Pietersen power inspires England
Kevin Pietersen came back from an Achilles injury to lead England to
a total of 185 for five in their ICC World Twenty20 match against
Pakistan at the Oval here on Sunday.
Pietersen, who had missed England's shock four-wicket loss to the
Netherlands at Lord's on Friday, made 58 in a match the hosts
effectively had to win to stay in the tournament.
The South Africa born shotmaker faced 38 balls with three sixes and
seven fours before he was caught at short third man by Umar Gul off
Saeed Ajmal, who had dropped a caught and bowled chance when Pietersen
was on 30.
Pakistan put down four catches in all and did not help themselves
with some wild overthrows.
Ajmal, a spinner, led the attack with two for 23.
Pakistan made an early breakthrough after Younus Khan won the toss.
Teenager Mohammad Aamir, a left-arm quick like his boyhood hero Wasim
Akram, marked his international debut by removing Ravi Bopara but it
needed a superb catch at backward point by Shoaib Malik to leave England
nine for one.
Opener Luke Wright, who struck England's first six of the tournament,
a pull off the 17-year-old Aamir, kept the run-rate high in the overcast
conditions by striking five fours in as many balls faced.
But a stand of 53 was ended when Umar Gul yorked Wright for 34.
England were initially wary against spin duo Shoaib Malik and Shahid
Afridi before Pietersen went down on one knee to hoist leg-spinner
Afridi for six.
LONDON, Sunday, AFP
ENGLAND
R. Bopara c Malik b Aamir 5
L. Wright b Gul 34
K. Pietersen c Gul b Ajmal 58
O. Shah b Gul 33
P. Collingwood c Afridi b Ajmal 15
D. Mascarenhas not out 16
J. Foster not out 14
Extras (lb3, w4, nb3) 10
Total (5 wkts, 20 overs) 185
Did not bat: G. Swann, S. Broad, A. Rashid, J. Anderson.
Fall of wickets: 1-9 (Bopara), 2-62 (Wright), 3-128 (Shah), 4-152 (Collingwood), 5-156 (Pietersen).
Bowling: Arafat 4-0-42-0 (1nb); Aamir 3-0-31-1; Gul 4-0-37-2 (1nb, 2w);
Malik 1-0-13-0 (1nb, 1w); Afridi 4-0-36-0; Ajmal 4-0-23-2 (1w);
Pakistan: Salman Butt, Ahmed Shahzad, Kamran Akmal (wkt), Younus Khan (capt), Misbah-ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik,
Shahid Afridi, Yasir Arafat, Umar Gul, Mohammad Amir, Saeed Ajmal. |