Email Us Forum Mail Article Print Article

England beat Pakistan

Saturday, February 22 2003

Newlands, Capetown, 22 February 2003. England won the toss and decided to bat first.

The weather was dry and sunny as openers Marcus Trescothick and Nick Knight both opened their accounts with singles off Wasim Akram, bowling from the Kelvin Grove End, seeking just two wickets to reach the magical 500 mark. Shoaib Akhtar shared the new ball with Wasim from the Wynberg End and was soon working up a brisk pace. Trescothick survived a confident appeal for caught behind at the start of Wasim's second over, the ball nipping back between bat and pad but just failing to find the inside edge. His reprieve was short-lived, though, as the final ball of the over found the outside edge and Rashid Latif took a straightforward catch. A single for Trescothick, a 499th victim for Wasim - just the start Pakistan wanted. Shoaib's response was to deliver the final ball of his second over at over 100 miles per hour - the fastest delivery ever recorded.

Vaughan nearly perished first ball as he was caught at midwicket by Shahid Afridi, but Wasim's joy was short-lived as umpire Brian Jerling had called a no-ball. The first boundary came in the sixth over in fortuitious manner. Knight tried to flick Shoaib off his hip and the ball flew high - straight back over the wicket-keeper for six. Vaughan, too, found the boundary in more orthodox manner in the same over with a delightful cover drive. 21-1 off six overs. Vaughan was late on a wide half-volley from Shoaib, but was rewarded as the ball flew over the slip cordon for four. Another boundary followed next ball with a superb back foot drive through the well-guarded cover area.
Waqar Younis brought himself on for the tenth over and immediately broke through with a cleverly disguised slower ball. Nick Knight (15), in what looked to be a premeditated move, attempted to drive the ball over the top but played too soon and only succeeded in lofting a simple catch straight to Abdul Razzaq at mid-off, reducing England to 45-2.

Spin was introduced as early as the 13th over with Vaughan and Hussain having little difficulty with Saqlain Mushtaq's first over. Hussain (8) found the boundary with an exquisite cover drive off Waqar, but two balls later with England on 59 he attempted to cut a ball which cramped him for room and Rashid Latif took a fine tumbling catch.
Alec Stewart, playing in his fourth World Cup, was off the mark with a turn off his hip down to fine leg. Having lost 3 wickets in the first 14 overs, a period of consolidation was called for.

By the 22nd over, Pakistan had gone into a more defensive mode with just four fielders inside the circle as Stewart and Vaughan continued to rotate the strike. A delicate dab by Stewart to third man brought the hundred up and England were gradually overcoming their shaky start. A brief delay for treatment to Michael Vaughan did little to halt the flow of runs, and a fine sweep for four off a poor ball by Saqlain brought up his half-century off 62 balls. The next over, though, saw the return of Shoaib Akhtar. Vaughan (52) launched into a short one but only succeeded in driving the ball straight to Younis Khan at point who took a fine, diving catch.

Shoaib greeted Paul Collingwood with an inswinging yorker, but the batsman despatched the delivery to the fine leg boundary. 110-4 was soon 118-5 when Alec Stewart (30) played a loose forcing stroke to just the fifth ball by Shahid Afridi and was clean bowled between bat and pad. With half of their 50 over allocation completed, a disappointing England performance had already seen half the side back in the pavilion. Pakistan, on the other hand, were cock-a-hoop. Collingwood was joined at the wicket by Andrew Flintoff and the two all-rounders, sensibly taking what runs were on offer but without taking any unnecessary risks, took the score on to 150-5 by the second drinks interval.

Flintoff blazed a loose delivery from Afridi through the covers for a rare boundary, but in general the bulk of the scoring at this stage was coming in ones and twos. Once again, astute captaincy paid off for Pakistan. Waqar brought Saqlain Mushtaq back on with instant results, drawing Andrew Flintoff (26) down the track only for the batsman to miss the arm ball. Rashid Latif had the simple task of removing the bails with the batsman stranded yards out of his ground. With the sixth wicket going down at 160, any sort of testing target seemed a very long way away.

Abdur Razzaq, following a particularly wayward over, gave way to Wasim Akram who was driven through the covers by Craig White. At the other end, Afridi was brought back to great effect, instantly taking the scalp of White for 15, caught at backward point by Younis Khan with the total on 194. Every time England threatened to build a meaningful partnership, an inspired change by Waqar Younis seemed to have the desired effect from a Pakistani perspective. Englands 200 came up in the 43nd over, but with only three wickets in hand it was difficult to consider launching a final overs assault. Ashley Giles had other ideas, though, launching a slower ball from Shoaib Akhtar over long on for the second six of the innings. Giles (17) tried to repeat the exercise in the next over from Saqlain but was brilliantly caught inches inside the boundary by Shahid Afridi with the total on 223.

Successive twos by Collingwood brought his personal half-century in the 48th over, and a mixture of scrambled singles, misfields and lusty blows enabled England to eventually post an innings closed total of 246-8. Andy Caddick finished undefeated on 3, whilst Paul Collingwood ended on 66 not out. For Pakistan, Wasim and Waqar had bowled quite beautifully whilst Shoaib, although living up to his nickname of the 'Rawalpindi Express', had been rather expensive, conceding 63 runs from his 9 overs. Englands total was probably 20 or 30 shy of what they would have been looking for at the start but a lot more than seemed likely at the half-way stage. One thing was in their favour, though. Seldom are run chases successful at Newlands.

Pakistan, seeking 247 to win, sent out Saeed Anwar and Shahid Afridi to face Andy Caddick and James Anderson. A steady start from the first two overs - as if both sides were just sizing each other up - was followed by the anticipated explosion. First of all, Afridi (6) heaved a shortish ball from Andy Caddick into the stand over mid-on for six, to be undone the very next delivery by a beautiful ball which cut away, found the outside edge and was held by Stewart - 13-1.

More joy for England and dismay for Pakistan followed in the very next over. The fifth delivery of Andersons second over was edged by Inzamam ul-Haq (0) straight to Nick Knight at third slip - 17-2. This brought Yousuf Youhana (0) to the wicket - but not for long as he was too late playing an inswinging yorker and was comprehensively bowled by a jubilant Anderson for a first ball duck 17-3 and the Pakistani innings seemingly in tatters. Saeed Anwar successfully negotiated the hat-trick delivery in Andersons next over, flicking another attempted inswinging yorker down to fine leg where Ashley Giles misfielded, allowing the ball to ricochet on to the boundary rope.

Saeed repeated the treatment in Andersons fourth over. As the bowler strayed on to leg stump, the Pakistani opener whipped the ball through midwicket for his second boundary of the innings. A short delivery from Anderson was pounced upon by Saeed chancing his arm but the resultant top edge fell between two fielders. After 10 overs, Pakistan had reached 37-3. Andersons sixth over, the first maiden of the innings, so very nearly brought the demise of Saeed Anwar. Shuffling across his stumps and striving to turn the ball through midwicket, he was struck on the pad in front of leg and middle. Only the proximity of the delivery to leg stump when it pitched could have saved him.

Saeed whipped a slower ball from Caddick to the midwicket boundary, and a ballooning bouncer which was correctly called wide brought the Pakistani reply to 50 in the 13th over. The first bowling change saw Andrew Flintoff stifle Younis Khan (5) into dismissal. An excellent first over saw the first five balls short of a length. An increasingly frustrated Younis finally heaved across the line and the ball soared high into the Cape Town sky. Alec Stewart ran 30 yards before taking a fine tumbling catch to leave Pakistan in desperate trouble on 52-4 at the end of the 15th over.The innings of Saeed Anwar (29) came to an end in predictable fashion as once again he toppled over to a full delivery by Anderson and was struck on the pad. This time, the bowlers vociferous appeal was answered in the affirmative and Pakistan were reeling on 59-5. Four balls later and the sixth wicket had fallen without addition to the score. Having been comprehensively beaten by the three previous deliveries, Rashid Latif (0) finally feathered one through to wicket keeper Alec Stewart to give James Anderson his fourth victim of the innings. Abdul Razzaq finally broke the shackles and plundered a two and a four off Andersons final over, the bowler finishing with the excellent figures of 4-29.

Wasim Akram clubbed a leg side boundary off Andrew Flintoff, but the enforced change following Andersons spell once again had dramatic results. The first ball from Craig White, with the greatest of respect to Abdul Razzaq who had battled his way to 11, would have done for far better batsmen. Bowled from wide on the crease, it pitched middle and hit the top of off stump - absolutely unplayable! The seventh wicket had gone down for just 71 in the 22nd over and Pakistan were in desperate trouble. At the half way stage in their reply, the asking rate was already approaching seven runs per over. Wasim Akram (7) was tempted by an attempted bouncer from White but only succeeded in finding Ashley Giles at fine leg who took a simple catch with the total on 78.

Two runs and four balls later, White had his third wicket as Waqar Younis (2) fended a lifting ball straight to Nick Knight at gulley. At nine down, there was nowhere to go - except to go down fighting. Shoaib Akhtar in particular attacked the bowling of Craig White with relish, plundering two fours and two enormous sixes off a single over. In the process, he elevated the score well past 100 and became the innings highest scorer. Saqlain Mushtaq (12*) joined in the act and together the pair brought up the fifty partnership. Just as Shoaib was poised to add another record to his personal collection, he was finally clean bowled by Flintoff wor a simply wonderful 43 from just 16 deliveries, bringing the innings to a close for 134.

It had been a magnificent bowling display by England, for whom man of the match James Anderson had bowled quite brilliantly.

England (246-8 innings closed) beat Pakistan (134 all out) by 112 runs





Posted by Eddie