Australia romps to 150-run test victory
Source: Agencies |
July 17, 2010, Saturday
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AUSTRALIA completed a record 13th consecutive victory win over a Pakistan side which self-destructed against the gentle off-spin of Marcus North at Lord's yesterday.
North took six for 55 to join teammate Shane Watson on the Lord's bowling honours board, a pairing nobody could have predicted when the first match in a two-test series started on Tuesday. His figures were the best ever returned by an Australian spinner at Lord's.
Pakistan, set a record 440 to win, succumbed for 289 before tea on the fourth day to extend a miserable losing streak which started in 1999. Australia's 150-run victory put it one ahead of Sri Lanka which has won 12 tests against Bangladesh.
Shahid Afridi, captaining his country for the first time in a test, was particularly culpable yesterday.
Afridi lasted only four balls, dabbing two through the slips before playing a wild shot across the line off North. The ball flew high to the mid-wicket boundary where Michael Hussey took a well-judged catch.
Pakistan started the day in reasonable shape at 114 for one with Salman Butt, whose application in both innings has shown up his teammates, on 58. Butt took 18 from two overs from Mitchell Johnson and proceeded serenely to 92 with a series of flashing drives and deft cuts when Ricky Ponting opted to bring on North instead of his specialist spinner Steven Smith.
North struck immediately when Butt over-balanced trying to reach his first delivery down the leg-side and Tim Paine dived forward to complete the stumping.
Umar Akmal (22) lofted a six from North over long-leg but then played a careless cut off North three balls before the lunch to a grateful Michael Clarke at slip. Debutant Umar Amin gave a glimpse of his abilities with 33 before he was caught by Simon Katich and North accounted for the irresponsible Afridi in the same over.
Kamran Akmal joined brother Umar by driving North for six during a brisk innings before he was bowled by Smith for 46. Ponting moved Hussey to mid-wicket where Mohammad Aamer (19) obligingly hit the next delivery from North to give the off-spinner his first five-wicket haul in a test match.
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