Thorpe and Hick rescue England

A timely century partnership between Graham Thorpe and Graeme Hick revived England's innings after the Pakistan Cricket Board Patron's XI had claimed three quick wickets on the second day of the match in Rawalpindi.

Thorpe and Hick put on 144 runs from 249 balls as they dominated the play during their two-and-a-half hour's batting.

Having come to the crease when the England innings was struggling on 52 for three, they showed caution at first but gradually began to play fluent strokes as the innings progressed.

Hick had taken two sixes off leg-spinner Shafiq Ahmed by the time he reached forty, both hits over long-off. Thorpe then hit Mohammad Akram twice in one over for four, first a pull and then a square cut to bring the 150 up on the board.

He had earlier reached his fifty from 87 balls. Hick followed with his halfcentury, from 103 balls. Their stand ended when Thorpe on 88 was caught in the slips, attempting to cut left-arm spinner Qaisar Abbas.

Having begun their innings shortly before lunch, after dismissing the opposition for 237 - Matthew Hoggard finishing with 5 for 62 from 27 overs, which included the important wicket of the top scorer Abbas (71) with the first ball of the day - England lost three early wickets in the second session of play.

They fell in a space of 31 minutes in just six overs. Marcus Trescothick got a thick edge from an attempted straight drive and was snapped up at third slip with 21 on the board.

The next wicket also went to Mohammad Akram, a fast-medium bowler with Test experience. He found the inside edge of Michael Vaughan's bat when England's total had advanced by twelve runs. Wicket-keeper Javed Qadeer took the catch.

The Patron's XI pace attack kept up the pressure, forcing Michael Atherton into an uppish shot to be caught at point for 22.

The Thorpe and Hick partnership had come just when England were in need of a solid stand. By close of play Hick was 77 not out from 125 balls, with 52 of his runs coming from boundaries and he had taken the England total to 212 for four.