Four-wicket Flintoff boosts England's victory hopes by AFP

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Ground:	Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan
Scorecard:	Pakistan v England
Event:	England in Pakistan 2005/06

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DateLine: 15th November 2005

 

Ashes hero Andrew Flintoff led a sharp and disciplined pace attack to boost England's chances of winning the opening Test against Pakistan here on Tuesday.

 

All-rounder Flintoff finished with 4-88 as Pakistan were bowled out for 341 in their second innings after conceding a lead of 144 runs.

 

Needing 198 to win, England were 24-1 in their second innings at stumps on the fourth day. Andrew Strauss (7) and Ian Bell (12) were the not-out batsmen when bad light stopped play with nine overs remaining.

 

Stand-in captain Marcus Trescothick, who scored 193 in the first innings, was the lone batsman to be dismissed when he inside-edged a Shabbir Ahmed delivery on to his stumps after scoring five.

 

Flintoff was superbly supported by pacemen Steve Harmison (3-52) and Matthew Hoggard (2-81) to enhance his team's hopes of gaining a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series.

 

Pakistan threatened to set a challenging target on a wearing pitch after gutsy opener Salman Butt (122) and in-form skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq (72) had put on 135 for the fourth wicket.

 

Butt gave a good account of himself under pressure, hitting 12 fours in his second Test hundred. He also surpassed his previous best of 108 against Australia early this year.

 

England altered the course of the match in the afternoon session with the second new ball as they grabbed the last seven Pakistani wickets for a meagre 75, with Flintoff, Harmison and Hoggard taking two apiece.

 

Hoggard broke the stubborn fourth-wicket partnership in his first over with the new ball when he removed Inzamam, who was trapped leg-before offering no stroke to a delivery that came in.

 

Inzamam, who made 53 in the first innings, had been striking the ball fluently before erring in judgement. He hit eight fours in his second successive half-century.

 

Flintoff then bagged two wickets in his three overs to swing the match England's way.

 

Mohammad Yousuf (16) fell to a poor stroke as he played a Flintoff delivery away from the body to be caught by Bell in the gully.

 

Hasan Raza made a forgettable return to Test cricket after three years as he followed his first-innings duck with just one, edging Flintoff straight to Trescothick at first slip.

 

Hoggard then dismissed Butt who was caught behind, but not before raising his team's hopes of saving the match with his responsible innings.

 

Butt, who was on 53 in his team's overnight total of 125-2, survived a first-ball scare and then got the benefit of the doubt from the TV umpire when on 102 following a run-out appeal.

 

England struggled for success in the morning session as they could grab just one wicket, that of nightwatchman Mohammad Sami.

 

Butt, caught off a no-ball in the day's opening over, and Inzamam defied the England attack for more than three hours as they scored comfortably against both pace and spin.

 

Flintoff bowled an eventful six-over opening spell as he had Butt caught by Strauss with the day's first delivery before accounting for Sami.

 

Butt was caught by Strauss at second slip while attempting to fend off a lifting delivery, but heaved a sigh of relief when New Zealand umpire Billy Bowden signalled it a no-ball.

(Article: Copyright © 2005 AFP)