Brilliant Pakistan crush England

Brilliant Pakistan crush England

Third Test, Lahore, day five: Pakistan 636-8d beat England 288 & 248 by inns & 100 runs

Pakistan bowlers Shoaib Akhtar and Danish Kaneria struck their best form as England collapsed to defeat by an innings and 100 runs in Lahore.

The tourists slumped from 201-2 at lunch to 248 all out 70 minutes after the interval to lose the three-match Test series by a 2-0 margin.

Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood put on 175 for the third wicket but their good work was wasted by their team-mates.

Paceman Akhtar took 5-71, with leg-spinner Kaneria claiming 4-52.

At lunch, it seemed Pakistan's victory hopes were dwindling.

Bell had grown in confidence enough to hook Shoaib Akhtar and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan for four, while Collingwood was hitting some fine cover-drives against the spinners.

Both sides got what they deserved. Congratulations, Pakistan! From OL

The hosts might have expected Saturday would not be their day when each batsman survived excellent appeals for lbw early in the day.

But the post-lunch interval brought about a chaotic change.

In the first over of the session, Kaneria bowled a leg-break that would have graced Shane Warne's repertoire.

Collingwood could not avoid edging it and was out for 80 as Hasan Raza clung on at slip.

For the Durham man, after his 96 in the first innings, there was agony again over his failure to register a maiden Test century.

Kaneria's following over brought two wickets in as many deliveries.

Kevin Pietersen chose to chase a ball spinning well wide of off-stump and paid the price as Raza collected another catch.

Flintoff played forward to his first delivery, but this time it was the googly and the ball spun viciously through the gate to bowl him.

Geraint Jones might also have gone for a golden duck to give Kaneria a hat-trick.

But umpire Darrell Hair declined to award an excellent lbw appeal to the bowler.

Inspired by Kaneria's exploits, Shoaib then summoned up all his energy to deliver a destructive spell of his own.

England had struggled to pick his slower ball all series, and Bell was plumb lbw for 92.

Jones was also given out lbw by Rudi Koertzen despite getting a thick inside edge to a defensive prod.

The slower ball paid dividends again for Shoaib to bring him his fifth wicket of the innings - Liam Plunkett hit on the pads in front of leg-stump.

When he finally tired, Mohammad Sami collected the ninth wicket - Shaun Udal edging to slip.

And victory was wrapped up when, with the very next ball, Kaneria bowled Matthew Hoggard.