Pakistan victorious in third Test
August 21, 2010 16:01:58 UK
Pakistan have reinvigorated their series against England with a nail-biting victory on the fourth afternoon of the third Test.
Having been set a modest 148 for victory, skipper Salman Butt (48) appeared to set the tourists up for a comfortable win, only for James Anderson and Graeme Swann to take three wickets for eight runs after lunch.
But despite some genuine tension and an excitable crowd at the Brit Insurance Oval, Umar Akmal and Mohammad Aamer saw them home to go 2-1 behind with one Test to play.
England surrendered their final wicket with just one run added to the overnight total when Stuart Broad aimed an ugly shot straight to mid-on.
Aamer was the deserving bowler, ending with figures of five for 52 and ensuring England's innings went from 194 for three to 222 all out.
Pakistan's chase started nervily, Yasir Hameed falling for a golden duck in the first over. Anderson, carved for four by Farhat seconds before, was the bowler and Swann the catcher at slip.
England appealed loudly for lbw against Butt off Anderson's next ball but were rightly denied.
Farhat continued his bright start, finding two more boundaries to ease the tourists' nerves.
Swann was summoned to bowl just the sixth over and immediately tempted Farhat into a rash stroke down the ground.
Runs continued flowing courtesy of Farhat, but he eventually fell for 33 to a mis-timed sweep, adjudged lbw to a straightening Swann delivery.
Butt took 10 off the next over, bowled by Finn, to settle his side again.
Mohammad Yousuf proved a typically awkward opponent, dabbing singles on both sides of the wicket and feathering Swann to the third-man boundary.
Swann eventually claimed Butt for 48 with a nick to slip, but at 103-3 the bulk of the hard work had been done.
The teams emerged after lunch with Pakistan 33 short of victory and Yousuf, back in the side after reversing his retirement, soon eased Swann to the third-man ropes for his fourth boundary.
The score was 124 when Azhar Ali was brilliantly run out by Anderson for five and the Lancastrian then accounted for Yousuf (33) with a glorious away swinging yorker.
That left 17 still needed and the crowd were audibly excited.
Kamran Akmal played and missed at his next two balls, one the subject of an unsuccessful referral.
The wicketkeeper fell lbw for nought moments later, padding up to a Swann delivery destined for middle stump - a decision ratified by the television umpire.
A runless period of 28 balls ensued, Aamer releasing some of that tension with a boundary through mid-wicket as Swann dropped short.
Umar Akmal looked jittery but drew his side level with a sharp two and then turned Swann (three for 50) away for four.
The two teams reconvene at Lord's next week for the fourth and final Test. Pakistan are 6.00 to win that game and level the series, while England can be backed at 1.80 to win and secure a series victory.
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