da betcris： A timely century partnership between Graham Thorpe and Graeme Hick revivedEngland’s innings after the Pakistan Cricket Board Patron’s XI had claimedthree quick wickets on the second day of the match in Rawalpindi
da dobrowin： Andy Jalil02-Nov-2000A timely century partnership between Graham Thorpe and Graeme Hick revivedEngland’s innings after the Pakistan Cricket Board Patron’s XI had claimedthree quick wickets on the second day of the match in Rawalpindi.Thorpe and Hick put on 144 runs from 249 balls as they dominated the playduring their two-and-a-half hour’s batting.Having come to the crease when the England innings was struggling on 52 forthree, they showed caution at first but gradually began to play fluentstrokes as the innings progressed.Hick had taken two sixes off leg-spinner Shafiq Ahmed by the time he reachedforty, both hits over long-off. Thorpe then hit Mohammad Akram twice in oneover for four, first a pull and then a square cut to bring the 150 up on theboard.He had earlier reached his fifty from 87 balls. Hick followed with his halfcentury, from 103 balls. Their stand ended when Thorpe on 88 was caught inthe slips, attempting to cut left-arm spinner Qaisar Abbas.Having begun their innings shortly before lunch, after dismissing theopposition for 237 – Matthew Hoggard finishing with 5 for 62 from 27 overs,which included the important wicket of the top scorer Abbas (71) with thefirst ball of the day – England lost three early wickets in the secondsession of play.They fell in a space of 31 minutes in just six overs. Marcus Trescothick gota thick edge from an attempted straight drive and was snapped up at thirdslip with 21 on the board.The next wicket also went to Mohammad Akram, a fast-medium bowler with Testexperience. He found the inside edge of Michael Vaughan’s bat when England’stotal had advanced by twelve runs. Wicket-keeper Javed Qadeer took the catch.The Patron’s XI pace attack kept up the pressure, forcing Michael Athertoninto an uppish shot to be caught at point for 22.The Thorpe and Hick partnership had come just when England were in need of asolid stand. By close of play Hick was 77 not out from 125 balls, with 52 ofhis runs coming from boundaries and he had taken the England total to 212 forfour.
