MULTAN, 17 November 2005 — Cricket experts and pundits were biting their nails yesterday afternoon, when Pakistan proved all of them wrong by snatching a 22-run victory against England in post-lunch session of the last day of the first cricket Test here at the Multan cricket ground.

Final scores: Pakistan 274 and 341; England 418 and 175. Pakistan won by 22 runs.

On Tuesday evening even the staunchest of Pakistan supporters gave just an outside chance to the home team to beat England, riding high after having beaten Australia in the Ashes series only over a month ago.

At the end of the fourth day’s play on Tuesday the visitors were more than confidently placed needing 178 to seal the match with almost the entire batting lineup intact.

They had an early shock no doubt. Their skipper and first innings hero, Marcus Trescothick, had departed early ( 9 for one) in the second knock. But England still had the likes of Andrew Strauss, Ian Bell, Andrew Flintoff, Paul Collingswood and the rest, all in great form and bubbling with confidence. And the target (198 runs) set by Pakistan was small in the present day cricket parlance.

This England side had chased successfully bigger targets against Australia in the recently concluded Ashes series as well as against South Africa and West Indies in the last two years.

But two wickets off four balls from Danish Kaneria after play was in progress for some 50 minutes on the last day, triggered a collapse, which finally proved to be England’s undoing. But for a rearguard action by wicket-keeper Geraint Jones and Shaun Udal, who added 49 valuable runs for the eighth wicket, the visitors struggled all the way in the first as well as half of the second session yesterday.

If Salman Butt was the batting hero for Pakistan, scoring 74 in the first innings and 122 in the second innings, Shoaib Akhtar and Danish Kaneria did an equally commendable job with the ball on the last day.. And it must be regarded as their good fortune that the Multan wicket, which had been placid and indifferent to bowlers on the first four days, changed complexion on the final day. Kaneria in particular got sufficient bounce as well as turn while Shoaib Akhtar was at his best, particularly in the post-lunch session.

Strauss and Bell resumed the reply at 24 for one, with confidence taking the score to 64 for 1 and just when it looked an smooth sailing for England Kaneria struck twice in the same over, removing the overnight Strauss (23) and Bell (31) reducing the visitors to 67 for 2.

Mohammad Sami, who had replaced Shoaib Akhtar, struck another blow in the next over. He had Collingwood (0) plumb before the wicket and England were tottering at 67 for 4 still 131 runs away from victory.

Much now rested on Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen. But Kaneria, who was now in full cry and was getting response from the wicket, had the better of Flintoff who was caught by Yunis Khan in slips for 11. England had another setback as Sami forced a snick from Pietersen (19) to reduce the side to 101 for six. Shoaib Akhtar had the better of Ashley Giles (14) to send all the recognized batsmen to the dressing room at 138 for seven.

A dogged and defiant eighth wicket partnership between Jones and Shaun Udal looked like turning the tables against Pakistan. But Akhtar clean bowled Jones (33) and Kaneria captured his fourth wicket of the innings by removing Udal (18). The rest was mere formality.

The England team management must be worried on their batting failure. On the face of it only three batsmen played to their potential in the two innings--Trescothick, Bell and Jones. Half of their runs were contributed by the skipper and Bell and if that situation continues, even with better-equipped bowling attack they may be struggling here during the next two Tests.

It was undoubtedly Pakistan’s day. Their bowlers bowled to their potential and for once in five days there was smile on Inzamam’s face. Their body language was positive and fielding quite agile. The second Test of the three-match series begins in Faisalabad from Sunday.