Morgan and Collingwood give England day one honours against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755
An unbeaten 213-run partnership between Eoin Morgan and Paul Colingwood has allowed England to take the honours against Pakistan on day one of the Test match at Trent Bridge.
Morgan, playing in just his third Test, posted his maiden Test century as he finished the day unbeaten on 125, while Collingwood remains 81 not out after playing an all-important supporting role in the partnership, which guided the hosts to a total of 331-4 at stumps.
Morgan’s innings has surely provided England selectors with a welcome headache ahead of their Ashes defence later this year as they decide between the Dublin-born batsman and the (currently injured) Ian Bell as their No. 6 batsman.
One thing is certain: with this fine knock, during which he has which balanced patience with his natural flair, Morgan has made resounding statement that he is not only a creative limited-overs batsman, but that he’s also got the temperament to construct an innings in the five-day format.
For Pakistan, Mohammad Aamer was the pick of the pace attack, the teenager dismissing Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott as he finished the day with figures of 3-39, but on the whole the pace attack lacked the potency and consistency that they’d produced to dismiss http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 for a paltry 88 in the first innings of their Test at Headingley earlier this month.
Not only did Pakistan’s pace trio fail to live up to what might be premature predictions of collective greatness, Kamran Akmal had a day behind the stumps that he’d probably much rather forget. The wicketkeeper first dropped Strauss on 15 and then, in the final session of the day, missed what should have been a straightforward stumping chance that would have ended Paul Collingwood’s innings just short of his 50, as once again the ball bobbled around Kamran’s gloves without the keeper showing any signs of controlling it.
Pakistan began the day by squandering their first chance to claim a wicket, when Kamran failed to close his gloves around an edge from Strauss, but teenage swing bowler Mohammad Aamer didn’t have long to dwell on it as he captured Alastair Cook’s wicket for eight and just before lunch successfully teamed up with Kamran to dismiss the England skipper caught behind for 45.
That brought Kevin Pietersen to the crease, but his was a shortlived stay; arguably his greatest contribution was using up Pakistan’s two challenges with the umpire Decision Review System. KP’s scratchy innings came to an end for nine when he edged a Mohammad Asif delivery onto his stumps and Jonathan Trott (35) followed soon after as Pakistan tipped the match in their favour in the early stages of the second session.
Morgan and Collingwood, however, steadied the England innings, ensuring the hosts made it through to tea without further loss, and the pair continued where they left off in the final session of the day.
And after surviving an lbw scare on 78 – the DRS leading to the reversal of Asoka de Silva’s original decision – Morgan went on to bring up his maiden Test century in some style too, as he sent a Shoaib Malik delivery back over the bowler’s head for six.
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