Lunchtime report day one - England vs http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 at Trent Bridge
A late wicket to Pakistan has ensured England have headed to lunch on day one at Trent Bridge with two wickets down and 103 runs on the board.
After winning the toss and electing to bat first, a briskly starting Andrew Strauss gained a life on 15 when Kamran Akmal dropped the most straightforward of chances to dismiss the England skipper, who had edged a swing Mohammad Aamer delivery through to the keeper for what should have been a routine dismissal.
Instead, Kamran watched the ball land in and then bounce out of his gloves, and it didn’t take the longest of memories to recall the nightmare Test the 28-year-old had in Sydney at the start of the year, when he dropped Michael Hussey three times and effectively allowed the batsman to build a match-winning 134-run innings for the home side.
But where the wicketkeeper failed, Imran Farhat succeeded, as he gobbled up the edge Alastair Cook (eight) delivered to first slip to ensure Aamer didn’t have to wait too long to claim his first victim of the match as the English conditions – as they had in the drawn Test series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 – provided the bowlers with plenty of assistance in getting the ball to swing.
As Strauss continued to make the most of his earlier good fortune, it was Jonathan Trott who found himself with cause to call the umpire Decision Review system into play for the first time in the match as Asoka de Silva raised his finger in response to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Danish-Kaneria-c1314’s lbw appeal. It proved to be a sage decision by the batsman, as replays showed he’d edged the ball onto his pads and the original decision was duly overturned.
There was no doubt, however, when Strauss again edged another swinging Aamer delivery behind the stumps and Kamran had the chance to make amends for his earlier fumbles. This time the ball stuck in his gloves and Strauss was on his way for 45.
It was a wicket that brought Kevin Pietersen to the crease in the dying stages of the first session, and when play recommences in the second session he’ll still be there unbeaten on just one along with Trott, who headed to the break with 35 runs to his name.
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