Pakistan Sports Journal

Abdul Razzaq smashes 10 boundaries in last 2 overs to lead Pakistan to a match winning total. Photo: file photo from web

Pakistan beats England in the 4^th ODI by 38 – runs and levels the series 2-2. Pakistan bowling attack again showed its match – winning abilities and class, blistering innings from Abdul Razzaq proves to be the difference between England and Pakistan’s victory.

Umar Gull again was unplayable with the old reversing ball, he has the best figures for Pakistan 4 for 32, Shoaib Akhtar was expensive in his opening spell but in his 2^nd spell he took England most important 3 wickets of Strauss, Yardy and super cool Morgan.

Chasing 266 England were in the driving in the first half, Strauss and Davies boosted England with 113 runs opening stand, Davies (49) was bowled by Ajmal on the total of 113, England never came back from there and kept loosing wickets at regular intervals.

Trott was clearly struggling to come on the front foot and eventually chipped one back onto his stumps, Afridi got his wicket. Ian Bell was the next man in, he looked very calm and stable on the crease, Akhtar was brought back into his 2^nd spell by Afridi and got the wicket of settled and inform Andrew Strauss ( 68), who played the shot straight to point, in the hands of Fawad Alam who was electric and acrobatic at the point whole day.

Next man experienced Paul Collingwood was looking out of thought at the crease, he was in no kind of motion throughout his whole innings and in the end got a beautiful delivery from Gull which took the bails. Super Cool Eoin Morgan was again under pressure to lead his team to home and series victory, Pakistan was all over England on that time and captain Afridi made some good changes in the bowling.

Ian Bell was playing the ball late and with the middle of the bat but he was failed to read the Dosra from Saeed Ajmal and played it straight to substitute fielder Azhar who didn’t made any mistake. At that time Shoaib Akhtar and Umar Gull both was steaming in and especially Shoaib Akhtar bowled some quality Yorkers to English batsmen. Michael Yardy was undone with a fast delivery from Akhtar, batman chipped in onto his stumps.

Akhtar was steaming in on that time with full support of Umar Gull who brooked the stumps of Bresnan.

Morgan was alone man standing in this war and he also failed to like others, he tried to hit a fast full toss from Shoaib Akhtar out of the park but only managed to scoop it in the air, Mohammad Yousuf was never expected to take that kind of a catch and he did it, he took a superb running catch to see off Morgan and that was the match for Pakistan.

Umar Gull finished it off for Pakistan, he bowled Graem Swann with a slower ball and Stuart Broad with fast swinging Yorker. England all out for 227, Pakistan with another energetic bowling performance levels the series 2-2 and makes Shahid Afridi’s 300^th match more memorable.

Shahid Afridi was extremely pleased with his team performance that was under all kinds of possible pressures, he wanted to make his 300^th match memorable and he did it. First with the bat and then with his captaincy and a big win.

Earlier Pakistan’s batting innings was boosted by Abdul Razzaq’s blistering knock of 44 notout of just 20 balls, he hit 10 boundaries in last two overs from Anderson and Bresnan and showed that he is still as lethal as ever before.

Pakistan batting was like mountains and valleys, first they got a solid opening stand of 62 and then were in a position of 3 for 94, Mohammad Hafeez completed with first fifty after December 2006 in the ODIs and reached the milestone on 1000 runs in the ODIs.

Afridi was looking dangerous when he was batting, he hits his forth ball and Graem Swann’s last, out of the park for the huge six which somehow brought injury to the MCC member, he was all right when Pakistani physio came down for him, he played commanding innings of 37 of just 22 balls.

Pakistan again left the power play overs for the Umar Gull and Razzaq but this time it was Razzaq’s day, he blasted England in last two overs of the innings where he hits 10 boundaries and lead Pakistan to a compact able score of 265. He finished with 44 notout of just 20 balls.

Now the decider is in Rose Bowl and definitely it will be another cracker England will be looking to stop Pakistan’s hot winning streak and Pakistan will be looking to end this ridiculous tour on a high note.

Source: Pakcricketworld.com