Pakistan peg back England after solid start
Bureau Report

LAHORE—Pakistan produced a fine bowling performance to restrict England to 248 for six despite a battling 71 from Paul Collingwood on the first day of the third Test on Tuesday. Collingwood, playing his fifth test in place of Andrew Strauss, saved England from total collapse after a strong start by Michael Vaughan (58) and Marcus Trescothick (50).
Although fortunate not to be given out caught behind off Shoaib Akhtar on 54, the 29-year-old Collingwood battled hard to hit 11 fours in his maiden test fifty. He and Shaun Udal (10) had added 23 when play ended due to bad light with 13 overs remaining.
Pakistan took six wickets in the final two sessions after Vaughan won the toss for the first time in the series and shared an enterprising 101-stand for the first wicket with Trescothick.
Vaughan, opening for the first time in more than a year, hit 10 fours from 91 balls, while Trescothick struck nine boundaries in his 28th test half century.
Off spinner Shoaib Malik completed figures of three for 58 to bring his team back into the game after lunch, grabbing three wickets in the space of 14 runs to reduce England to 115 for three.
“I have always believed that I can be a frontline batsman and compete with the best at test level,” said Collingwood.
“Today’s innings is of great satisfaction for me and a hundred would be a confirmation that I can bat at this level”.
Collingwood said the ball had turned a bit more than England expected it would on the first day.
“I decided to go with my safe shots and I managed to stick it out there. Tomorrow if we can get near 350 it would be a good first innings total after winning the toss,” he said.
Seamer Rana Naved took the key wickets of Kevin Pietersen (34) and Andrew Flintoff (12) to put the touring side under more pressure.
Wicketkeeper Geraint Jones was bowled playing an wild cross- batted heave at a straight ball from leg spinner Danish Kaneria to leave England on a precarious 225 for six.
Four batsmen fell playing cross-batted sweep shots to the spinners and Flintoff top-edged a pull off Naved straight to Shoaib at deep fine leg.
Pietersen fell in the final over before tea when he failed to avoid a rising ball from Naved and was caught down the leg side by Kamran Akmal for 34, ending a useful fourth-wicket partnership of 68.
Malik’s victims were all out sweeping, Mohammad Yousuf catching Vaughan at square leg and Bell at fine leg.
Trescothick was out when the ball ricocheted off his boot and Akmal dived forward to snatch it inches from the ground.
England left out experienced spinner Ashley Giles, who has a hip injury, and handed a debut to young seamer Liam Plunkett.
Pakistan brought in Asim Kamal and Hasan Raza for Younis Khan and Shahid Afridi.