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Anderson and Finn rip through Pakistan |
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NOTTINGHAM: Mohammad Asifs five wickets made the morning session Pakistans, but on a day for the bowlers on which 12 wickets fell for 113 runs, Steven Finn and James Anderson made superb use of conditions to cut the visitors down to 90 for 6 before tea at Trent Bridge. Anderson made the initial incision, removing both openers before Finn took a wrecking ball to Pakistans middle order. Finn snatched 3 for 12 in his first spell as Pakistan went into freefall at 47 for 6 before Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Aamers stubborn rearguard. After Asif had sparked an England collapse in which six wickets fell for just 23 runs in the course of the morning by hooping the ball both ways at will and maintaining an impeccable off-stump line, Pakistans batsmen will have been expecting a spirited riposte from Englands bowlers under leaden grey skies in Nottingham. But they appeared completely unprepared for the scale of the assault, with Salman Butt, whose grit at the top of the innings in partnership with Imran Farhat was vital to Pakistans success against Australia at Headingley, softened up by a clanging blow to the side of the helmet before he feathered an edge through to Matt Prior. Farhat and Azhar Ali clung on until lunch, as Stuart Broad started well but bowled too short as his spell went on. But Finn, fresh from his strength and conditioning training, showed that he has the ability and discipline to extract bounce from a fuller length, giving the ball time to wobble just enough through the air to find the outside half of the bat. After Anderson - coming round the wicket to the left-handed Farhat - had bent the ball past the batsmans attempted nudge to leg to shatter the stumps, Finn extracted Umar Amin with a thick edge to second slip to leave Pakistan in the perilous position of 35 for 3. The collapse was soon in full flow, and Anderson snatched his third as Ali was turned inside out by a booming outswinger to prompt an appeal for the catch behind. Umpire Tony Hill raised the finger, but despite the fact that the UDRS in use for this series and Pakistan had referrals in the bank Ali trudged off without questioning the decision - strangely - as replays appeared to show that the ball had missed the edge and touched the batsmans trouser pocket on the way through. Finn then bullied both Akmals out in identical fashion, shaping the ball away from the bat with a touch of extra bounce outside off stump to draw indecisive prods to second slip. Malik and Aamer survived to see out his spell and protect Pakistans dangerously long tail, and by the interval had put together a stand of 43 - the third highest of the match so far for either team. The speed of Pakistans capitulation put Asifs efforts in the shade, and also highlighted the game-shaping importance of Eoin Morgan and Paul Collingwoods 219-run stand. England had resumed on 331 for 4 but once Collingwood was removed for 82 in the sixth over of the morning the rest of the line-up quickly followed and six wickets tumbled for the addition of just 17 more runs. Asif bowled an unbroken spell from the Radcliffe Road end, running through Englands lower order to pick up his seventh five-wicket haul in Test cricket in a display of patient and disciplined medium-pace swing bowling. He trapped Collingwood with an inswinger to create an opening and give Pakistan the lift they so dearly needed, and four overs later he was at it again, pinging Morgans back pad in front of off stump to reduce England to 344 for 6. Matt Prior made a distinctly scratchy return to international duty for England, but his downfall was no fault of his own, as Graeme Swann left him stranded mid-pitch after turning down a tricky third run much too late and he was easily run out for 6. Englands tail quickly followed him to the pavilion, and Asif found himself on a hat-trick after nailing both Swann and Anderson in front of the stumps with deliveries that swung in unexpected directions. He found the edge of Finns bat with the hat-trick delivery, but the chance fell well short of the slips. Umar Gul made a mess of Broads stumps to bring the innings to a close in the very next over and complete a stunning collapse from England, but in the context of the game, one that was overshadowed by the Pakistani surrender that followed.
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NOTTINGHAM:
31/07/2010 |
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