Elahi and Razzaq give Pakistan the edge

Stand-in opener Salim Elahi and Abdur Razzaq scored contrasting half centuries to give Pakistan the edge in the second test against England on Saturday.

Pakistan, 26 behind on first innings, ended the fourth day on 186 for two.

Elahi and Razzaq put on 98 for the second wicket after Shahid Afridi was caught at fine leg off pace bowler Darren Gough for 10 with the score on 13.

Elahi, who opened in place of Saeed Anwar who has a chest infection, batted with great fluency in reaching his first test 50 off 83 balls.

He went on to score 72 before he gloved an attempted sweep off left-arm spinner Ashley Giles to wicketkeeper Alec Stewart. Elahi hit 10 fours in his 116-ball innings.

Razzaq, who was very much the junior partner in the stand with Elahi, went on to his third test 50 off 140 balls.

His third-wicket partnership with Inzamam-ul-Haq (33 not out) was worth 75 by the close, Razzaq finishing on 60.

Earlier, Craig White and Gough had frustrated the Pakistani bowlers with a last-wicket stand of 47 as England reached 342 in their first innings.

White was last man out, bowled by Saqlain Mushtaq for 41. He hit three fours and two sixes.

Pakistan first innings 316 (Saeed Anwar 53, Salim Elahi 41, Yousuf Youhana 77, Moin Khan 65; Ashley Giles 5-75)

England first innings (overnight 282 for 8)
M.Atherton c Yousuf Youhana b Saqlain Mushtaq 32
M.Trescothick st Moin Khan b Danish Kaneria 30
N.Hussain lbw b Saqlain Mushtaq 23
I.Salisbury c Yousuf Youhana b Arshad Khan 33
G.Thorpe lbw b Wasim Akram 79
A.Stewart c Abdur Razzaq b Danish Kaneria 13
G.Hick c Yousuf Youhana b Abdur Razzaq 18
C.White b Saqlain Mushtaq 41
A.Giles c Shahid Afridi b Abdur Razzaq 0
A.Caddick c Moin Khan b Abdur Razzaq 5
D.Gough not out 19
Extras (b-4 lb-14 nb-31) 49
Total (136.4 overs) 342

Fall of wickets: 1-49 2-105 3-106 4-203 5-235 6-274 7-274 8-275 9-295
Bowling:
Wasim Akram 26-6-69-1 (nb7)
Abdur Razzaq 20-0-74-3 (nb11)
Danish Kaneria 34-9-89-2 (nb3)
Saqlain Mushtaq 30.4-8-62-3 (nb9)
Arshad Khan 25-12-29-1
Shahid Afridi 1-0-1-0 (nb1)

Pakistan second innings

Salim Elahi c Stewart b Giles 72
Shahid Afridi c Giles b Gough 10
Abdur Razzaq not out 60
Inzamam-ul-Haq not out 33
Extras (b-6 lb-4 nb-1) 11
Total (for two wickets, 62 overs) 186

To bat: Yousuf Youhana, Saeed Anwar, Moin Khan, Wasim Akram, Saqlain Mushtaq, Arshad Khan, Danish Kaneria
Fall of wickets: 1-13 2-111 Bowling: Gough 6-1-21-1, Caddick 16-1-33-0 (nb-1), Giles 22-3-66-1, White 14-3-38-0, Salisbury 4-0-18-0

Mail Cricket Editor