England vs Pakistan first Test – day one teatime report
An unbeaten 72-run partnership between Paul Collingwood and Eoin Morgan has steadied England’s first innings against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 at Trent Bridge, as they head to tea on 190-4.
Pakistan made a near perfect start to the second session of the Test, dismissing Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott in quick succession as Mohammad Aamer in particular continued to trouble the England batsmen early on after claiming the only two wickets before lunch.
England began the session on 103-2, with openers Alastair Cook (eight) and Andrew Strauss (45) the batsmen whose wickets had fallen before lunch, but they were soon four wickets down as Pakistan’s pacemen struck early.
Pietersen’s short and scratchy innings – during which he survived two reviews ordered by Pakistan (which left the visitors without recourse to the umpire Decision Review System for the remainder of the innings), the first for an lbw and the second resulting from a confident appeal for caught behind – came to an end on nine, as the batsman edged the ball onto his stumps to provide Mohammad Asif with his first wicket of the day.
Not to be outdone, the teenaged Aamer claimed Trott’s scalp, and his third wicket of the match, with the first ball of the next over, trapping the batsman on his pads, and though Trott gave the DRS yet another workout it was to no avail and he departed for 38, leaving England with just one challenge in hand for the remainder of their innings.
Morgan, seeking to make an impact at Test level ahead of this year’s Ashes, almost had his chances to do so in this innings extinguished on five, but replays showed his edge behind off Aamer’s bowling bounced just before Kamran Akmal trapped it in his gloves.
From there it was slow going for England as they managed to add just 25 runs to their lunchtime total in the first 15 overs of the second session, before an ordinary over from Umar Gul relieved the pressure somewhat. Morgan and the reliable Collingwood then went on to bring up their 50-partnership, with the former eventually gaining the opportunity to unleash his trademark reverse sweep as Salman Butt turned to spinners Shoaib Malik and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Danish-Kaneria-c1314 to see out the session.
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