Sweet revenge for Pakistan

Superb bowling from Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Yousuf and good batting helped Pakistan crush England by seven wickets in the second one-dayer at Lord's. Shoaib (4-28) and Asif (2-10) shone in helpful conditions to shoot England out for 166 in a rain-hit 40-over game.

Pakistan's Shoaib Akhtar, celebrates the wicket of England's Darren Gough, during the second one-day cricket match between England and Pakistan at the Lords cricket ground, London, yesterday.- AFP

Jon Lewis (2-11) bowled well but Younis Khan hit 55, Mohammad Yousuf a patient 49 and Inzamam-ul-Haq blasted 42 to put Pakistan 1-0 up with 20 balls to spare.

Once Inzamam won a crucial toss, England knew they were in for a tough time.

Cloud cover and green tinges on the pitch created the perfect environment for seam bowling and - as they did in the abandoned opener in Cardiff - Shoaib and Asif were immediately on target.

After rain delayed the start by 90 minutes, skipper Andrew Strauss nicked the last ball of Shoaib's first over behind to go for a golden duck, while Marcus Trescothick and Ian Bell wafted lazily outside off-stump to provide easy slip catches.

Kevin Pietersen took eight balls to get off the mark before thumping the expensive Rana Naved-ul-Hasan through the covers and mid-wicket for successive boundaries.

But he miscued a heave off Asif to Naved at third man to leave England on 44-4 in 15 overs before Collingwood and Jamie Dalrymple took the attack back to Pakistan in a stand of 34 in seven overs.

Razzaq ended that recovery by trapping Dalrymple plumb lbw and only poor fielding prevented Pakistan from causing even more havoc.

Kamran Akmal missed a stumping chance off Shahid Afridi, while Mohammad Hafeez and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan squandered good run-out opportunities.

When Read crashed Shoaib 10 rows back over square-leg to take England past 150, and sent a slower ball flying over mid-wicket to bring up the fifty partnership with Clarke off 53 balls, there was suddenly the prospect of England posting a semi-decent total.

But Read swung and missed at Razzaq, Shoaib cleaned up Clarke and Gough with devastating yorkers and Younis ran Stuart Broad out by yards to end that prospect.

Lewis found plenty of away swing and bowled plenty of leg-cutters to pose all sorts of problems.

Openers Hafeez and Shoaib Malik edged good deliveries behind, as did Younis - only for Doctrove to signal a no-ball. Replays showed it was a harsh decision and Younis made the most of his reprieve to punish the width a nervous Broad provided.

He reached his fifty off 78 balls with nine boundaries, the highlights of which were two fierce pulls in one over from Clarke. Apart from two delicious drives off Gough, Yousuf was content to be circumspect and the policy paid off as he and the vice-captain accumulated 78 off 128 balls.

England had a bonus when Younis flicked a Clarke half-volley to the deep mid-wicket boundary where Pietersen casually pouched the ball.

But any hopes of a dramatic comeback were snuffed out when Inzamam set about the bowling with real vigour, crashing five boundaries in a 26-ball knock to end the game in a hurry. -- BBC

 

Back to Top Back to Top   Back to Plus Back to Sports

Copyright © 2006 Wijeya Newspapers Ltd. All rights reserved.