***Official*** England in Pakistan

[Zinzan]

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.

Even if England do waste 5 overs in slow play..that still leaves more than 50 overs. Are there light problems or something??

 

[Beleg]

BIG light problems. Virtually no play is possible past 4:45 local time which gives us, counting from now, nearly three more hours of play.

 

[wpdavid]

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.

Very good indeed. The thing that strikes me about Strauss' & Vaughan's dismissals is they are typical of the lack of thought going into this. However fast the bowlers, the ball is not going to leap off a length out there, whereas there is a chance it could keep low, especially on Day 5. So surely you get forward, no? As for Bell.... I can only asume that Scaly's nowhere near a computer at the mo.

 

[Beleg]

I can only asume that Scaly's nowhere near a computer at the mo.

Ha, yes.

I think that shot can pretty much be attributed to inexperience and a sort of a petulant aggression that seems to have entered the mindframe of certain English batsmen, egging them towards a policy of unequivocal attack in every situation.

If Ian Bell had been playing in 2000, I am pretty sure he would never have played that shot in these circumstances. (A similiar instance was Michael Vaughan's seeming inability to play defensive shots. Driving every ball pitched outside off isn't exactly the wisest tactict when the ball is swinging and coming at 90 odd miles)

 

[Pratters]

Why did England not take the new ball. Persisted with the old one for 17-18 overs. People have pointed out that they were already going for a draw at that instance being the reason.

If that is the case, it was a very very silly tactic.

 

[Pedro Delgado]

Pretty pathetic effort from England, okay there's some good fast bowling but surely one must get forward, the Strauss one kept low but he was caught playing back to a full length ball, basic stuff.

Bah, Pak deserve a win good luck to 'em.

 

[wpdavid]

I think that shot (Bell's) can pretty much be attributed to inexperience and a sort of a petulant aggression that seems to have entered the mindframe of certain English batsmen, egging them towards a policy of unequivocal attack in every situation.

If Ian Bell had been playing in 2000, I am pretty sure he would never have played that shot in these circumstances. (A similiar instance was Michael Vaughan's seeming inability to play defensive shots. Driving every ball pitched outside off isn't exactly the wisest tactict when the ball is swinging and coming at 90 odd miles)

Quite. I think they're horribly confused about this need to attack whatever. Against Aus, it came off because our visitors were generous with noballs and dropped catches. And even Aus have had more to them than that. There's always been a couple of guys like Taylor, Boon, Border & S. Waugh to dig in where necessary. And beyond that, apart from Slater & Gilchrist. they've all had a Plan B if circumstances didn't allow them to blaze away at 4 an over. I don't suppose England will publically admit their approach has been wrong, but I hope they'll ask some serious questions of themselves.

 

[Pratters]

How silly would England look had that hit and Pieterson was out?

 

[Slow Love™]

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.

Yeah, I think the odds would still have to be in favor of a draw, in spite of England's atrocious start, and clearly we're unlikely to get the 45 overs supposedly remaining. So much to fight for here for both teams - it's quite plausible that England can still recover somewhat for a 1-1 result by the end of the series if they don't screw this one up (I will be very surprised if they go for the win here, but with KP and/or Pietersen at the crease, you never really know)..

Dammit, I've rarely been so frustrated at not being able to see the match though.

 

[Nate]

Afridi: cue hat-trick.

 

[I-I011YVV00I>]

Good sportsmanship by Sami earlier when he didn't try to claim that low return catch off The South African chap.

Hopefully the England balcony took note.

 

[Pratters]

Good sportsmanship by Sami earlier when he didn't try to claim that low return catch off The South African chap.

Hopefully the England balcony took note.

He is not South African.

 

[Pedro Delgado]

He is not South African.

He's also not in

 

[wpdavid]

He's also not in

Caught sub apparently. Dare I ask where the sub was fielding?

 

[Barney Rubble]

Caught sub apparently. Dare I ask where the sub was fielding?

Short mid-wicket to Rana.

 

[pakster]

Another awesome England game!!

I just checked the score now, any controversy today?

 

[Nate]

Stuff Rana, keep going son.

 

[wpdavid]

Short mid-wicket to Rana.

Sounds like it wasn't another gift, which is progress of sorts.

 

[Tony Blade]

Asim Kamal caught it

 

[sqwerty]

It's a good thing for England they batted first in those last 4 ashes tests. May have been 5-0