Multan Test is evenly poised, says Trescothick by AFP

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

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DateLine: 15th November 2005

 

England captain Marcus Trescothick said Monday the first cricket Test against Pakistan is evenly poised even though his team gained a handsome first-innings lead.

 

"Pakistan played pretty well," said Trescothick, who smashed a superb 193 to help his team post 418 in the first innings in reply to Pakistan's 274.

 

Pakistan, trailing by 144 runs, batted with determination to reach 125-2 at stumps on the third day. They still trail by 19.

 

"In the end, Younis Khan's wicket was important, but I would say it is pretty well-balanced and we would need to work hard tomorrow to give ourselves a chance to win," said Trescothick.

 

Younis, who scored a solid 48 in a 93-run stand for the second wicket with Salman Butt (53 not out), was brilliantly caught by Trescothick in the slips off paceman Andrew Flintoff in the penultimate over of the day.

 

"If the pitch stays like this, our target will be 250. Otherwise, not more than 200," said the left-handed England opener.

 

Trescothick said England still had a very good chance of taking a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

 

"I won't say I am disappointed because weve given ourselves a chance, but the wicket has really flattened out there since we came out to bowl a second time," he said.

 

Trescothick is leading the side in the absence of the injured Michael Vaughan.

 

"This is probably the best Ive played for a long time," said the stand-in captain, who ensured a big lead for his team with his long innings which contained two sixes and 20 fours.

 

Trescothick looked set to reach his second Test double-century before he fell to the second new ball, caught behind off seamer Shabbir Ahmed in the afternoon session.

 

His previous double-hundred was against South Africa at the Oval two years ago.

(Article: Copyright © 2005 AFP)