England made a gallant comeback on Wednesday to snatch a 52-run win over a Patron’s XI in their tour warm-up match in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Defending a modest total of 157 in a minimum of 60 overs on the last day of the three-day match, medium-fast-bowler Liam Plunkett (4-16) and left-arm spinner Ashley Giles (4-39) combined to bundle out the hosts for a paltry 105 in 36,5 overs.
Marcus Trescothick ensured England’s bowlers had enough runs on board to defend with an unbeaten 38 after the tourists resumed at the overnight score of 39 for six.
Trescothick, who scored an unbeaten 124 in England’s first-innings total of 256 for nine declared, entered the fray at the fall of the seventh wicket on Wednesday morning as the visitors were bowled out for 112 half-an-hour before lunch.
Local medium-fast-bowler Yasir Arafat took five wickets in the second innings for 31 runs to finish the match with a haul of 9-76.
The Patron’s XI conceded a 45-run first-innings lead when they were dismissed for 211. In their second innings, Test batsman Yasir Hameed and Asher Zaidi compiled a solid 50-run opening partnership before the home team fell to the combination of Plunkett and Giles.
Hameed, dropped on 24 by Kevin Pietersen at mid-wicket, was neatly caught by Andrew Strauss after adding another six to his score, while Zaidi (26) spooned a simple catch to mid-on off Plunkett.
Bazid Khan and Asim Kamal failed to open their accounts as the Patron’s XI slid from 50-0 to 65-4 in the space of eight overs.
Test discard Faisal Iqbal (2), nephew of former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad, was caught behind slashing at a wide delivery off Plunkett and the Patron’s XI slumped to 71-5.
Giles — likely to punish the Pakistan batsmen in the Test series later this month — struck twice in an over. Shahzad Malik played a quicker ball off the left-arm spinner back on to his stumps and Khalid Latif skied an easy catch to Strauss.
Captain Misbah-ul-Haq (14) gave Trescothick his second catch of the innings as the Patron’s XI lost eight wickets in the second session and went for tea at a dismal 88-8.
Off-spinner Shaun Udal then wrapped up the innings with his four overs after tea. Arafat got a thin edge to wicketkeeper Matthew Prior while captain Michael Vaughan took a diving catch in the slips to dismiss last batsman Zulqarnain.
England will play another warm-up match at Lahore from November 6 before the first Test begins in the eastern city of Multan from November 12. The second Test will be played in Faisalabad from November 20, while Lahore will host the last Test starting November 29. A five-match limited-overs series will follow the Tests. — Sapa-AP