Trescothick and Elahi hit centuries: Karachi, Oct 20:
Discarded Salim Elahi strengthened his claims for a recall with a
blazing century against England but his efforts were not enough to
prevent Governor's Eleven crash to a 81-run defeat in the day and
night match at the National Stadium here on Friday.
Governor's Eleven, chasing a mammoth England score of 323 for seven in
50 overs, were bundled out for 242 in 46.4 overs after losing their
last nine wickets for 73 runs. The home team were on course to give
the tourists run for their money when they reached 169 for one by the
27th over with Salim and Asim Kamal (43) adding 168 runs for the
second wicket.
But the cheap dismissal of Asim, caught at short fine leg off a fulltoss from Graeme Hick, started Governor Eleven's slide. Only a late
assault by Shoaib Malik (23) brought some respectability to their
score.
Salim, named in a 15-man squad for Tuesday's first one-day
international, scored a superb 120 off 103 balls that contained 16
scorching boundaries and a towering six. Salim batted with admirable
confidence against an England bowling attack which is most likely to
test the Pakistan team on Tuesday.
Salim was in a punishing mood reaching his half century off just 40
balls with nine boundaries. His next 50 runs came off 48 balls with
six hits to the fence.
While Salim held the Englishmen by the scruff of their necks, Asim
batted with great patience and calculation. He nudged the pushed the
ball around to give his more experienced and in-form batsman the
strike.
Barring Salim and Asim, the Governor's Eleven scoreboard gave a dismal
look. The three internationals - Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan and Faisal
Iqbal - shared just four runs between them.
Darren Gough, expensive in his first spell, came back to effectively
use the old ball by finishing with five for 32, including three
wickets in 19 balls that virtually broke the back of home team's
batting. Graeme Hick also picked up two cheap wickets of Asim and
Salim, bowled while trying to play an inside out shot, conceding 26
runs.
Earlier, Somerset's Marcus Trescothick scored a blazing century and
Worecestershire's Hick blasted a 60-ball 82 to propel England to a
match-winning 323 for seven that included 97 runs off the last 10
overs.
Trescothick and Hick reduced the all-international Governor's Eleven
bowling attack to pedestrian by making the ball disappear to all parts
of the park. Trescothick belted 12 boundaries and three huge sixes off
93 balls. The left-hander was particularly severe on Shabbir Ahmad
hitting him for four boundaries in an over, three off consecutive
balls of the bowler's second over.
Shabbir suffered further whipping when Hick scored 18 off his eighth
and last over. Hick struck nine exquisite boundaries and two sweetly
timed sixes.
Skipper Nasser Hussain also had a good opening game to the 57-day tour
of Pakistan by scoring 44 off 64 balls with five boundaries. But there
was disappointment for opener Alec Stewart, who was caught at gully,
Graham Thorpe, caught at short fine-leg, and Andrew Flintoff, caught
by Rashid Latif off a top edge.
England play their second warm up match on Sunday before facing
Pakistan in first of the three one-day internationals on Tuesday.