Trescothick's valiant knock not enough for England

By Ted Corbett

LONDON, JUNE 12. Despite Marcus Trescothick's 137 of power and grace and such self-confidence that it might have been played by an Australian, England lost off the last ball of its thrilling game against Pakistan at Lord's today. After three defeats its hope of a final place are now very slim indeed.

Trescothick, who began his rise to a safe place in the England Test and One-day sides in last year's tournament, made his first international century off only 142 balls with 11 fours and three sixes. He made a dull match come alive for 20,000 spectators, but in the last ten overs England lost its last seven batsmen for 44. Wretched does not begin to describe this dreadful batting.

His second fifty lasted only 32 balls and under his scything blows the Pakistani fielding fell apart. Only Viv Richards has ever played a bigger One-day innings at Lord's. Yet after Owais Shah was run out for 62 - at the end of a record stand of 170 for the fourth wicket - England collapsed and Pakistan won by two runs when Andrew Caddick was stumped off the last ball.

Alec Stewart won the toss for the second time in succession, and put Pakistan in. Pakistan was without Saeed Anwar whose daughter is in intensive care after an operation on her jaw and left out Shoaib Akhtar. The team management later announced that Shoaib had been released because of continuing stomach problems. He was bringing up blood when he left the field during the Pakistan defeat last Saturday. He is replaced by Fazl-e-Akbar.

For the next 50 overs we had a subdued performance from the Pakistan batsmen. Even Shahid Afridi, who usually bats with all the subtlety of a whirling dervish, spent 44 balls making 30. At 28 Salim Elahi acted out an elaborate pull shot and was lbw, at 59 Afridi who had hit a six in Alan Mullally's first over tamely edged a simple catch to slip and two balls later Inzamam-ul-Haq stepped inside a leg stump yorker and was bowled.

Yousuf Youhana and Younis Khan took the safest route to a good score; between them it hit only two fours in a stand of 80 from 115 balls. Younis Khan made 41 from 50 balls mainly by running the ball repeatedly to third man and when he was out in the 35th over Pakistan had scored just 140 in a friendly pitch. Youhana was caught off Mullally in the 46th over trying to force the pace but not until Azhar Mahmood, batting at No.8, hit 27 in 21 balls was there any sign of acceleration as Pakistan ran up 242 for eight.

Trescothick ought to have been caught at third man after Nick Knight had been run out and Stewart, who should have been suited by an early chance to get at the pacemen, needed 19 balls to hit one on-drive for four before he was caught in the gully. Vaughan was caught at slip off Waqar Younis for nought at 26 and after 14 overs from Waqar and Razzaq England had put together just 34.

In a hesitant start Trescothick was still full of doubt when the partnership with Owais Shah began and Shah played a couple of wild shots but between the 28th over and Trescothick's hundred in the 34th 65 runs - including successive sixes off Shoaib Malik - changed the game. There was another shift of fortune when Shah was run out and Ben Hollioake was bowled by Waqar in the 41st over, with 46 needed; Dominic Cork was run out by a direct hit from Youhana in the 42nd at 201.

While Trescothick was at the crease there was a chance but in the final dramatic over he was caught by Afridi who collided with Malik but clung on to the catch. Umpire Ken Palmer gave a wide and found himself surrounded by hostile fielders but Saqlain Mushtaq was too clever for Caddick who was stranded down the pitch, stumped and facing a mass of invading supporters. For once their wild celebrations were understandable.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Sport
Previous : Sehwag, Yuveraj and Sodhi likely to get the nod
           for tri-series
Next     : Madondo dies of malaria