Souring the Sweetest Taste:

Pakistan grabbed a foothold in the ODI series against England with a thrilling against the odds 23-run victory over England at the Brit Insurance Oval tonight. Trailing 2-0 in the five-match series, nothing less than victory would do. After all that thy have been through recently, a Pakistan team anxious to prove a point was a welcome sight, despite some reckless batting – it wouldn’t be Pakistan without it.

Rumours of dissent were firmly scotched by manager Waqar Younis after the match. He demanded names of the allegedly disenchanted players, when told that anonymous sources had questioned his leadership. None were forthcoming. But pictures of the celebrations of the victorious Pakistanis were even more telling.

They wanted to deliver an emphatic message and did so on and off the field. “We’ll definitely look to be going 2-2 at Lords,” said Younis. “It’s been a real tough tour. We’re pretty pleased if you look at bigger picture. We just want to concentrate on the cricket. Of course I want to capture headlines for the right reasons.”

The Metropolitan Police had chosen this morning to hand the files on the spot-betting allegations to the Crown Prosecution Service. Younis was never renowned for his batting during an illustrious career, but he blocked awkward deliveries adeptly in a press conference that practically ignored the match. “I haven’t heard anything about that,” he said. But there should only be one story today – Umar Gul.

One of the Finest Exponents:

A devastating exhibition of reverse-swing bowling by Pakistan’s Umar Gul ripped the heart out of England’s batting despite half centuries by Middlesex duo Eoin Morgan and captain Andrew Strauss. Chasing a modest Pakistan total of 241 all out England looked comfortable. “The only chance was to bowl the England team out,” said Younis. “We needed something like this. We can maybe come back and win the series. The way Umar bowled was just outstanding.”

That was almost an understatement. Gul’s first over was expensive, but his second spell began the rot. England got a good start. Strauss remained in imperious form – a seemingly ominous continuation from Headingley where he had made a match-winning century. He reached his half-century at better than a run-a-ball with seven fours. His dismissal began both the rot and also the Umar Gul show.

Strauss was finally outwitted by Gul, getting an inside edge onto his stumps after 54 balls. He had hit one more boundary before being dismissed for 57. At 90 for 4 Pakistan scented an opportunity, even though England were still on top – just. Gul soon struck again. Michael Yardy was trapped lbw for 4. It was Gul’s second wicket in ten balls and had only cost 3 runs in that spell.

“Umar Gul’s bowling was the difference,” said Strauss. “The turning point was Eoin Morgan getting out. I’ve seen many great exponents of reverse-swing bowling, but Umar Gul is very much up there. He’s bowled very well today.” However, Strauss is a canny cricketer and refuses to give an advantage to an opponent by implying that he’s unplayable. He would not name Gul the best exponent of reverse-swing bowling he had encountered, but nor would he say who was. “I’m not going to hype him up unnecessarily,” he added about Gul.

Absence of Hype:

Gul needed no hype. His figures sum up the match. 10 overs, no maidens 6 wickets for 42 runs. It was an incredible display. “I’m glad the way it came, especially Umar Gul,” said Younis. A battling 61 by Morgan, ably supported by an unbeaten 48 by Luke Wright, filling in for the ill Paul Collingwood threatened to take the match out of Pakistan’s reach, but Gul had other ideas.

A fine piece of wicket-keeping by Umar Akmal, keeping wicket following a hand injury to his brother the should have had its reward. Wright was defeated in the flight by Ajmal and Akmal stumped him with his foot just off the ground. Akmal appealed, but Billy Doctrove was unmoved. Afridi’s protestations had no effect either. It should have been referred to the third umpire – it is what technology is there for. It was a pivotal moment as that would have exposed England’s tail.

Wright made the most of his reprieve, hitting his fourth four to bring up the 200. One run later Morgan  was dismissed for 61, caught by substitute Wahab Riaz – the fourth player to be questioned over the spot-betting scandal – after clipping it off his legs. Morgan hit six fours during his 74-ball occupation of the crease.

It was Gul’s third wicket. Three balls later Bresnan was comprehensively bowled by Gul for 0. Broad survived an appeal for caught behind – rightly. Nevertheless, Gul and Broad exchanged angry words. Gul had the last laugh. Broad made just 4. Gul bowled him – his fifth – of the innings.

His five wickets cost 39 runs from nine overs. He had taken 3 wickets for 3 runs in his last 11 balls to add to previous spell of 2 for 3 in ten balls in his previous spell. He had one over to add to his tally and did. Swann was his sixth wicket, caught Afridi for an 8-ball duck – a poor shot. Gul finished with the devastating figures of 10 overs no maidens, 6 for 42 – his best ever ODI. He took 4 for 6 in his last three overs.

At 211 for 9 Gul had bowled his team to the brink of victory. It was left to Abdul Razzaq to secure victory by bowling James Anderson for 3, leaving Wright stranded on 48 not out. Unsurprisingly, Gul was named Man of the Match. “We’ve always been good in terms of reverse-swing,” said Younis. “One big reason with Umar Gul with reverse swing is he’s got such an action, especially at the end of the innings.” If there is a better exponent of it currently playing, he’d have to be a special bowler.

Reckless:

Earlier Asad Shafiq, 40, and Fawad Alam, 64, had restored impetus to a Pakistan innings that was in serious danger of being derailed. Kamran Akmal fell victim to a freakish dismissal, unluckily bowled off his thigh-pad by Tim Bresnan for 5, but several batsmen contributed to their dismissals. Shafiq batted well, completing the hard work and looked poised for a big score until he threw it away failing to follow through, thereby lobbing an easy catch to Morgan. He was Swann’s only victim.

The dangerous and highly rated Umar Akmal also threw it away, picking out Swann. Tim Bresnan got the wicket. Alam played a strange chip shot that provided an easy catch to Strauss, stretching forward. It was a poor shot, but Yardy won’t complain. Shahid Afridi and Razzaq provided late order entertainment, with lusty hitting that included a six apiece, but both contributed to their own downfall. Afridi carelessly failed to ground his bat – run out by Graeme Swann for 34 from 29 balls.

Afridi was rightly given out after Stuart Broad asked Doctrove to refer it to the third umpire. However, Doctrove later refused to allow the same technology to be used over the stumping claim. Razzaq’s pull was superbly caught by Anderson to give Broad his first wicket. His innings had lasted just 24 balls.