Related Links : Pakistan in England 2006 : Scorecard
Rain had ruled out what was turning out to be an intense contest between the Pakistan batsmen and the England seamers at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. The first One Day International was abandoned following persistent rain during the dinner break and then few overs after the play had resumed for the start of the Pakistani innings. The visitors were chasing down 159 from 32 overs, which was the revised target under the Duckworth/Lewis Method. England had earlier been bundled out for just 202. Pakistan were at 46 for 1 in 7 overs before rain had made sure that no further play was possible in the match. This 5-match series between England and Pakistan now becomes a 4-match one with this match at Cardiff ending as a No Result.
Skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq had won the toss this afternoon and he put England to bat first under overcast conditions. It was a comeback for Shoaib Akhtar into serious International Cricket. The Rawalpindi Express was sharing the new ball with Mohammad Asif and the two England left handed openers – Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Strauss had to watch out for the good deliveries. Shoaib once again caused injury worries as he walked away off the field after bowling four overs due to what looked like a calf muscle strain. It was over to Mohammad Asif to get into his elements which he did, to dismiss Andrew Strauss and Marcus Trescothick in the 1st Powerplay block. Strauss was the first casualty in the 4th over after he went for a forcing flick shot off the backfoot only to miscue it and to be taken at square leg. Trescothick’s scratchy stay came to an end to as he looked to blast Asif over the covers without moving his feet at all. The resulting edge was taken by Kamran Akmal and England were progressing very slowly at 35 for 2 in the 10th over.
There was more to come from Mohammad Asif and not from Kevin Pietersen who once again fell to the accuracy of the tall seamer. Pietersen had nicked Mohammad Asif’s late outswinger to the wicket keeper after making just 2. After Mohammad Asif was rested after a long spell of 8 overs on the trot, Pakistan had to soon resort to spin. Shahid Afridi who was introduced into the 25th over, struck in his very first over with Collingwood playing along the wrong line for the turn to be rapped up in front of middle to a delivery that drifted and went straight on from Afridi. Collingwood’s 14 was useful in putting up a 47-run stand for the 4th wicket along with Ian Bell.
After Collingwood’s exit, the fluent and inform Ian Bell found a good partner in Jamie Dalrymple. The runs were not coming though at a fair clip with Afridi and Hafeez hardly giving anything. It took quite some risks by Ian Bell to take Afridi out of the attack. But that move had brought back Shoaib Akhtar for his third spell. Brilliant work by Shahid Afridi at mid on which included a pick up and a direct throw at the non striker’s end had ended Ian Bell’s efforts. Bell batting on 88 had pushed Shoaib Akhtar to mid on before setting off for a quick run. It was Bell’s career best, his 5th ODI fifty and his 88 had come in 117 balls with the help of 12 fours. The next ball after Bell’s dismissal, Shoaib bowled a pitched up delivery at around 92mph to which Dalrymple (27 in 53 balls) was very slow in coming forward and defending it. His furniture was disturbed and Shoaib was celebrating his 200th ODI wicket! Hafeez meanwhile was rewarded for his tight bowling by a pat back from Chris Read after the wicket keeper batsman had tentatively tried to work the offie onto the legside for a single. At the other end, there was absolutely no stopping for the Rawalpindi Express as he went onto knock out two more batsmen, Rikki Clarke and Sajid Mahmood. Darren Gough showed what experience is all about as he put on a gutsy show with the bat smashing whatever was in the zone, even if it was a 93mph express delivery from Shoaib. England were eventually bowled out for 202 in the 50th over with Gough holing down to long on off Afridi for 18. Stuart Broad, the debutant was unbeaten at the other end on 8.
The Pakistani bowling was good in parts as they were spraying the ball as well to give away 10 wides. However it was poor application from the English batsmen as they created pressure on themselves by playing out way too many dot balls. The number of dot balls played out by the English batsmen in this innings was way over the 60% mark. For Pakistan, Mohammad Asif had done the damage in his first spell and his figures in the end were 3 for 28 in 10, Shoaib’s were 3 for 45 in 10. Mohammad Hafeez, the part time off spinner bowled well for his 1 for 33 in 10 and Afridi was expensive in couple of overs, but was instrumental in sustaining the pressure on England. Afridi had taken 2 for 38 in 8.2 overs. The only bowler who had struggled totally was Rana Naved-ul-Hasan who laboured to bowl in his spell of 7 overs that gave away 43 runs.
Pakistan in their reply had lost Shoaib Malik in the 2nd over to the debutant Stuart Broad. The debutant seamer had produced one that nipped back and kept low to defeat Malik’s backfoot defence and trap him infront of the stumps. Broad had beaten Malik with pace initially which had come off the wicket that became quite skiddy due to the rain. Mohammad Hafeez and Younis Khan were mixing caution with aggression before the rain had revisited Cardiff to put an abrupt end to the proceedings. Hafeez was unbeaten on a 23-ball 18 and Younis was on a run-a-ball 12. Darren Gough was taken for 28 in his 4 overs and Broad had an impressive start with 1 for 14 in 3 overs.