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Pak dominates Lahore Test
Pakistan were at 446/5 on the third day of the third and final Test match being played at Lahore.
- NDTVSports
- Updated: February 25, 2007 09:53 AM IST
Read Time:2 min
Lahore:
Fine centuries from Yousuf Youhana and Kamran Akmal propelled Pakistan to 446/5 on the third day of the third and final Test match being played at Lahore. The hosts are now leading by 158 runs, with two full days left to play. After a slow start night watchman Shoaib Akhtar began to pile on runs as Pakistan resumed play on 185-4. His exploits helped take the pressure of Mohammad Yousuf, as he steadily progressed towards his hundred. Yousuf reached it in style by hitting Udal for a straight six. His century came off 183 balls in 282 minutes and featured 14 boundaries. On a roll The pair continued to dash England's hopes of an early breakthrough. When Akhtar was eventually out caught in the covers by Udal off Liam Plunkett he had scored a career best 38 and put on 67 runs with Yousuf. At 247 for 5 Pakistan were still 41 runs behind England's first innings score but wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal soon dispelled any thoughts the tourist had of a first innings lead. Akmal and Yousuf kicked on with intent as the tourists failed to make a breakthrough with the second new ball as they needed to. In fact the pair took 28 runs off Hoggard and Harmison's first four overs with the new ball. Akmal completed his half century in the second session with six fours. Soon after Yousuf completed his 150 in seven hours 15 minutes off 278 balls with 18 fours and a six off Shaun Udal. Unbroken partnership England, who were paying dearly for the moment when Andrew Flintoff dropped Yousuf on 16 the previous day. They never came close to breaking the sixth-wicket stand until Marcus Trescothick dropped a tough half-chance at wide slip offered by Akmal when he edged a drive at Plunkett five runs short of his hundred. Akmal duly completed his century with a boundary off rookie Plunkett in the last session off 178 balls. On a surface which offered a little assistance to the bowlers, Akmal was the more adventurous batsman and provided an ideal foil for Yousuf as the hosts scored at a rate midway between three and four an over. At the close, Pakistan were 446 for five - a first-innings lead of 158. The 199-run unbroken partnership between Yousuf and Akmal broke Pakistan's 33-year-old sixth wicket record of 145 runs against England, set by Mushtaq Mohammad and Intikhab Alam at Hyderabad in 1972. More importantly it left Pakistan in a near impregnable position, leaving England to contemplate the evident probability of a first series defeat since their last visit to the sub-Continent two years ago. (AP)Topics mentioned in this article
Cricket New Zealand Cricket Team Pakistan Cricket Team
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