CRICKET - CROFT RESTRICTS PAKISTAN TO 225-5 .
MANCHESTER , England 1996-08-29
Tight bowling from Glamorgan off-spinner Robert Croft helped England to restrict Pakistan to 225 for five in their 50 overs in the first one-day international at Old Trafford on Thursday .
Croft , who was one of the few Englishmen to make a good impression in his test debut at The Oval last week , showed great control as he first dried up the early flow of Pakistan runs and then collected the wickets of Aamir Sohail and Wasim Akram in a spell of 10-1-36-2 .
There was also a wicket each for Ronnie Irani , Allan Mullally and Darren Gough although there was no joy for Dean Headley who , along with Lancashire batsman Graham Lloyd , was making his international debut .
After Wasim had won the toss and chosen to bat first , Pakistani made an excellent start as Sohail and Saeed Anwar continued their good form with an opening partnership of 82 .
Anwar , who struck a superb 176 at The Oval , was the more aggressive as he made 57 from 75 balls before skying a catch off Irani to Mullally at long-on .
Sohail and Ijaz Ahmed then added 59 for the second wicket before England struck back with three wickets for 19 in the space of five overs .
First , Sohail , after making 48 , was bowled by Croft as he stepped back to try and hit through the off-side .
Wasim , who promoted himself to number four in the order , followed for six when Croft drifted another well-flighted delivery behind his legs .
Shortly after Ijaz was also back in the pavilion for 48 after Irani had repaid Mullally with another good catch at long-on .
Gough later bowled Moin Khan with an inswinging yorker but Inzamam-ul-Haq , 37 not out , and Salim Malik took Pakistan to 225 for five when the overs ran out .