, Hoggard 2-115, Giles 2-85
England 1st innings:
M. Trescothick c Akmal b Sami 48
A. Strauss b Naved-ul-Hasan 12
M. Vaughan b Naved-ul-Hasan 2
I. Bell not out 36
K. Pietersen not out 4
Extras: (w1, nb10) 11
Total: (For 3 wkts) 113
Fall of Wickets: 1-33, 2-39, 3-107
Bowling: O-M-R-W
Shoaib 8-1-28-0
Rana 10-2-23-2
Sami 8-3-22-1
Afridi 3-0-10-0
Kaneria 7-0-30-0
|