cricket report: yasir arafat edition....

seem like a good time to note that i will (hopefully) be picking up e.a. sports cricket 2005 tonite at the folks place where fredeeky's ma will try to hook up player/coach reg dunlop with fredeeky's cousin. so much drama.



A remarkable turnaround led by bowlers Ashley Giles and Liam Plunkett saw England beat a Patron's XI by 52 runs in the Pakistan tour match.

Needing just 158 to win, the Rawalpindi side had been 50 without loss but slumped to 105 all out.

Spinner Giles took 4-39 off 11 overs while paceman Plunkett recorded figures of 4-16 off seven overs.

England had earlier been bowled out for 112, adding 73 to their overnight 39-6 as all-rounder Yasir Arafat took 5-31.

The tourists suffered an immediate setback at the start of play when seamer Arafat, who spent the last two summers playing for the Scottish Saltires, had Ian Bell lbw for one as he shuffled across the crease.