Re: Pak A v/s Eng XI
Pakistan A ease closer to victory](http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/pakveng/content/story/224484.html)
Andrew Miller
November 8, 2005
Pakistan A 138 and 153 for 3 (Shahid 22, Raza 29*) need another 92 runs to beat England XI 126 and 256*
England’s cricketers were staring down the barrel of an embarrassing defeat, after a frustrating first session on the final day at Bagh-e-Jinnah. With their captain, Michael Vaughan, looking on glumly from the sidelines as he awaits the results of the scan on his twisted knee, England’s bowlers were given the run-around by Pakistan A’s batsmen, with the nightwatchman, Shahid Nazir, setting the tempo with an uninhibited innings of 43 from 31 balls.
Nazir came to the crease late last night following the dismissal of Taufeeq Umar, and he he made his presence felt in no uncertain terms this morning, swinging the bat with the sort of insouciant abandon that characterises Muttiah Muralitharan’s best slogs. He hit four fours and two sixes in all - all of them hefty heaves across the line - the last of which plopped over the head of a helpless Steve Harmison at deep fine-leg.
Nazir took his fair share of blows as well, including one agonising strike below the belt from Harmison that required a lengthy time-out. His spree was eventually brought to an end when Andrew Flintoff extracted his off-stump with a well-directed yorker, but at 98 for 2 in just the 15th over of the innings, Nazir had carried his side well within striking distance of their target of 245.
They may have to reach that goal without the services of Imran Farhat, however. He was forced to retire hurt on 24 after being struck on the index finger by Harmison, who generated a fair pace in his six-over spell. Flintoff added a second wicket to his tally when Faisal Athar miscued a pull straight back into the bowler’s midriff for 8 (103 for 3), but Pakistan A were undaunted, and as an intrigued local crowd began to find their voice from behind the gymkhana railings, Hasan Raza deposited Ashley Giles onto the roof of the press tent for six.
Without Vaughan to spur the side on, England seemed flat in the field and, with several members of the squad practising at the Gadaffi Stadium, they were short of replacement fielders as well. The assistant coach, Matthew Maynard, was pressed into action when Andrew Strauss departed for treatment for a minor niggle, and though Strauss reappeared soon enough, he wasn’t able to bring with him any magic formula from the dressing-room, as Raza and Shahid Yousuf went to lunch with an unbroken 50-run partnership.
And no that’s not the thinking, I just want the poor soul to be part of our test team .. his century would mean much more right now than Shahid’s half century. It’s just called aqalmandi. :o
So anyways, you didn’t answer my post .. the other half was just a side comment and not an answer to your post. And you can keep following ‘cricket gentleman traditions’ as I have no intentions to.
