***Official*** England in Pakistan

[Zinzan]

Wow..3 down for jack-all ...Is it the pitch, swinging ball, great bowling, crap batting or a combination of all???

 

[Neil Pickup]

Though I am not really sure this would have hit the stumps.

My finger was up before Taufel's. No complaints here.

We're just not getting forward... hardly at all... it's inexplicable. Reminds me of the Lincolnshire U15 Schools Cup in 2000. We were away to Branston in the Quarter Final, low, slow track, PE teacher tells us to make sure we get forward. Result - we all get out playing inexplicably back, including some idiot at number three *cough*PY*cough* who stood on his own stumps.

 

[Mecnun]

I'd say poor batting.. i mean Inzy and Shoaib were there not so long ago..

 

[wpdavid]

Sounds like they`re getting a heap of swing.

Which does make you wonder why our guys have repeatedly done zero with the new ball.
Congrats to pak for a brilliant performance. Perhaps this will deal with the staggering complacency and muddled thinking that has been apparent in this England side since they arrived there. But I'm not confident.

 

[Mecnun]

I'd say brilliant bowling..give credit where it is due...........i mean Inzy and Shoaib were there not so long ago..and the pitch did not seem full of demons

 

[shaka]

its 4th innings jitters.

 

[wahindiawah]

Gone! Again! Hasan = legend.

NO.

Hassan is Allmighty

 

[Neil Pickup]

Wow..3 down for jack-all ...Is it the pitch, swinging ball, great bowling, crap batting or a combination of all???

A one-over session before lunch has never been anything but awkward to work through, and a disastrous error of judgement from Marcus Trescothick inside the first four balls didn't aid the English cause. Inexplicably leaving an inswinger from Shoaib, the ball slammed into the off and middle stumps to initiate lunchtime jitters in the English dressing room. The new ball was doing for Pakistan what England never gave it the chance to - would it prove to haunt England?

Awkward swiftly became near-catastrophic in the first over after the interval as Andrew Strauss failed to get properly forward to Rana Naved and chopped a bottom edge onto his wicket. Minutes later, Michael Vaughan was fortunate to survive an LBW shout as Shoaib pinned a full-length ball into his boot - only the uncertainty of whether there was bat involved saving the England captain as both quick bowlers swung the ball dramatically away from the right-handers.

It wasn't swing but bounce that accounted for the next wicket to fall, Ian Bell needlessly aiming a flash at a short and wide delivery outside the off stump - making a top edge's worth of contact with both feet above the ground and giving Kamran Akmal an easy task behind the wicket. Soon after, Simon Taufel's assignment in raising his right index finger was just as regulation when Michael Vaughan became the latest English batsman to be trapped on the crease and was struck on the pad by Rana. Granted, the ball was keeping a little low at times, but the tourists' footwork was fast becoming tentative to the point of negligence.

 

[Nate]

Wake up England! One series victory at home doesn`t make you the best in the world. However, if you win in Australia, then it`s a different story.

Even Pakistan can win at home

 

[Beleg]

My Prediction:

England 140/8 at the close of the play.

 

[Nate]

Man Flintoff always seems unbeatable at the beginning of his innings.

 

[Zinzan]

My Prediction:

England 140/8 at the close of the play.

That pessimestic for a Pakistan supporter, particularly at 24-4 with close to 60 overs remaining in the day?

 

[Nate]

As long as we`re making predictions...

England AO for 108. And how!

 

[Neil Pickup]

My Prediction:

England 140/8 at the close of the play.

I'd bite your hand off for that right now.

 

[wahindiawah]

My Prediction:

England 140/8 at the close of the play.

Possible, i think "bad light" is going to save England.

 

[Zinzan]

Man Flintoff always seems unbeatable at the beginning of his innings.

Your kidding right?? I always feel Flintoff looks loose early in the innings, and looks more solid as he goes on.....

 

[Zinzan]

I'd bite your hand off for that right now.

Don't you mean your own hand Neil ??

 

[Magrat Garlick]

My Prediction:

England 140/8 at the close of the play.

That would involve KP and Flintoff going in the next half-hour, and Jones and Giles blocking out three hours...somehow, the first I can see, the second...nah

 

[Beleg]

Only around 35 (maximum 40) overs will be bowled. With reasonable delaying tactics, England can waste another 5. Shoaib Akhtar will soon run out of steam and Naveed will get less effective as shines starts to wear off the new ball.

Shoaib Akhtar showed that it is possible to stick around defending when the ball is old and all of Geriant Jones, Udal and Giles seem masters of that.

 

[Tony Blade]

Flintoff and Pieterson looking good