Gutsy Butt keeps Pakistan afloat on Trescothick's day by AFP

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Ground:	Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan
Scorecard:	Pakistan v England
Event:	England in Pakistan 2005/06

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DateLine: 14th November 2005

 

Salman Butt scored a second successive half-century to keep Pakistan's hopes alive in the opening Test against England here on Monday.

 

The young opener followed his first-innings 74 with a gutsy 53 not out as Pakistan reached 125-2 in their second innings at stumps on the third day after conceding a lead of 144. They still trail by 19.

 

Nightwatchman Mohammad Sami had yet to open his account when bad light stopped play with nine overs remaining.

 

Stand-in captain Marcus Trescothick earlier smashed a sparkling 193 to help England post 418 in reply to Pakistan's first-innings total of 274.

 

Inspired by Trescothick, England threatened to bat Pakistan out of the match before slipping late in the innings against the second new ball. Their last four wickets fell for 30 runs.

 

Seamer Shabbir Ahmed, playing his first Test since being cleared of a suspect bowling action, grabbed three of the last four wickets to finish with 4-54. He also completed 50 Test wickets during his 10th match.

 

Pakistan batted positively despite losing makeshift opener Shoaib Malik early in the innings, with Butt showing the way with a disciplined knock under pressure.

 

Butt, 21, added 93 for the second wicket with Younis Khan (48), who fell to a brilliant low catch in the slips by Trescothick off fast bowler Andrew Flintoff in the penultimate over.

 

Trescothick also had a hand in the first dismissal when he caught Malik (18) off paceman Steve Harmison.

 

Trescothick was also in the limelight in the morning session, displaying immense concentration during his long stay at the wicket. He was quick to spot errors in line and length, hitting two sixes and 20 fours in his 305-ball knock.

 

There was just one false stroke in his long innings when he mistimed a sweep off leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, but substitute Rana Naved-ul-Hasan dropped the sitter at deep square-leg. He was then on 181.

 

The left-handed opener, who was on 135 in his team's overnight total of 253-3, played a key role in boosting England after nightwatchman Matthew Hoggard and Kevin Pietersen (five) had fallen early.

 

England were then three runs behind Pakistan's total.

 

Trescothick continued to bat aggressively and was involved in a vital 93-run stand for the sixth wicket with all-rounder Flintoff. He hit the first six of the morning, hoisting Kaneria over long-off.

 

Flintoff also exposed Pakistan's bowling limitations on an easy-paced pitch, smashing seven fours in his 79-ball knock. When he swung paceman Shoaib Akhtar to Malik at mid-wicket, England were 90 ahead with four wickets in hand.

 

Trescothick looked set to reach his second Test double-century before he fell to the second new ball, caught behind off Shabbir in the afternoon. His previous double-hundred was against South Africa at the Oval two years ago.

 

Pakistan did well to claim two early wickets before being thwarted by Trescothick and Flintoff.

 

Akhtar struck first when he had Hoggard caught behind and then Kaneria had Pietersen caught at short-leg by Butt.

 

Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq brought in Kaneria just when Pietersen had come in to bat and the leg-spinner struck in his very first over.

(Article: Copyright © 2005 AFP)