MULTAN, 16 November 2005 — On a day of fluctuating fortunes in which Pakistan dominated during the first session while England took control after lunch, the visitors appear better placed to win the first Test at the Multan Cricket Stadium here yesterday.
When stumps were drawn for the day England were 24 for one in reply to Pakistan’s second innings score of 341 all out needing 174 to win with nine wickets intact.
A gutsy 122 by opener Salman Butt and a dogged innings from skipper Inzamamul Haq may not in the end today, prove enough to prevent England from victory, chasing a modest target of 198.
Despite losing their stand-in captain Marcus Trescothick early in the second innings, after his fine 193 in the first, the visitors may not find it difficult to negotiate the target on the last-day on a pitch that has nothing for the bowlers.
It was once again England’s first innings bowling hero, Andrew Flintoff, who caused most of the damage to Pakistan by a repeat performance of the first innings, claiming four wickets.
After having lost night watchman Mohammad Sami with the addition of only six runs to the overnight score , who had resumed Pakistan’s second innings with Butt yesterday, skipper Inzamam and Butt played with determination to salvage the Test match.
The fourth-wicket pair looked in control of the situation as they went on to add 135 in resolute defiance, completely dominating the extended first session and an hour into the post-lunch play.
Butt continued from where he had left Monday evening. The 23-year-old left-hander came of age in this match with an array of attractive strokes and shot selection.
Inzamam, after a scoreless 14 minutes and 12 balls, became the sixth Pakistani to cross1,000 mark against England in the final over before lunch. At this point Butt was on 99 but he got to his well-deserved second Test century on the first ball after lunch. By then he had been in the middle for five hours and 17 minutes and had hit nine fours.
In the same over Butt had a narrow escape when third umpire Asad Rauf adjudicated him not out at the striker’s end. TV replays, however, suggested the batsman had not reached the crease when the stumps were broken.
Just as Pakistan looked set to gain a defendable lead the rot set in. In a 44-minutes during the second session England roared back with four wickets for 34 runs in 50 balls after Trescothick decided to take the second new ball immediately when it was due. Hoggard won an lbw verdict when Inzamam did not offer any stroke and the incoming delivery caught him trapped across the stumps. The skipper scored 72 off 147 balls with the help of seven fours. Pakistan yearned in desperation for a big innings from Mohammad Yousuf, the team’s second-most experienced batsman, but he failed to deliver, for the second time in the match. He slashed Flintoff to be caught by Ian Bell in the gulley.
Equally disappointing was Hasan Raza, to be cheaply dismissed again as Trescothick held a low catch to give Flintoff his fourth wicket of the second innings. England finally nailed the man who had kept them at bay for almost seven hours when Hoggard induced a nick from Butt (122) into the safe hands of the keeper.
Butt, who made 108 in the Sydney Test last January, negotiated 256 deliveries while striking 12 of them to the fence.
Meantime, a senior official of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said yesterday there was no immediate plan to reschedule the itinerary of the current England tour of Pakistan following yesterday morning’s bomb explosion in Karachi. Shaharyar M. Khan, the PCB chairman, told reporters that it would be premature to make a hasty decision about any change of venue of the One-day International match scheduled to be played in Karachi on Dec 15.
“We have discussed the situation arising out of today’s blast with the ECB vice-chairman Mike Soper, who is here with the team , and England team manager Phil Neale and we have agreed not to take any decision (about change of venue) until we have more details from the Karachi administration,” he said.
“At the same time, both the PCB and the ECB are in touch with their respective governments for further advice.
