'Dibbly-dobbly' Trott chips in as England's graft pays dividend

By Stephen Brenkley

England spent the second day of the first Test here yesterday in an exercise in damage limitation, a position dictated by their reckless disregard for probity the previous day. There was no surprise that they finished the day behind Pakistan but that the deficit was only 96 could be a considered a triumph.

Through bowling that was largely accurate and designed to discourage ambition, or perhaps to tempt it, they tried to wear down Pakistan. The exercise was mutual. Pakistan's dramatic recent improvement has been based on playing defensively, boring to victory.

England took two wickets in the first session, two in the second and three in the third, with two in the final two overs that may ultimately bear the most fruit. The strategy was that if they could keep the arrears to not much more than 100 they were still in the game and with Pakistan, on 288 for 7, forced to bat fourth anything could happen.

The wickets were distributed between Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann, Jimmy Anderson and, most unexpectedly, Jonathan Trott. It was hard and unremitting work and, crucially, so far England have failed to take wickets with the new ball. Their bowling generally, however, was exemplary.

Mohammad Hafeez stealthily made 88 before he was lbw trying to sweep Swann. Before the close Pakistan's obdurate captain, Misbah-ul-Haq, went the same way for 52, England's review of a tight call having succeeded. That was a vital breach: Misbah nowadays mostly blocks and accumulates. He knows what works on these pitches.

England's dream that Swann might emulate the destructive work of his fellow off-spinner Saeed Ajmal was never likely. Indeed, at times Swann was picked off with disturbing ease.

But England knew that they would be kept in the field for 120 overs or so during this series and that wickets would not tumble at their command as they have tended to do lately. Broad made the initial incisions, but only after Hafeez and Taufeeq Umar became the first Pakistani opening pair to record five first-wicket stands of above 100.

Younis Khan was ensnared by an off-cutter in Trott's first fill-in over. Had the term not already been invented, dibbly-dobbly would have had to be minted for Trott. He has no pace, but he bowls accurately enough to make players think that they would not want to get out to him. And an astonished Younis, whose 52.8 Test average is above Javed Miandad's, was some scalp.