Trescothick: England's Hero

An unbeaten 108* from Marcus Trescothick, in complete contrast to his innings two days before, led England to a nerve=wracking four-wicket win at Lord's to clinch the NatWest Challenge 2-1.

With both teams naming unchanged sides from those who took part in the one-sided demonstration display at the Oval, the skies overhead were granting London a typical June day's worth of rainfall. However, by 11.00 it had cleared and umpires Peter Willey and Aussie Darrell Hair were ready to start at 11.30. As there was one hour's time allocated at the end of the day for the game to over-run, there was no danger of any reduction in overs.

England skipper Michael Vaughan won the toss, and had no hesitation in putting the visitors into bat first. With the conditions still humid and overcast, the smart money was on James Anderson and Darren Gough to break through before too long. Break through England did, but it didn't come from either of the opening bowlers.

Despite both openers inducing false shots and playing-and-missing abounds from the Pakistanis, neither could break through, and it was Lancashire all-rounder Andy Flintoff who struck with his first ball of the match, when Imran Nazir (8) grew tired of the tight rein England had upon the scoring. As is so often the case, the bad ball took the wicket and a short one from 'Freddie' was sent straight into Michael Vaughan's hands at cover after Imran's attempted pull. Mohammad Hafeez (19) went the same way, hitting the ball straight to Rikki Clarke, Darren Gough profiting from the Pakistanis' lack of patience.

Meanwhile, none of Flintoff's first 16 balls were scored off but Yousuf Youhana squeezed the next past point. Yasir Hameed (5), boosted in confidence, tried to flick the next one to leg but only succeeded in a leading edge back to the big man. Yousuf Youhana (5) struggled to score quickly and wasn't helped by his tendencies to refuse any single that didn't give him time to walk it. Unless it was the last ball of the over, and he was going to get strike. His time ran out when he feathered Rikki Clarke of all people to Chris Read behind the stumps.

Shoaib Malik came in to partner Younis Khan, and steadied the ship somewhat in a stand of 56 before Malik (23) recreated Youhana's dismissal as Flintoff made it 3/13 off 8 overs. Younis Khan and Abdul Razzaq consolidated, and Pakistan reached 140/5 off 41 overs. Razzaq then put his foot down and launched England's bowlers to all parts of Lord's, starting with Rikki Clarke into the mid-on stands. James Anderson struck to remove Younis (63), caught at mid=off by Anthony McGrath. Azhar Mahmood joined the party soon afterwards, putting James Anderson onto the roof at mid-wicket. Even Andy Flintoff was hit, but he finally removed Razzaq after a skied pull for a 53-ball 64 including six fours and a six. Four leg byes off the boots of Mahmood (20*) ended the Pakistani knock on 229/7. Andy Flintoff took 4/32.

England's chase started solidly, until a full, swinging ball from Mohammad Sami induced the edge from Vikram Solanki (12), which was well taken by the diving Rashid Latif. Sami then bowled Michael Vaughan with a textbook yorker only for Peter Willey to signal no-ball. Pakistan continued to create chances but couldn't take any, until Mohammad Hafeez took Vaughan (29) at deep square leg. Jamie Troughton (20) was starting to look the part when his attempted big hit down the ground off Shoaib Malik could only find Shoaib Akhtar at long-off.

The introduction of fellow off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez then turned the game on its head, as the run rate was stifled at then the frustrated Flintoff (4) holed out to Sami at mid off. Hafeez struck again in the next over, his quicker ball drawing McGrath (2) out of his ground for Latif to pull off a superb stumping. Rikki Clarke crashed his first ball to the cover fence but shortly afterwards had failed again, edging the impressive Hafeez to Latif behind the stumps. At 154/6, Hafeez had 3/9 and England needed 76 off 14 overs with just Chris Read left as a recognised batsman.

The run rate continued to rise and 62 were needed off the last 10. Trescothick and Read slowly edged towards the target, and it seemed that luck was on their side when Read escaped three times in four balls from Shoaib. A seemingly plumb LBW wasn't given, Rashid Latif dropped a difficult chance and then an inside edge missed leg stumps and went for four. Trescothick was still there, and he brought up his ton slashing Shoaib Akhtar past slip, and a late inswinger from Shoaib swung through the gate and past leg stump for four byes. A great spell ended with no reward and 0/40. Only 13 were needed off 3 overs, and when Chris Read hammered Sami past point, it was 8 off 2. Trescothick ended it in style with a six over square leg off the third ball of the penultimate over as England won by six wickets.

Read finished on 25* off 40 balls with three fours, a crucial innings just when England needed it, and Trescothick's 108* came off 145 balls with just nine fours and that six. Trescothick, unsurprisingly, took man of the match but Pakistan will be gutted to have let this game slip, putting down more than a couple of chances. England now kick off the NatWest ODI Series against Zimbabwe and South Africa at Trent Bridge on Thursday, with a 10.45am start (BST).

Pakistan 229/7 (Abdul Razzaq 64, Younis Khan 63, A Flintoff 4/32)

England 231/6 (ME Trescothick 108*, Mohammad Hafeez 3/31)

England won by 4 wickets

England with the series 2-1

CricketWeb Player of the Match: Marcus Trescothick (England) - 108*

CricketWeb Player of the Series: Marcus Trescothick (England) - 212 runs @ 106.00

Posted by Neil