England beat PCB XI in tour match
Trott misses ton but tourists win second warm-up match.
DUBAI:
Jonathan Trott returned to form with 93 as England geared up for next week’s first Test against Pakistan with a 100-run win over Pakistan Cricket Board XI in their three-day tour match.
Trott, England’s number three batsman, who was declared 2011 ICC Player of the Year, looked back to his best to allow his team declare their second-innings at 138 for eight before bundling their opponents out for 150. That made it two wins out of two after they won the tour opener against ICC Combined XI by three wickets, to gain valuable confidence ahead of the first of three Tests against Pakistan starting from Tuesday.
Andrew Strauss also hit 62 but Kevin Pietersen (three), Ian Bell (12*) and Eoin Morgan, who did not bat, remained in search of their form.
Only Fawad Alam (51) and Usman Salahuddin (32) offered resistance during their fourth-wicket stand of 71, lifting their team from a precarious 16 for three after being set 251 to win in a possible of 63 overs.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 14th, 2012.
Jonathan Trott returned to form with 93 as England geared up for next week’s first Test against Pakistan with a 100-run win over Pakistan Cricket Board XI in their three-day tour match.
Trott, England’s number three batsman, who was declared 2011 ICC Player of the Year, looked back to his best to allow his team declare their second-innings at 138 for eight before bundling their opponents out for 150. That made it two wins out of two after they won the tour opener against ICC Combined XI by three wickets, to gain valuable confidence ahead of the first of three Tests against Pakistan starting from Tuesday.
Andrew Strauss also hit 62 but Kevin Pietersen (three), Ian Bell (12*) and Eoin Morgan, who did not bat, remained in search of their form.
Only Fawad Alam (51) and Usman Salahuddin (32) offered resistance during their fourth-wicket stand of 71, lifting their team from a precarious 16 for three after being set 251 to win in a possible of 63 overs.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 14th, 2012.