September 07, 2006	Thursday	Sha'aban 13, 1427

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SOUTHAMPTON (England), Sept 6: Younis Khan's 101 was the centrepiece of Pakistan's two-wicket win over England in the day/night third One-day International at the Rose Bowl on Tuesday (partly reported in Wednesday’s edition).

Pakistan, cruising to victory at 215 for four, did suffer a late collapse that saw them lose three wickets for nine runs as they declined to 265 for eight, with fast bowler Stuart Broad striking twice in two balls.

Victory saw Pakistan go 2-0 up and meant they could not lose the five-match series heading into Friday's fourth fixture at Trent Bridge.

“It's a good achievement for us especially under pressure but we're used to these conditions now,” Younis told Sky Sports.

“It was a big hundred because against England it's a dream come true.

“But all the time I bat for my team, not for myself, and that's why a lot of the time I'm out for 70 or 80. This time it's nice to get that hundred,” he added.

This defeat was England's ninth in nine completed limited overs fixtures this season and meant they had won just four of their last 24 fixtures in shorter forms of cricket.

Set 272 to win, Pakistan finished on 274 for eight after a third-wicket stand of 167 in 31 overs between Younis and Mohammad Yousuf (60) saw the duo defy the conventional wisdom by successfully batting second under the lights after skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq had won the toss.

Inzamam was 44 not out and Shoaib Akhtar two not out as the tourists won with seven balls to spare when the captain pulled Rikki Clarke for four.

But England captain Andrew Strauss took heart from England's improved showing. “I think we showed a lot more positivity with the bat which was important.

“More than anything we showed a lot of fight in the whole game, and if we keep doing that we'll turn things around sooner rather than later.

“We put the ball in the right areas but were a bit unlucky in the middle. All credit to Pakistan, people keep getting hundreds and Younis Khan did that very well today.”

Broad gave Pakistan a scare by taking two wickets in two balls in the 47th over to get rid of Abdul Razzaq (16), caught and Kamran Akmal, held at point by Paul Collingwood before Rana Naved was bowled by seamer Jon Lewis for seven.

Earlier, paceman Naved took four wickets for 57 runs in England's 271 for nine.

Lewis, who had figures of two for 11 in Pakistan's seven-wicket win at Lord's on Saturday, struck with his sixth ball when Shoaib Malik edged him to Collingwood at backward point.

And when Mohammad Hafeez was run out by England captain Andrew Strauss's direct hit from cover, Pakistan were 29 for two.

But, as happened in the recent Test series against England, Younis and Yousuf took charge after the openers had faltered.

Younis played some superb shots. He went down the pitch and square cut Broad for four before pulling the 20-year-old quick to the boundary.

He then lashed Sajid Mahmood through point.

Lewis too came in for the Younis treatment, umpire Billy Doctrove forced to take evasive action as he struck another powerful blow down the ground.

But Younis, on 38, escaped when a pull off Mahmood was dropped low down by the onrushing Broad at deep square leg with Pakistan then 80 for two.

Yousuf, who on 22 called for a runner with what appeared to be cramp, then struck a scorching cover-drive off Mahmood for four.

He later completed an 84-ball fifty with four fours before Younis's single off Mahmood took him to a 105-ball hundred with one six and 13 fours.

Surprisingly, it was only his second One-day International century and first against a Test nation after his 144 against Hong Kong in the Asia Cup at Colombo in 2004.

But then Younis holed out to Trescothick at long-on off Broad after his stand with Yousuf had left Pakistan on 196 for three in the 37th over.

Scoreboard

ENGLAND:

M.E. Trescothick b Shoaib Akhtar 0

A.J. Strauss c Kamran b Razzaq 50

I.R. Bell c Hafeez b Shoaib Akhtar 42

K.P. Pietersen c Hafeez b Naved 20

P.D. Collingwood c S. Akhtar b Naved 61

J.W.M. Dalrymple b Naved 62

R. Clarke b Razzaq 0

C.M.W. Read not out 21

S.I. Mahmood run out 0

J. Lewis c Shoaib Malik b Naved 7

S.C.J. Broad not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-6, NB-1) 8

TOTAL (for nine wkts, 50 overs) 271

FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-79, 3-113, 4-125, 5-226, 6-229, 7-250, 8-256, 9-268.

BOWLING: Shoaib Akhtar 10-1-59-2 (1w); Mohammad Asif 9-0-51-0 (2w); Abdul Razzaq 8-0-44-2 (1nb); Rana Naved 10-1-57-4 (2w); Shahid Afridi 6-0-26-0; Mohammad Hafeez 3-0-14-0; Shoaib Malik 4-0-19-0 (1w).

PAKISTAN:

Shoaib Malik c Collingwood b Lewis 1

Mohammad Hafeez run out 20

Younis Khan c Trescothick b Broad 101

Mohammad Yousuf b Dalrymple 60

Inzamam-ul-Haq not out 44

Shahid Afridi c Read b Mahmood 0

Abdul Razzaq c and b Broad 16

Kamran Akmal c Collingwood b Broad 0

Rana Naved-ul-Hasan b Lewis 7

Shoaib Akhtar not out 2

EXTRAS (LB-5, W-11, NB-7) 23

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 48.5 overs) 274

FALL OF WKTS: 1-2, 2-29, 3-196, 4-215, 5-217, 6-256, 7-256, 8-265.

DID NOT BAT: Mohammad Asif.

BOWLING: Lewis 9-0-32-2; Broad 10-1-57-3 (1nb, 1w); Mahmood 9-0-66-1 (5nb, 4w); Clarke 3.5-0-27-0 (1nb, 3w); Collingwood 3-0-20-0 (1w); Dalrymple 10-0-44-1 (1w); Pietersen 4-0-23-0.

RESULT: Pakistan won by two wickets.

UMPIRES: N.J. Llong (England) and B.R. Doctrove (West Indies).

TV UMPIRE: P.J. Hartley (England).

MATCH REFEREE: M.J. Procter (South Africa).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Younis Khan.

FIRST MATCH: Cardiff (D/N), no result.

SECOND MATCH: Lord’s, Pakistan won by seven wickets (D/L method).

FOURTH MATCH: At Trent Bridge (D/N) on Friday.

FIFTH MATCH: At Edgbaston on Sunday.—AFP