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England v Pakistan 4th ODI
Trent Bridge: 8 September, 2006



Jonathan Agnew
By Jonathan Agnew
BBC cricket correspondent at Trent Bridge

Inzamam complains about the decision to refer his "catch" off Strauss to the TV umpire
The regulations clearly state that a referral can only be made if the umpires' view is obstructed

In the end, England's first win in 12 one-day matches was completed calmly and professionally.

Batting under floodlights is never easy, especially September in England when the dew falls and spices up the pitch - and the hosts needed some luck.

But Andrew Strauss and Ian Bell laid the foundation for their successful chase of 236 to win with a classy, unhurried stand of 110 in 20 overs for the second wicket.

There was a moment of great controversy when Inzamam claimed a low, tumbling catch at slip off Strauss when he had scored just five.

Inzi and his team-mates were convinced the catch had been taken cleanly, and began their celebrations while Strauss declined to leave the crease.

The resulting TV replays divided opinion - I thought the ball bounced just in front of Inzamam, while others did not - and the third umpire presumably gave the batsman the benefit of the doubt.

A chorus of boos rang out around Trent Bridge - and these became more voluble when replays were shown on the big screen - leaving an infuriated Inzamam remonstrating with the umpires.

Razzaq launched a blistering succession of big shots
Razzaq produced a stunning display of huge hitting

And he had a point.

Not only did he believe he had taken a clean catch, but the regulations clearly state that a referral can only be made if the umpires' view is obstructed.

It is difficult to see what had blocked their views on this occasion, and history shows that once referred, on almost every occasion the batsman is given not out.

Strauss went on to score 78, and Inzi was clearly distracted in the field from then on.

As well as England batted, the star of the day was undoubtedly Abdul Razzaq, who produced a stunning display of huge hitting at the end of Pakistan's innings.

From 138-7, he took control in a stand of 70 with Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, thrashing five towering sixes as the last four overs yielded 69 runs - Razzaq's last 45 came from 16 balls.

It was spectacular hitting, but it again exposed Sajid Mahmood's frailty as he completely lost control and, including wides and leg-byes from wild deliveries, yielded 26 runs from the penultimate over.

But even Jon Lewis, who bowled so well with the new ball, suffered and the six from the final ball that flew into the top of the pavilion must be one of the biggest hits ever seen on this ground.



SEE ALSO
Pakistan in England 2006
27 Jun 06 |  Future tour dates
Live cricket on the BBC
19 Apr 06 |  Cricket


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