Pakistan ki batting
yeh report li hai main nay
Stickcricket say
One Day Match
Over No. 50: Pakistan 200-9
Plunkett to bowl the last over - 11 needed. First ball: Arshad gets a single. 10 needed off 5. Kaneria facing. He can't get the second ball away. 10 needed off 4. Kaneria swipes the next ball back past Plunkett for a single off the third ball. Pakistan need nine off three. I hope our server doesn't go down now! It's a yorker from Pudsey - great ball! Arshad digs it out but can only get a single. 8 off two needed. Kaneria facing. He gets a single. Pakistan need seven off the last ball! Don't bowl a wide, Pudsey! Plunkett ends with a slower ball - Arshad misses it and England win by six runs!
The series ends 3-2 to Pakistan. England have reclaimed SOME of their lost pride with a very disciplined display today - Anderson, Plunkett and Blackwell did the business - and Steve Harmison was brilliant. Pakistan rested Inzy, Shoaib and Sami and you have to think that Inzy might have made the difference in this run chase. But look in the book, son (after you've looked in the fridge): England not rubbish at ODIs after all. Well, ish.
Thanks for sticking with us this morning, readers, amid tricky technical scenes. The answer to our earlier showbiz quiz is that Danny La Rue (and Ronnie Corbett) provided the cabaret for the England football team after they won the World Cup in 1966. And the answer as to whether Bruce Forsyth might still be able to break America is... blowing in the wind
That's it! We'll see you for more over-by-over next time England are on tour. Happy Christmas!
Over No. 49: Pakistan 196-9 Rana out!
A lovely yorker from Jimmy to begin the last over - Arshad digs it out and gets a single. Second ball: Rana goes down on one knee and smears a straight drive for six back over Jimmy's head! Third ball: Rana tries it again off a slower ball, it falls short of the boundary - and Colly catches it! Great catch, with the ball coming down out of the lights! England's game now - surely...
The new batter is Danish Kaneria. But Arshad faces - and manages to play a French cut off a yorker for four! How did THAT miss the stumps? 12 needed off 8 balls now...
Fifth ball: great stop by Trezzer in the covers off a swipe from Arshad. No run.
Last ball: Arshad gets a single, driving it to the cover boundary. Anderson finishes with 4/48 off his ten overs. 11 needed off six balls now...
Over No. 48: Pakistan 184-8
Pakistan seem to have panicked here - why Yousuf, Malik, Afridi and Razzaq were trying so desperately to hit sixes with improvised swipes when they only needed to get 5.5 an over is anyone's guess: England bowled well and put them under pressure but there were still loads of ones and twos still to be taken... Arshad is a genuine tail-ender, and has never scored more than 20; Rana could still do the business, though, but time is running out for Pakistan:that's a tidy over from Plunkett. 23 needed off two overs now...
Over No. 47: Pakistan 180-8
Jimmy A again: the first ball is a full toss to Rana - but he gets away with it: just a single scored...Second ball, Razzaq takes a stupid swipe at a short ball, hits it straight up in the air and Trezzer takes a difficult, swirling catch! Pakistan are crumbling now!
The new batter is Arshad Khan...Rana gets a single off the third ball... Arshad keeps the fourth and fifth balls out - and takes two off the last ball. 27 to win off 18 balls.
Over No. 46: Pakistan 176-7
Good over from Plunkett, as Pakistan start to look very nervous in front of the emptying stands. Rana Naved is the new batsman - he and Razzaq are more than capable of getting 31 off 24 balls but they're starting to look a little jumpy...
Over No. 45: Pakistan 171-7 Afridi bowled!
Pakistan need 39 off 36 balls and must still be favourites with Razzaq and Afridi at the wicket. Plus Jimmy A is coming back to bowl this over... First ball is a slower ball that Afridi cuts for a single... Second ball is cut by Razzaq for a single.. Third ball is a dot ball. Pitch it up, Jimmy: Afridi won't fancy that!.. Fourth ball, Jimmy takes my advice and a peach of a delivery bowls Afridi through the gate!!!!! Pitched up, moved last, vintage Jimmy A! An unplayable yorker! On your bike, son! The crowd go very quiet and England edge ahead. Just... The crowd are not just quiet - THEY'RE GOING HOME! Cheerio, fellas!
36 needed off the last five overs...
Over No. 44: Pakistan 168-6 Malik out!
The Yeoman's last over. Perhaps ever. He has 2/23 off nine but he's bowling to Afridi, the most dangerous batter in world cricket. 45 off 42 balls needed. Afridi plays a sensible push to mid-on for a single... Then Blackwell comes round the wicket to Malik who drives him through the covers for four. 40 off 40 needed now... then Malik skies a huge hit to Solanki at long-off - and Solanki catches it! The Yeoman has three wickets!
The new batter is Razzaq. But Afridi is facing - he tries a bizarre reverse-hook type shot and completely misses. Two balls left. Afridi drives it back to Blackwell like a bullet as it bounces off the Yeoman's hand - and takes a single. The last ball is a dot ball. Blackwell finishes with 3/29 off 10. How about THAT?
Over No. 43: Pakistan 162-5
A single for Malik and then... Harmy to Afridi. Trez has a long long chat with Harmy about the field. Then Harmy bowls a hostile bouncer; Afridi ducks. Then plays and misses at the next one. Three balls left for Harmy now... Afridi plays the fourth ball into the off-side - no run. Fifth ball - short - Afridi hooks it for a single to mid-wicket... Last ball is a dot ball. Harmy finishes with 1/27 off ten - great bowling from him today.
Over No. 42: Pakistan 160-5 The Yeoman Strikes Again!
Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh! Says your neutral commentator. Yousuf hoofs an ill-judged slog-sweep from Blackwell high in the air, Jimmy A catches it on the long-on boundary - and the Pakistani crowd all cheer. Because here comes Shahid Afridi. He won't fancy facing the Yeoman. Will he? 48 needed off 53 balls now. The Yeoman then has a big appeal for an lbw against Malik and THEN has him caught behind off a massive outside edge. And it's not given! It was a HUGE edge - in FACT it was a late-cut, and came off the face of the bat. THE FACE OF THE BAT! That's a terrible decision. The Yeoman has been robbed. ROBBED! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrhhhhhh! And now: Harmy's last over and (maybe) England's last throw of the dice...
Over No. 41: Pakistan 159-4
Pudsey Plunkett returns. His over starts with another risky two for Yousuf who has taken on Inzy's mantle of indifferent running: here, Harmy almost runs him out with a bullet throw from the boundary. Next ball (and Yousuf's next kamikaze mission) sees similar farce - but a misfield by Colly means a sharp run-out chance goes begging... Pakistan doing their best to make things hard here...
Over No. 40: Pakistan 154-4 The Yeoman Strikes!
Brilliant, the Yeoman! Blackwell comes round the wicket and inspires Younis to play a bizarre, hapless swipe that goes straight to Colly at cover! Game on! Younisgoes for 15. Who's in now? It's Shoaib Malik - and he gets roundly booed by the crowd who want Afridi. Fair enough, really. 55 needed off 62 balls.
Yousuf brings up his 50. His 44th ODI half-ton. It's only taken him 75 balls. You certainly wouldn't spend your last tenner to see HIM bat. Well, I wouldn't, anyway.
Over No. 39: Pakistan 151-3
Younis reverse-sweeps Shaggy for four. On Sky, Beefy Botham seems to be suggesting a field-placement that would involve about 15 players. Harmy, charging in from the boundary, throws a direct hit on the stumps: with the whiff of home finally in his nostrils he is INSANELY up for it today. Will Trez use up his last over? Or save him for later? It's the latter - as the Yeoman returns. Again. Come on The Yeoman!
Over No. 38: Pakistan 143-3
Pakistan are getting a little jumpy here, risking run-outs to try and keep the scoreboard ticking. Harmy lets himself down after another spot-on over by bowling an overpitched gift to Yousuf on the last ball - he cuts it for four. Harmy's bowled nine overs, including three maidens, for 25 and looked bizarrely fresh, after just one game off with flu. Pakistan have hit 38 runs off the last ten overs so England have applied the brakes. But they still only need five an over...
Over No. 37: Pakistan 136-3
Shaggy comes on at the other end now, leaving the Yeoman to comtemplate his Christmas dinner on the boundary. Shaggy's bowling well and Younis doesn't look in such great touch, missing two consecutive sweep attempts to finish the over. Even so, Pakistan can surely get these runs in singles... Younis has 5 Yousuf 43. And it's Harmy to continue, with his ninth over...
Over No. 36: Pakistan 132-3
So Harmy's back. It had to happen. Huge appeal off the second ball as an edge goes through from Younis to Jones - but it was an edge off the back leg not the bat. Third ball: Colly makes a great stop at point to deny Younis runs. England really looking up for it now, and Harmy bowling with real fire, up to 89 mph. He's only got two overs left after this, though. Tricky decisions for Trezzer here...
Over No. 35: Pakistan 131-3
Just one off the over from the Yeoman. 76 needed off 90 balls - but, really, England need wickets to win this. The natural thing to do here would be to bring Freddie back (that's England's lone tactic these days) - but Fred's not bowling today, being out with an ankle injury. So we carry on with Shaggy and the Yeoman's farewell tour.
Over No. 34: Pakistan 130-3
With his squinty concentration, Younis looks rather as if he's peering through a smoky bar trying to see the Big Screen. that's five off the over from Shaggy. Is it his last spell for England? Did you see Willis on Sky at half-time? When Colvile asked him what spinners England should take to India, he took a long pause, let out a big sigh and said: "Well, the cupboard is bare." Then he dived into the question of why more British Asians don't support England. Uncomfortable viewing.
Over No. 33: Pakistan 125-3
The Yeoman returns! Boy, that's got the Pakistanis worried. He has a silly point and a slip, which counts as insanely attacking by England's usual ODI standards. Younis gets off the mark and raises his bat in celebration (he's got two ducks in his last two innings). Strauss flings himself to save a four in the covers - England do look really up for this, to their credit. It's just rather late in the day, isn't it? Yousuf has 37, Younis 1– and that's drinks…
Over No. 32: Pakistan 122-3 Hameed's out!
Stumped by Jones off Shaggy: he came down the wicket and Shaggy drifted one passed him o nthe off-side - he was out by miles. Hameed goes for 57 off 105 balls (105 balls!)
The new batter is Younis Khan...
Over No. 31: Pakistan 121-2
Pudsey Plunkett returns to the attack. Is that it for the Yeoman? Yousuf seems to be trying to run himself out off EVERY SINGLE BALL at the moment - unfortunately for everyone, he hasn't managed it yet. Plunkett drops his regulation shorter ball into the over and gets smeared for four by Hameed. that's all Pakistan need - four an over: they're sleepwalking to victory right now.
Over No. 30: Pakistan 114-2 Hameed dropped!
Shaggy 'Mr Exciting' Udal (favourite band: Robbie Williams) tempts Hameed to hoof an easy catch to sub fielder Schoolboy Ian Bell on the long-on boundary. and the Schoolboy drops it! It was a f***ing dolly, Schooly! That just about sums up England's ODI efforts, really. Slack slack slack. And the Schoolboy immediately leaves the field, looking very embarrassed. and rightly so. Still, it saves England from Afridi/Razzaq, so maybe it wasn't such a bad thing. Hameed and Yousuf are slower than treacle rolling uphill and may be England's best chance...
Over No. 29: Pakistan 111-2
Hameed gets his 50 and then starts to try and play a few shots. The Yeoman's initial economy seems to have gone down the dumper. Who'd have thought?
Over No. 28: Pakistan 105-2
Blimey, this is the SLOWEST ODI ever, isn't it? Yousuf Youhana (I know, I know) may be "solid as rock", according to Waqar, but God (or Allah, whatever), is he a dull batter. And Boom boom Afridi's on the bench!
Over No. 27: Pakistan 102-2
Three off the over from the Yeoman. You've got to love the man. I'm still wondering if he doesn't look more like a rural curate than a yeoman, though...
Over No. 26: Pakistan 99-2
Udal's getting some turn here -apart from the last ball which doesn’t bounce (he gets away with it; just a single). This is an odd game: very very slow-scoring and slow-moving, almost like watching paint dry but quietly building to some kind of exciting finish…
Over No. 25: Pakistan 95-2
They score off the Yeoman! Blackwell drops a noddy ball short and Yousuf pulls him for four. Slack work, Yeoman. And now here's Shaggy Udal, who looks like fresh-faced Harmy's grandad. And that's being generous. England need a wicket – and soon...
Over No. 24: Pakistan 88-2
Amazing fielding from Harmy, throwing himself around on the boundary to save a four, as Yousuf ends up getting two from a paddle-sweep. England look really up for it here - I guess in some of the other ODIs they've been under the cosh right from the off, whereas here they've actually given themselves a chance...
Over No. 23: Pakistan 83-2
Another maiden from the Yeoman. Can he get through his spell without conceding a run? Come on, the Yeoman!
Over No. 22: Pakistan 83-2
Colly bowls England's tenth wide of the innings. Ten wides! On Sky, Beefy getting excited by the hint of swing Colly's getting. Done your Christmas shopping, readers? I've read all the Ashes books - seriously! - and the best one is, improbably, Duncan Fletcher's. Short, snappy and with plenty of genuine insights. (Though you might want to ask for a discount on his How-I-Made-England-The Greatest-Team-in-The-World-and-That schtick, in light of recent events). Virgil Vaughan's is the dullest and weakest. Who'd have thought? The best cricket book full stop, if you care, is Mark Ramprakash's season's diary - full of stuff he probably shouldn't have said about his team-mates at Surrey.
Over No. 21: Pakistan 81-2
A maiden from the Yeoman, bowling his slow-left arm over the wicket and turning the ball like some kind of top. Unplayable! Who says it's his last game for England?!
Over No. 20: Pakistan 81-2
81/2 Hameed charges down the pitch and hoofs Colly for four over long on off the last ball. But never mind that - here comes the Yeoman! And he's looking hungry!
Over No. 19: Pakistan 76-2
This is imperious stuff from Harmy. Seven overs for 17 now, bowling late-80s mph. Hameed has 36, Yousuf 11.
Over No. 18: Pakistan 75-2
Tidy, Colly, tidy - though Hameed does hit a four off the last ball. England are flying home in 11 hours time. Who's coming to the airport with me to welcome them back? Anyone? Whatever happened to Ashes fever?
Over No. 17: Pakistan 70-2
Six off that over from Harmy, including a four hooked to the square leg boundary by Hameed. Harmy has bowled six overs for 16 now. This new look of his obviously suits him. He should try washing more often. Still no sign of the Yeoman.
Over No. 16: Pakistan 64-2
Tidy stuff from Colly, pitching his 76-77 mph mph medium pace right up. Proper one-day bowling. Watching, Pudsey? That's drinks! BTW We're having probs with our 'server', readers, so that's slowing me down. And I have so much to say! Bear with us: I feel like the Yeoman bowling on an unresponsive pitch...
Over No. 15: Pakistan 62-2
Harmy returns to the attack and bowls a maiden - that's two maidens in three overs, this one secured by a great diving stop at point by Colly off the last ball. Alright, readers, how CAN England win the 2007 World Cup? Fletcher alluded in a recent interview to having some kind of secret one-day masterplan that's been in effect since the 2003 World Cup. Can anyone tell what it is yet? England seem further from having a settled one-day team and strategy than ever.
And now... Colly comes on to bowl. What about the Yeoman's last hurrah?
Over No. 14: Pakistan 62-2
There's a sort-of appeal for a catch in the gully off Yousuf - the third umpire, after taking AGES looking at it - gives it not out. Yousuf probably hit it into the ground. Hard to tell from the replays. Can't they give him out for being a bit dull? Get Afridi in! Get the Yeoman bowling to Afridi! It's the fight they all wanted to see!
Plunkett drops the fifth ball short and Hameed hooks him for four. That was a better over from Pudsey, but he needs to do it six balls out of six. Just like the rest of the England bowlers! Hmmmm.
Over No. 13: Pakistan 53-2
A maiden from Jimmy A! Who'd have thought? He's pitching it up, on the spot – after initial difficulties with the left hand/right hand opening partnership – and looking like the Jimmy A of yore, except without the funny hair.
Trez is having a long talk with Pudsey Plunkett ahead of the next over. What's he saying? 'Bowl it straight and not too short, son'? Book one stuff, surely.
Over No. 12: Pakistan 53-2
Pudsey Plunkett - who smeared an Afridi-esque 24 off 12 at the end of the England innings - does not seem to have been told about the need to pitch the ball up. Shouldn't someone have told him about this WEEKS ago? Thing is, his batting has been really good and all the pundits are saying 'Ooh, he's a great find, but he needs to work on his bowling." And he's a bowler. And Matthew Hoggard's at home walking his dogs. Why IS that? Hmmmm.
He does get to hit Yasir right in the cobblers with one delivery; but you don't get any points for THAT.
Over No. 11: Pakistan 45-2
Misfield from Vikram Solanki gives away a single. He top-scored with 49 today but he must be one of those whose place is in doubt after this latest surrender… Then a beautiful ball from Anderson gets edged by Hameed - and goes down to the third man boundary for four - Hameed adds insult to injury by pasting the last ball with a glorious cut for four. England can't afford too many overs like THAT. Bring on the Yeoman, Trez! Pronto!
Over No. 10: Pakistan 36-2
Pudsey Plunkett comes into the attack (Harmy's four overs yielded 1/10). This is apparently the first time England have got any wickets in the first ten overs in this series. Blimey.
Over No. 9: Pakistan 31-2
Jimmy A has bowled five overs, 1/20. Encouraging scenes. Where has it all gone wrong for England in the ODIs, readers? Let us know at
[email protected] Over No. 8: Pakistan 28-2
Okay, readers. We're still having a few technical problems. What this means to you is that you're getting your coverage about five minutes after it's happened. Sorry about that. We're back in real time now. The 8-year-old Harmy gets hooked down to fine leg by Yasir Hameed for two; then Harmy bowls two wides in a row...
Pakistan seem to have great players to spare in their squad: Mohammad Asif came into the side for Angry Youth Sami today and took 2/14 off seven overs. Not only that - he looked just like the youth as well, down to his curtained bob! England just don't have that strength in depth, hairdo-wise OR ability-wise... Akmal is probably only opening in the ODIs because Afridi was banned at the start of the series - but he's been sensational... Arshad Khan, the off-spinner, suddenly came into the side in the fourth game and proved unplayable. Readers, I could go on. Basically: England have work to do. But they're in with a shout here, at least...
Over No. 7: Pakistan 23-2 Wicket for Jimmy A!
Akmal goes for 11, caught by Trez at first slip! A lovely ball - pitched up and moving away. Almost unplayable... Interesting. Very interesting. The new batter is Mohammed 'Mr Excitement' Yousuf. Not so interesting. Whither Boom Boom Afridi, readers?
The last ball of the over is another corker, which Yousuf edges in front of the slips...
Over No. 6: Pakistan 21-1
Harmy's looking good, even though he's been dragged from his (apparent) sick bed to play today. England really need to bowl Pakistan out to win this...
Over No. 5: Pakistan 20-1
Jimmy A starts with a leg-side wide but only goes for another single after that - he looks - whisper it - as though he's back to his best. someone has told him to pitch it up a bit instead of bowling long-hops that the batters can swipe for four. Good idea! Of course, you do know that bowling coach/supposed magician Troy Cooley has spent the one-day series in... Loughborough. Working with the juniors. Hmmmm. The future will look after itself, son! The Test bowlers can't even bowl straight - why not start by giving them a hand?
Over No. 4: Pakistan 18-1 Butt bowled!
He plays on to his stumps from a short ball from the Boy Harmy.
Over No. 3: Pakistan 18-0
Jimmy A goes for 11 off the over, including two fours from Akmal. How on EARTH is his career economy rate just 4.7 an over? Can that be RIGHT?
Over No. 2: Pakistan 7-0
Harmy bowls two wides and gets swiped for a boundary by Chip Butt, before recovering a hint of form by the end of the over. The Homesick Hitman has a new razor or something and, clean shaved, he looks ridiculously young. I mean, SERIOUSLY: wait til you see the highlights, readers, he looks about eight years old.
Well, this could be the last time some of this 11 pull on the England colours. And that might not be a bad thing...
Over No. 1: Pakistan 1-0
So Pakistan need 207 to complete a 4-1 series rout of England. They've rested Inzamam for this game so you would THINK England's chances were improved... Mind you, England's batting performance wasn't improved by the fact that Shoaib and Sami are also missing from the home side today.
Chip Butt and big-smiled stumper Kamran Akmal are opening the batting. Jimmy A bowls the first over - tidy enough. His career ODI average is apparently 26 and his economy rate is 4.77. Can this be right? Every time I see him he goes 0/75...
England won't have Flintoff bowling - he played as a batter only in this game - so there will be a bog role for Shaggy Udal and Yeoman Blackwell. We're not saying these two fellas are in the last chance saloon but... ah, scrub that: we ARE saying they're in the last chance saloon...
At the other end - Homesick Harmy, playing instead of Kabir Ali...
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England won the toss and batted in Rawalpindi in the final one-dayer but were restricted to 206/9 off their 50 overs. Solanki (49), Flintoff (39), Colly (34) and Plunkett (24 off 12 balls) led the way but it was an uphill struggle, as England were strangled by Pakistan's four-spinner attack. (Off-spinner Arshad Khan's eight overs brought him 1/19). When Rana removed Flintoff and Blackwell in consecutive balls in the 46th over, the game seemed up – but Plunkett helped plunder 30 off the last two overs to set a respectable target on a difficult pitch.
Team news: Pakistan rest Inzamam, Shoaib and Sami, bringing in stingy spinner Arshad Khan, Sami-alike pacer Mohammad Asif and forgotten opener Yasir Hameed. England bring in Shaggy Udal for his first ODI in a decade; Harmison returns for Kabir Ali; Freddie plays as a batter only, after picking up an ankle injury...
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