England registers nine-wicket win over Pakistan in 2nd Test match

BIRMINGHAM - England team scored an emphatic nine-wicket victory over Pakistan here in the second Test match played at the Edgbaston ground while taking a 2-0 lead in the ongoing series.

Andrew Strauss and Jonathan Trott hit unbeaten half-centuries to guide England to a splendid win. Both batsmen finished on 53 with the second-wicket pair making light work of a potentially testing surface as the hosts completed their sixth consecutive Test victory midway through the afternoon session.

England did the hard work before lunch and when they resumed 47 were needed with the bite gone from Pakistan’s attack.

Strauss went to his fifty from 108 balls then Trott brought up the same milestone, his second 50 of the match, with a powerful cover drive which levelled the scores. Strauss secured victory via a rather inglorious inside edge but he’ll be highly satisfied by another successful outing.

The pitch was also offering uneven bounce for both the spinner and the quicks.

Trott was beaten by consecutive shooters outside off stump, while Strauss received a grubber from Ajmal that just missed the timber. However, the two batsmen displayed impressive watchfulness and rotated the strike well with regular quick singles.

Boundaries were hard to come by, but both Strauss and Trott timed the ball nicely when the opportunity came.

Trott produced the shot of the morning when he flicked Asif through midwicket, and he continues to develop into an increasingly reassuring figure at No. 3, while Strauss produced a sweet cover drive off Ajmal shortly before the break, Cricinfo reported on Monday.

Much had been expected of Ajmal after his five-wicket haul in the first innings, but he wasn’t able to provide the same threat as Swann.

Earlier, England set itself a modest target of 118 to win the second Test after it bowled out Pakistan for 296 in the tourists’ second innings on the fourth day today. akistan saw their innings last for just 11 more balls on Monday after they resumed on their overnight score of 291 for nine.

Kevin Pietersen caught Mohammad Asif in the gully off Stuart Broad for 14, leaving Umar Gul 13 not out.

England off-spinner Graeme Swann finished with a Test-best six wickets for 65 runs in 37 overs.

Pakistan had only once successfully defended a target of under 150. They bowled New Zealand, chasing 127, out for 93 to win by 33 runs at Hamilton in 1992/93 in an innings where current Pakistan coach Waqar Younis took five wickets. (ANI)