KARACHI, March 27: England A crashed out of the triangular tournament on Sunday as Pakistan A maintained their unbeaten run with an emphatic 114-run victory at the Tyronne Fernando Stadium in Moratuwa.
England never threatened as they were bundled out for 125 in the 35th over.
The result ensured Sri Lanka A face the rampant Pakistanis in Tuesdays final at the Sinhalese Sports Club Ground in Colombo.
Already assured of their place in the final, Pakistan A opted to rest their skipper Misbahul Haq and all-rounder Yasir Arafat while pace bowler Shahid Nazir left the squad to join the Pakistan side in India for the forthcoming one-day series.
Faisal Athar, who came in Misbah, capitalized on the opportunity to strike a superb century that helped Pakistan A to 239 for three after Hasan Raza won the toss.
Faisal blasted 102 off 133 balls with the help of 14 boundaries and together with Aamir Bashir added 168 for the unfinished fourth-wicket partnership after the came to the crease in the 21st over. Aamir spanked seven fours in making 65 off 79 balls.
England struggled from the onset as they stumbled to 25 for four by the eighth over.
Tailenders Paul Franks (23 off 55 balls) and Richard Dawson (28 not out off 47 balls) gave England A a bit of respectability as they shared the highest stand of the innings worth 38 runs for the eighth wicket!
The rest of English batting was torn apart by slow bowlers. Leg-spinner Imran Tahir took three for 32, part-time slow left-armer Ashar Zaidi had two for six while off-spinner Tahir Khan conceded two runs an over for the wicket of Sajid Mahmood.
Scoreboard
PAKISTAN A:
Ashar Zaidi c Powell b Dawson
17
Wajahatullah Wasti c Prior b Lewis
5
Bazid Khan run out
9
Faisal Athar not out
102
Aamir Bashir not out
65
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-9, W-25, NB-6)
41
TOTAL (for three wkts, 50 overs)
239
FALL OF WKTS: 1-9, 2-31, 3-71.
DID NOT BAT: Hasan Raza, Zulqarnain Haider, Tahir Khan, Imran Tahir,
Abdul Rauf, Mohammad Asif.
BOWLING: Lewis 10-0-52-1 (2nb, 4w); Mahmood 10-0-22-0 (1nb, 6w);
Franks 4-0-27-0 (2nb, 5w); Dawson 10-0-51-1 (1nb, 2w); Swann 10-0-44-0 (1w);
Bell 4-0-19-0; Shah 2-0-14-0 (1w).
ENGLAND A:
V.S. Solanki c Zulqarnain b Rauf
14
A.N. Cook lbw b Asif
1
M.J. Powell c Ashar b Rauf
4
I.R. Bell c Wajahat b Asif
5
O.A. Shah c Aamir b Imran
11
G.P. Swann c and b Imran
16
M.J. Prior c Asif b Imran
0
P.J. Franks c and b Ashar
23
R.K.J. Dawson not out
28
S.I. Mahmood st Zulqarnain b Tahir
1
J. Lewis st Zulqarnain b Ashar
5
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-5, W-5, NB-6)
17
TOTAL (all out, 34.3 overs)
125
FALL OF WKTS: 1-16, 2-20, 3-25, 4-25, 5-52, 6-53, 7-71, 8-109, 9-114.
BOWLING: Mohammad Asif 7-0-27-2 (2nb, 2w); Abdul Rauf 6-0-34-2 (3nb,
1w); Imran Tahir 8-0-32-3 (1nb, 1w); Tahir Khan 10-3-20-1; Ashar Zaidi
3.3-1-6-2.
RESULT: Pakistan A won by 114 runs.
UMPIRES: E.A.R. de Silva and A.G. Dissanayake.
MATCH REFEREE: U. Warnapura.
FINAL: Sri Lanka A v Pakistan A at SSC Ground (Colombo) on
Tuesday.
Standings
(Tabulated under played, won, lost, no-result, bonus points, total points,
net run-rate):
