England openers survive Wasim assault

England, set a record 370 to win the second test, saw off a fierce assault by Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis as they raced to 85 without loss with a day left at Old Trafford.

Left-arm pace bowler Wasim, playing in his final test in England, unleashed a barrage of bouncers and short-pitched deliveries in an attempt to unsettle the openers in the last 22 overs of Sunday's fourth day.

Michael Atherton, though, responded with two boundaries off the first over while Marcus Trescothick joined in with a cover-driven four off Waqar Younis, followed by a top-edged six over fine leg as 25 came off the first four overs.

The scoring slowed with the introduction of off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq, who turned a ball from the rough to beat left-hander Trescothick as he groped forward in the gathering gloom.

But Atherton, who closed on 30 not out, then cracked him through extra cover before bringing up the 50 in 78 balls.

Trescothick (48 not out) completed the day with two boundaries off the last two balls from all-rounder Abdur Razzaq, the second a full-blooded hook, leaving England needing 285 to steal the game from a minimum of 90 overs on Monday.

England have never scored as many as 370 in a fourth innings to win a test. Their record came against Australia at Melbourne in 1928-29 when they scored 332 for seven.

Their best fourth innings winning total against Pakistan came in 1982, when they made 219 for seven at Headingley.

EMTHRALLING CRICKET
Pakistan, however, will still feel well placed to level the two-match series after Inzamam-ul-Haq and Yousuf Youhana shared a 141-run fourth-wicket partnership to help them amass 323 in their second innings.

The fourth day, like the three preceding days, provided enthralling cricket in front of a 15,000 crowd on an excellent pitch still favouring the batsmen.

Pakistan, resuming their second innings on 87 for three after dismissing the home side for 357 on Saturday, dominated the morning as they added 94 without loss.

The home side, however, gave themselves a glimpse of a chance by removing danger man Inzamam for 85 as four wickets fell for 37 runs in the afternoon.

Inzamam, chasing his second century of the game after making 114 in the first innings to pass 5,000 test runs, had looked set to attack after lunch.

But, after a hooked six off Andrew Caddick and a four in the same over, he chipped pace bowler Matthew Hoggard straight to Trescothick at short mid-wicket.

Two balls later Youhana was controversially given out for 49, caught at first slip off Caddick to make it 208 for five as a short-pitched delivery appeared to clip his helmet rather than his gloves on the way to Atherton at first slip.

SCATTERED STUMPS
Youhana, struggling for form throughout the tour, left shaking his head in frustration.

Dominic Cork then removed Younis Khan lbw for 17 and Caddick scattered Azhar Mahmood's stumps before Wasim, with a 41-ball 36, helped to put on 59 for the eighth wicket with Rashid Latif.

Waqar provided a final flourish with a flat-bat six over mid-wicket off Gough as he hit 14 not out.

England, who dropped four catches during the match, were left to rue a crucial missed chance on Sunday morning.

Singled out as the key wicket by his captain on the previous evening, Inzamam was on 36 with the total on 108 for three when he had edged Caddick to second slip.

A diving Nick Knight appeared to have taken the catch, only for the ball to dislodge as he hit the ground.

Inzamam went on to bat for six hours 43 minutes and hit 10 fours and a six from 186 balls.

Caddick, Hoggard and Gough all took three wickets, as they had done in the first innings, with Caddick the pick with three for 85 off 22.5 overs.

England won the first test at Lord's by an innings and nine runs within three days.

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Mail Cricket Editor