Pakistan crush England
2005-12-03 14:01
Lahore - Danish Kaneria and Shoaib Akhtar have bowled Pakistan to victory as England collapsed to lose by an innings and 100 runs in the third and final Test in Lahore, Pakistan, on Saturday.
England trailed by 348 runs on the first innings after Pakistan amassed a massive 636-8. England were bowled out for 248 in their second innings on the fifth and final day to lose the series 2-0.
It was their first-ever test series loss in two-and-a-half years under Michael Vaughan's captaincy, and was a rude awakening for a side who triumphed last summer over the mighty Australians in the Ashes.
England had beaten the West Indies (twice), South Africa, New Zealand, Bangladesh and Australia before ending the Pakistan test series on a disappointing note.
The tourists lost their last eight wickets after lunch in the space of just 47 runs and 12.1 overs, with leg-spinner Kaneria grabbing four scalps and fast bowler Akhtar three.
Akhtar finished with 5-71 for his twelfth haul of five or more wickets in a test innings. Kaneria ended with 4-52 as Pakistan clinched their maiden test series win in two years.
Pakistan won the opening test by 22 runs in Multan. England salvaged a draw in the second at Faisalabad.
The wickets came tumbling
There was no hint of a dramatic collapse in the morning session as resolute Ian Bell (92) and Paul Collingwood (80) denied Pakistan success, raising England's hopes of saving the match with a century stand for the third wicket.
Resuming at 121-2, England were comfortably placed at 201-2 at lunch before the wickets came tumbling down against Pakistan's spin-pace combination.
Kaneria turned the match upside-down in five deliveries after the lunch-break, removing all-rounder Collingwood, Kevin Pietersen (one) and Andrew Flintoff for a duck.
The wily spinner, ineffective when bowling round the stumps in the morning session, tasted instant success bowling over the stumps when he had Collingwood caught by Hasan Raza in the slips with his fourth delivery after the break.
Collingwood, who scored 96 in the first innings, struck 12 fours in his second successive test half-century and was involved in a 175-run stand with Bell.
Kaneria then removed Ashes heroes Pietersen and Flintoff off successive balls in his next over, putting England in deep trouble at 212-5.
Pietersen was caught by Raza. Flintoff was bowled off a googly.
Geraint Jones survived the hat-trick ball, but not before a confident appeal for leg-before.
Akhtar kept pressure from the other end, dismissing Bell and Jones in his opening spell after lunch.
Bell hit 13 fours in his 189-ball knock before being trapped leg-before.
Jones fell to a dubious leg-before decision after contributing just five.
Kaneria sparked celebrations when he bowled Matthew Hoggard in the thirteenth over of the post-lunch session.
- AFP