Pakistan beat England in third Test

Europe Sun (ANI) Monday 6th February, 2012

Pakistan on Monday beat England by 71 runs in the third and final Test being played here, and achieved a three nil series whitwash.

Chasing a victory target of 323, England scored 252 in their second innings on the fourth day of the Test.

Wicketkeeper batsman Matt Prior scored an unbeaten 49, while the other batters just folded up against Pakistan.

Earlier, Pakistan had scored 365 runs in its second innings, establishing an overall lead of 322.

England was again tormented throughout the match by Pakistan's spinners Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman.

England looks bound for a 3-0 defeat in the series.

Ajmal, spinning the ball both ways, claimed four wickets for 67 runs, while fast bowler Umar Gul claimed four wickets for 61 runs.Left-arm spinner Rehman claimed two for 97.

Apart from Prior, the others to score were Alastair Cook 49 and Eion Margan 31.

England, 36 runs banked the previous evening, needed a further 288 at the start of play. Strauss fell in the sixth over of the morning, lbw on the back foot to Rehman.

That was lbw No. 42 in this three-Test series, one short of the all-time record for a series of any length. Strauss reviewed it.

Pakistan could have been in a stronger position if they had snared opener Alastair Cook the previous evening, a relatively simple chance to Taufeeq Umar. (ANI)