Pakistan A Beat England Lions By 83 Runs

Pakistan A Beat Lions By 83 Runs

Pakistan A captain Mohammad Hafeez top scored with the bat and then picked up two wickets as well.

©REUTERS / Action Images

Pakistan A 179 (Mohammad Hafeez 51) beat
England Lions 96 (Bell 46no, Abdur Rehman 4-25) by 83 runs
First 50-over game, Dubai

England Lions were bowled out for just 96 on their way to an 83-run defeat at the hands of Pakistan A in the first of three 50-over matches in Dubai.

Ian Bell was unbeaten on 46 as four wickets from former internatonal spinner Abdur Rehman and two in four overs from captain Mohammad Hafeez proved to be the Lions' undoing.

Hafeez had earlier top scored with 51 as Pakistan A were bowled out for 179 having been asked to bat first by Lions skipper Andrew Gale.

Aamer Sajjad (39), Rehman (20) and Naeem Anjum (11) were the only other players to reach double figures as left-arm spinner David Wainwright returned three for 26 and pacers Chris Woakes and Sajid Mahmoood picked up a brace of wickets.

Gale (17) and Steven Davies (21) were the only players, aside from Bell, to pass ten when the Lions attempted to chase 180 for victory.

Five players failed to score as Pakistan A took control, Rasa Hasan taking three for 16 as on two separate occasions, England lost three wickets for the addition of one run, with the score at 40 and then 80.

"It's disappointing to lose today. I thought we bowled well and were good in the field but our batting let us down and they out-skilled us a bit," Gale said after the game.

"At the half way mark I thought we had done well to keep them down to 180 and credit should go to our spinners but we didn't bat well enough. We'll bounce back from this, they're a beatable team and we'll come back fighting on Wednesday."

© Cricket World 2010

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The second game is on Wednesday 24th February.