Pakistan Edge out England at Oval; 4 Wicket Win Came After Tense 4th Day
On another enthralling day of Test cricket, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 succeeded in edging hosts England out by 4 wickets on Day Four of the third Test at the Oval in London to reduce England’s lead in the four-Test match series to 2-1.
The final Test starts in a week’s time, and if the visitors can score a win at Lord's, they would cap off a remarkable Test tour of England after squaring the two match Test series against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 earlier in the summer.
However, before crossing the line, the visitors gave their fans a familiar shock after lunch when they resumed their chase of 148 runs.
In the morning session, they were coasting at 4.6 runs per over, having galloped to a positive start, yet it all went pear-shaped post lunch as the batsmen struggled to break the shackles that were imposed by the English bowlers led by James Anderson, who bowled to an off-side field pitching the ball well outside the stumps and playing on the batsmen's patience.
The two batsmen, Mohammad Yousuf and Azhar Ali, failed to rotate the strike, scoring only 9 runs in the first half hour or so. The stutter in the run-rate led to the run out of Azhar Ali via a fine fielding display by James Anderson stationed at square-leg.
Soon afterwards, Yousuf perished to a superb yorker by Anderson that swung away at the last minute, flattening the off-stump. The bearded Yousuf, who was making a return to international cricket after taking back his retirement, was the calming influence on the young Pakistani batsmen, scoring a vital 33 to follow his first innings score of 56.
The right-hander hit five boundaries in all; his departures brought the Akmal brothers together, yet within minutes the cat was among the pigeons as Kamran Akmal continued his miserable run with bat padding up to a ball from Swann that spun in sharp.
Despite going for a review from the 3rd umpire, Akmal failed to prolong his stay at the wicket, as the replay suggested that umpire Tony Hill had made the correct call.
Mohammad Aamer, who had completed his five-wicket haul earlier in the day by dismissing Stuart Broad, helped Umar Akmal in steadying the ship.
However, it was extremely tough for the batsmen to get the ball away; it took the pair 28 balls to score a single run with the target 16 runs away.
At this juncture, Aamer and Umar Akmal struck one boundary each to reduce the target to single figures.
Eventually the target was overhauled, as Umar Akmal steered a Swann delivery past the square leg region to bring relief to the camp.
The younger Akmal remained undefeated at 16, and batted with real calm and maturity that is beyond his 20 years.
It was fitting that the win was completed by two players dubbed as the future of Pakistan cricket. The pair has also been nominated amongst some of the leading young players from around the world for the award of ICC’s Emerging player for 2009-10.
Pakistan captain Salman Butt dedicated the win to the flood ravaged people of his country, who are enduring one of the biggest calamities in recent years; http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Salman-c88163 also praised his team for showing the right attitude and pulling of an important win.
"It was a very good effort from the whole team, no one individual can be singled out. Yousuf brought class and calmness to the middle order,” said the beaming Pakistani captain.
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