MULTAN, 14 November 2005 — For the second day in succession, England dominated the proceedings in the first Test against Pakistan with stand-in captain, Marcus Trescothick leading from the front with an unblemished and undefeated century. At draw of stumps yesterday the visitors were 253 for 3, just 21 runs short of Pakistan’s first innings total of 274 all out. Trescothick was batting at 135 and nightwatchman Mathew Hoggard was yet to open his account.
Trescothick, who was lucky to have escaped unhurt at 48 as umpire Billy Bowden kept his famous crooked finger down when Danish Kaneria brought one back which would have uprooted his middle stump for sure. The TV replays more than confirmed that the England captain was plumb in front. Celebrating the escape, Trescothick lofted Kaneria for a six to herald his 28th Test fifty. From then on the England captain had no problems and batted for the entire day, in the process cruising to his 12th Test hundred in the 56th over of the day.
As was the case on the first day when England seamers had the better of Pakistani batsmen, the visitors bossed the second day’s proceedings from the start, mopping off the last four Pakistani wickets in just about 50 minutes. It took Andrew Flintoff, Mathew Hoggard and Stephen Harmison 11.2 overs to wrap up Pakistan’s innings at 274.
Hoggard was the first to strike. On the third ball of the day he lured overnight not out batsman Mohammad Sami to edge one. Five overs later Flintoff accounted for the big scalp, Inzamam ul-Haq. The Pakistan captain had wasted no time in bringing up his 40th Test fifty, working the ball round the ground and playing with confidence until he was undone with his first false shot of the day. Five balls later Flintoff removed seamer Shabbir Ahmad by a searing yorker.
Finally Harmison ended the Pakistan innings at 274, with his second ball, a short-pitched delivery, which had Kaneria flashing to Ashley Giles.
There was no excuse for Pakistan to make such a modest total in familiar conditions on a batting featherbed. The home side barely got going as the final four wickets crashed for 30 runs in 64 deliveries.
Flintoff finished with 4 for 68. Harmison took 3 for 37 while Hoggard chipped in with 2 for 55. Their performance should serve as good lesson for their Pakistani pace rivals.
Pakistan met with an early success as England resumed their reply through Trescothick and Andrew Strauss. Sami, who had opened the Pakistan attack with Shoaib Akhtar, trapped Strauss leg before in his second over. England were 18 for 1 in the fourth over of the innings. Trescothick was joined by Ian Bell and the two, batting with a mix of caution and aggression, hoisted 50 of the innings in 60 minutes of play. At lunch England were 72 without any further loss.
The period between lunch and tea was probably the best from the visitors’ point of view. Pakistani bowlers toiled for two hours without any success as Trescothick and Bell, who was lucky to be in the side because of skipper Vaughn’s injury carried on the good work.
Bell made most of his unexpected call-up with a resolute exhibition of batting.
The 23-year-old Warwickshire right-hander brought up his third 50 in his ninth Test and went on to score 71 which included five boundaries — before falling to a catch close-in on the on-side off Shoaib Malik.
Bell should have been back in the hut on 62 with England score on 185 but for a no ball. That slow delivery by Shoaib Akhtar completely baffled Bell as it went between his legs to hit the base of the middle-order.
Paul Collingwood remained the sleeping partner as he and Trescothick narrowed the first innings deficit further in a partnership of 53 with Collingwood making 10.
Shabbir dashed Collingwood’s dream of emulating Bell with a late away swinging delivery that enticed him to edge a smart catch behind the stumps.
But Trescothick found no such problem facing the bowling as he held the center stage. He swept Kaneria fine to raise his 100 with 13th four off 164 balls in 253 minutes after bringing up his half century with a magnificent six off the same bowler.
During the course of his second century against Pakistan and 13th overall in his 67th Test appearance, Trescothick and Bell sailed past a milestone in the history of England-Pakistan Tests. The 180-run partnership was the best by an English second-wicket pair in Pakistan, crossing the 168-run second wicket stand between Dennis Amiss and Keith Fletcher in the 1972-73 series.
