By Bagpuss
December 9 2005

Ou correspondent continues to follow the boys from the ECB across the subcontinent. Now that Ian Blackwell has joined the squad, the interest ona local level increases. Marcus Trescothick as captain..two Somerset captains in the same team....exciting isn't it!!

WEDNESDAY 7 DECEMBER - PAKISTAN 'A' V ENGLAND

Back to the Lahore Gymkhana Club for England's first and only practice match before the one-day series starts. A 9.30 start and supposedly 45 overs a side - will there be enough time to complete two innings before darkness? First important question of the day - who are the opposition? Yes we have a list of players, but there is some confusion as to whether they are a PCB XI or Pakistan A. After some anxious discussion in the press tent it is agreed to go along with whatever the BBC decide and Pakistan A, or rather Pakistan 'A', it is.

Andrew Strauss is captaining the side barely 24 hours after landing back on Pakistani soil. The rest of the team are Solanki, Pietersen, Collingwood, Jones, Blackwell, Kabir Ali, Plunkett and Anderson. Ian Bell is named at number 12 but they are technically playing 12 a side rather than the supersub system so he will bat. Pakistan 'A' are captained by Abdur Razzaq who missed the Test series with an injury but has been named in the side for the one day series. Another familiar face in the side is Ysair 'Mc'Arafat of Scottish Saltires fame.

England lose the toss and are put in in conditions that are expected to help the bowlers. Strauss edges and is caught behind in the 6th over for just 5. Jet lag or new baby lag? 21-1. Solanki joins Prior and together they add 74 for the second wicket before Solanki falls to a good running catch to a shot over midwicket. 95-2. Prior meanwhile has passed his 50 (56 balls, 12 fours). Pietersen manages just two runs before he is bowled by Arafat 101-3. Prior is next to go in the 28th over, top edge caught by square leg fielder. He has made 72 - will this be enough to get him a spot in the starting line up for Saturday's first ODI? Jones replaces his understudy in the middle with the in-form Collingwood. The run rate slows a little during these middle overs and the pair add just 41 runs in about ten overs before Jones is out caught at long on. Blackwell joins Collingwood. Off the mark with a single.

Collingwood reaches 50 (63, 3) in the 40th over. Blackwell is out caught behind trying to force the pace in the 42nd over - 15 off 16 balls with 2 fours. 200-6. Kabir Ali comes in next and is the victim of the comedy dismissal. In what must be the cricketing equivalent of the own goal he plays straight down the wicket where the ball hits Collingwoods's bat at the non strikers end and loops up into the air from where it is gratefully caught. Ian Bell is next in to try to add some quick runs in the last couple of overs. Between them Collingwood (75*) and Bell (12*) take the total on to 236 in the 45 overs. The required rate for the opposition about 5.5 per over but felt this total about 20 runs short. We'll see. Also would question the wisdom of Bell coming in at the end of the innings - if England are truly using this as a practice match perhaps would have been an idea to give Anderson a bat - he may have to come the weekend and we know Bell is in good form.

Anderson opens the bowling with Kabir Ali at the other end. Anderson finds the edge of Hameed's bat off the last ball of the 3rd over and the sharp catch is taken by Solanki at first slip. 15-1. Anderson is proving a bit of a handful and edges are flying but not to hand - just to fingertips (Strauss at 2nd slip) or between the slips. Plunkett replaces Kabir Ali in the 10th, who switches ends to try his luck at the Anderson end in the 11th. Is there some law that says if you change queues at Tescos the one you join will immediately become the slowest moving at checkout? Same rule applies to Kabir Ali switching ends as he watches Plunkett get a wicket at his previous end in the 12th. Caught at point by Collingwood 62-2. Collingwood replaces a frustrated Kabir Ali, whose run up seems to have lengthened as his spell goes on, in the 17th. Blackwell comes on at the other end for Plunkett in the 20th.

The third wicket adds 60 runs and opener Rafatullah reaches his half century before Collingwood makes the breakthrough - Rafatullah it is who tries to hit over long on where Pietersen takes an excellent running catch. 122-3 which becomes 135-4 when Collingwood gets a cheeky little wicket in his next over - the ball hits the bottom of the bat and rolls back to hit the stumps. Blackwell is replaced by Anderson after 5 tidy but unrewarding overs, a couple of overs later Anderson is himself replaced by Udal. Plunkett replaces Collingwood after his 9 and is rewarded with the wicket of Faisal Ibal, caught behind for 31. 192-5. The 200 is reached in the 41st over - 35 off about 4 overs getting close. The brakes are firmly applied by Anderson bowling the 43rd over from his original end - first he gest Arafat caught by Strauss, then bowls keeper Haider for 2 and finally bowld Iftikhar for a duck. England back in the driving seat. Off the last over Pakistan 'A' need 10 runs. They get 3 off the first ball. Trying for a quick single Anderson runs out Tahir Khan off his own bowling - quick bit of fielding and Pakistan 'A' need 7 with their last pair in. Trouble is one of these is Bazid Khan who has been there a while. Then the trick shot - not so much a tennis shot as something seen on Pancake Day as the batsman plays the ball up over his head and that of the keeper. Four runs, and it was very nearly a six. Another inevitable boundary and ngland lose by one wicket, with one ball remaining. Bazid Khan the man of the match with 90 not out.

Anderson the pick of the bowlers with 4-46, securing his place in the squad if there was any doubt. Kabir Ali struggled, with 0-55 including 6 no balls and 2 wides. Plunkett 2-42 and Collingwood 2-36, think Plunkett will get the nod over Kabir Ali assuming Harmison will come back into the team. Blackwell definitely the better figures of the two spinners - will he get a starting place or be named as supersub?

Today was the closest I have got to seeing an England victory on this tour. Just two games to go. And if anyone else tells me I should have been at the very first match in Rawalpindi I will stick a tuktuk somewhere a little painful . . .