Pakistan facing near-inevitable defeat

MANCHESTER, England, July 28: England's young batsmen Alastair Cook and Ian Bell scored second successive centuries to leave Pakistan facing near-inevitable defeat on the second day of the second test today.

The 21-year-old Cook made 127 while the 24-year-old Bell added 106 not out before the home side, resuming on 168 for two, declared on 461 for nine deep into the final session of another baking day at Old Trafford.

Pakistan, needing 342 to make England bat again, survived the final four overs of the day to get to 12 without loss.

No side has won a test match after conceding more than 300 in the first innings. The first match of the four-test series was drawn.

Cook and Bell's contrasting innings rubbed in England's superiority after strike bowler Steve Harmison had taken six for 19 yesterday to skittle Pakistan for 119.

The left-handed Cook's near-flawless knock was inevitably more cautious at the top of the order and marked by some fine off drives. He batted for five hours and 40 minutes, facing 260 balls and hitting 18 fours.

He took 208 balls to get to three figures. Bell, a right-hander battling to establish himself in the side, needed just 127 as he went on the attack in the final throes of the innings. He helped coax 140 runs from the tail after the fall of the sixth wicket.

Both had made centuries against Pakistan at Lord's. For Cook, it was his third in seven tests and for Bell, a fourth in 16.

Pakistan had broken through in the first over of the day when Kevin Pietersen, on 38, was caught off pace bowler Umar Gul as he sliced to gully, making it 169 for three, but they had to wait until after lunch for further success.

Gul, finding swing rather than a consistent length, then dismissed Paul Collingwood and Cook.

Collingwood, who had brightened up the morning session with two straight sixes off leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, paddled a short ball tamely straight to square leg after making 48 and helping to add 119 for the fourth wicket.

When wicketkeeper Geraint Jones fell cheaply to make it 321 for six, Pakistan must have thought it would only be a matter of time before they wrapped up a fragile-looking lower order of Sajid Mahmood, Matthew Hoggard, Harmison and Monty Panesar.

Bell, at that stage, was on 19 not out.

Instead, though, that quartet kept him company, with no one contributing more than the irrepressible Harmison, who made an intelligent 26 during a 73-run stand for the ninth wicket.

Bell's strokeplay, however, matched anything that had gone before. He drove fast bowler Mohammad Sami for two midwicket boundaries in an over, then repeated the dose against all rounder Abdul Razzaq before scampering a single to complete a 61-ball 50.

He continued in similar vein, mixing studious defence with all-out attack whenever the bowlers strayed, with leg spinner Shahid Afridi hit for six when he over pitched.

REUTERS