England batsman Jonathan Trott top scored for England with 93 runs © AFP
Dubai: Jan14, 2012
Jonathan Trott returned to form with 93 as England geared up for next week's first Test against Pakistan with a 100-run win over a Pakistan Cricket Board XI in their three-day tour match on Friday.
Trott, England's number three batsman who was declared ICC player of the year in 2011, looked back to his best to allow his team declare their second innings at 138-8 before bundling their opponents out for 150.
That made it two wins out of two after they won the tour opener against ICC Combined XI by three wickets here on Monday, to gain valuable confidence ahead of the first of three Tests against Pakistan starting here from Tuesday.
Skipper Andrew Strauss also hit 62 but Kevin Pietersen (3), Ian Bell (12 not out) and Eoin Morgan, who did not bat, remained in search of their best form ahead of the Test series.
Trott, who hit 12 fours during his 150-ball knock, had a sound opening partnership of 130 with Strauss and overcame concerns on his form after scoring one, 35 and nought in the previous innings of the tour.
Chris Tremlett (2-32) and Graham Onions (3-38) remained in the hunt for a place in the Tests as England bowled with discipline to get their opponents -- mostly comprising Pakistan's top first-class performers -- out cheaply.
Only Pakistan discards Fawad Alam (51) and Usman Salahuddin (32) offered some resistance during their resolute fourth wicket stand of 71, lifting their team from a precarious 16-3 after being set 251 to win in a possible of 63 overs.
Onions dismissed Afaq Raheem (7) and Mohammad Ayub (0) and in between Tremlett accounted for Nasir Jamshed (0) before Alam-Salahuddin stand delayed the inevitable.
Alam, who hit a Test debut hundred in 2009 before being discarded, hit seven boundaries before mistiming a drive off Pietersen and was caught by Trott, to end any chance of PCB XI drawing the match.
Panesar mopped up the tail with figures of 3-46.
Alastair Cook hit a hundred and Panesar took 5-57 in the first innings to ensure the England players had a good work out before the Test series.
Tremlett said England had managed to get the desired practice out of the side games.
"I think we've got a lot out of the last two games. The guys are really happy going into the Tests. The competition (for places) is tight, and you have to be on the ball all the time," said Tremlett, whose last Test was against India at Lord's in 2011.
"I guess I'm not expecting to play, but just waiting to see what happens," said the 30-year-old. (AFP)
