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Pietersen guides England to 6-wicket win
Kevin Pietersen's unbeaten 73 saw England to a six wicket win over Pakistan in the opening Super Eights match of the World T20 on Thursday.
- Agence France-Presse
- Updated: May 07, 2010 03:12 PM IST
Read Time: 3 min
Bridgetown, Barbados:
Kevin Pietersen's unbeaten 73 saw England to a six wicket win over defending champions Pakistan in the opening Super Eights match of the World Twenty20 at the Kensington Oval here on Thursday.
Pietersen, who put on 60 for the third wicket with captain Paul Collingwood (16), gave England a scare when he clipped his leg with his bat on 16 and he was dropped on 34.
Pakistan put down five catches, with Saeed Ajmal dropping three, in an error strewn display.
In total, Pietersen faced 52 balls with two sixes and eight fours as his side finished on 151 for four in reply to Pakistan's 148 for nine.
England won with three balls to spare in a match their star batsman ended with a boundary, off Ajmal.
The off-spinner wasn't bowled out until the final over despite troubling England.
England had a huge slice of luck early in their reply when in the first over of their innings Craig Kieswetter, on nought, struck Abdul Razzaq straight to mid-on only for Ajmal, who appeared to have caught the ball, to drop it as he tried to throw it up in celebration.
But it was left-hander Michael Lumb who did the early damage for England.
However, both batsmen cashed in as 19 runs came off the fourth over, from left-arm quick Mohammad Aamer.
Ajmal then gave Lumb, on 23, a reprieve, when he dropped another catch hit straight to him.
But the spinner did help end a first-wicket stand of 44 when he had Lumb (25) stumped by Kamran Akmal for 25.
Kieswetter, like Lumb and Pietersen born in South Africa, also fell for 25, well caught by Umar Akmal at long-on off Razzaq.
Pietersen recovered from his injury to strike Razzaq for two fours in three balls and he was given a life on 34 when a drive off Ajmal was tipped over the boundary for six by Fawad Alam.
He completed a 37-ball fifty with a straight six off Pakistan captain and leg-spinner Shahid Afridi
Earlier, Pakistan started well after being sent in but lost three wickets for six runs as they collapsed from 71 for one to 77 for four with the hard-hitting Afridi run out first ball for nought.
They might have been in even worse trouble had not Umar Akmal been given a life on five when wicketkeeper Kieswetter missed a stumping chance off left-arm spinner Michael Yardy.
Umar Akmal went on to make 30 before he was well caught on the boundary by Pietersen, running round from long-on, off left-arm quick Ryan Sidebottom.
England put the break on Pakistan's scoring rate until an expensive final over from seamer Tim Bresnan went for 15 runs, with tailender Ajmal striking a six over the wicketkeeper's head.
Afridi's first ball run out summed up Pakistan's day.
He pushed the ball straight to cover, set off for a non-existent single and was sent back before giving up as Kieswetter collected Luke Wright's throw.
Both sides are back in action here on Saturday when Pakistan face New Zealand and England play South Africa.
![](https://s.ndtvimg.com/images/misc/fullImage/ver1/k/kp-wt20.jpg)
Pietersen, who put on 60 for the third wicket with captain Paul Collingwood (16), gave England a scare when he clipped his leg with his bat on 16 and he was dropped on 34.
Pakistan put down five catches, with Saeed Ajmal dropping three, in an error strewn display.
In total, Pietersen faced 52 balls with two sixes and eight fours as his side finished on 151 for four in reply to Pakistan's 148 for nine.
England won with three balls to spare in a match their star batsman ended with a boundary, off Ajmal.
The off-spinner wasn't bowled out until the final over despite troubling England.
England had a huge slice of luck early in their reply when in the first over of their innings Craig Kieswetter, on nought, struck Abdul Razzaq straight to mid-on only for Ajmal, who appeared to have caught the ball, to drop it as he tried to throw it up in celebration.
But it was left-hander Michael Lumb who did the early damage for England.
However, both batsmen cashed in as 19 runs came off the fourth over, from left-arm quick Mohammad Aamer.
Ajmal then gave Lumb, on 23, a reprieve, when he dropped another catch hit straight to him.
But the spinner did help end a first-wicket stand of 44 when he had Lumb (25) stumped by Kamran Akmal for 25.
Kieswetter, like Lumb and Pietersen born in South Africa, also fell for 25, well caught by Umar Akmal at long-on off Razzaq.
Pietersen recovered from his injury to strike Razzaq for two fours in three balls and he was given a life on 34 when a drive off Ajmal was tipped over the boundary for six by Fawad Alam.
He completed a 37-ball fifty with a straight six off Pakistan captain and leg-spinner Shahid Afridi
Earlier, Pakistan started well after being sent in but lost three wickets for six runs as they collapsed from 71 for one to 77 for four with the hard-hitting Afridi run out first ball for nought.
They might have been in even worse trouble had not Umar Akmal been given a life on five when wicketkeeper Kieswetter missed a stumping chance off left-arm spinner Michael Yardy.
Umar Akmal went on to make 30 before he was well caught on the boundary by Pietersen, running round from long-on, off left-arm quick Ryan Sidebottom.
England put the break on Pakistan's scoring rate until an expensive final over from seamer Tim Bresnan went for 15 runs, with tailender Ajmal striking a six over the wicketkeeper's head.
Afridi's first ball run out summed up Pakistan's day.
He pushed the ball straight to cover, set off for a non-existent single and was sent back before giving up as Kieswetter collected Luke Wright's throw.
Both sides are back in action here on Saturday when Pakistan face New Zealand and England play South Africa.
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