FAISALABAD, 23 November 2005 — Middle-order batsmen Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen scored individual centuries to take England to a position of relative safety on the third day of the second Test against Pakistan here yesterday.
When play was called off early due to poor light, the visitors were 391 for 7 in reply to Pakistan’s first innings total of 462.
England were still 71 runs behind Pakistan’s imposing score with three wickets intact. Ashley Giles was batting on 23 and Shaun Udal had made six when stumps were drawn for the day, 12 overs early.
Pietersen (100) and Bell (115) put on 154 runs for the fourth wicket to rescue their team from a shaky overnight 113 for three.
Ashes hero Pietersen, who had managed just 40 runs in six innings before this Test, struck form at probably the most opportune time.
He and Bell batted through the entire morning session and had partially succeeded in taking their team out of trouble.
Pietersen took the attack to the Pakistani bowlers with a brilliant 100 off 137 balls with the help of six fours and three sixes. He reached his second Test hundred by hitting a six but was out on the next delivery attempting another big hit over the ropes.
In contrast, Bell was more patient. His runs came from 272 balls. The pair saw the extended morning session without any problems, taking England from 113 for 3 overnight to 217 without any loss.
Shoaib Akhtar got Pakistan the much-needed breakthrough when he had Pietersen caught by Mohmmad Yousuf at mid-on when he was attempting to hit the fast bowler for another six. Eleven runs later Akhtar struck again, when he clean bowled Andrew Flintoff for one. England’s fifth wicket fell at 272.
Bell, who survived an easy stumping chance on 38 and then received a let off on 90 when Salman Butt failed to hold on to a sharp chance at square leg, reached his hundred by cutting Shahid Afridi for four. But soon Afridi had his revenge as Bell, trying to cut a leg break, was caught by wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal when the total was 327.
Geraint Jones (55) and Giles added 51 runs for the seventh wicket. But Afridi, who was on Monday suspended for one Test and two ODIs by the ICC for scuffing the pitch, trapped Jones leg before when he was trying to play across the line after a plucky innings that included eight boundaries.
Pakistani bowlers toiled throughout the first session without any luck as England added 104 runs during the 150 minutes of play. Success came their way in the second session as Akhtar struck twice with the new ball and then Afridi got the prize wicket of Bell. The home team could grab only one wicket, but an important one, that of Jones in the last session of the second day.
For Pakistan, Rana Naveed, Akhtar and Afridi got two wickets each while seamer Mohammad Sami got one.
PCB to Hold Inquiry Into Afridi Incident
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is to hold an independent inquiry into the incident involving Shahid Afridi scuffing the pitch on the second day of the second Test against England. Agencies add.
“Afridi has apologized for his behavior and he has also been penalized by the International Cricket Council (ICC) match referee. But we will hold our own inquiry as it is not an incident in good taste,” PCB Director Abbas Zaidi told Reuters yesterday.
The 25-year-old described his actions as a “moment of madness”.
“I really don’t know what happened or what I was doing out there on the pitch. I know on camera it looked very bad and I feel I have let myself and the team down,” Afridi said.
“I really regret my actions because I have always played the game in the proper spirit. I know what I did was a big mistake and it will remain a stigma for me all my life. As a senior member of the Pakistan team I know what my responsibilities are,” he added.
Zaidi also said the Pakistan board had conveyed its concern to the ICC regarding the run out of Inzamam on the second day of the match.
Bad Weather Washes Out Third India-South Africa One-Dayer
In Madras, heavy rain and a water-logged ground forced the third one-dayer between India and South Africa to be abandoned without a ball being bowled yesterday.
The incessant rain over the past two days soaked the Chidambaram Stadium and umpires Daryl Harper and Krishna Hariharan called off play 45 minutes after the scheduled start time of 2.30 p.m. (0900 GMT) as the weather showed no signs of clearing.
