Pietersen century helps England reach 347-6

LEEDS, England, Aug 4: Kevin Pietersen took the lead role in his own drama on Friday to help England close on 347 for six after the first day of the third test against Pakistan today.

The South Africa-born batsman rode his luck to complete his fifth test century before retiring hurt with cramp in his left forearm at Headingley.

Ian Bell, having hit centuries in each of the first two games of the series, was on 66 not out. Matthew Hoggard was dismissed with the final ball of the day by fast bowler Umar Gul, who took four for 73.

Pietersen, on 104 not out, was set to resume his innings alongside Bell tomorrow. England lead the four-match series 1-0.

On an intriguing, incident-packed day, most of the luck on offer went to Pietersen, while most of the cursing was left to Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq.

The 26-year-old Pietersen could have been out on three times.

On two he appeared to inside-edge a ball from fast-medium bowler Shahid Nazir via his hip to the wicketkeeper only to be given not out. On 29 another inside edge, off Nazir, was caught only for a no-ball to be called.

To add insult to injury, Pietersen was also dropped shortly after getting to his century, again off the bowling of the long-suffering Nazir.

Pietersen is a colourful man with a taste for milking his best moments, and he did so with his hundred in his sights.

Facing Mohammad Sami in the final session, he began the over on 87 and hit successive three fours, interrupted by two visits from the physio, before scampering to his century. He hit 15 fours and two sixes, both off leg spinner Danish Kaneria, to get to the mark off 123 deliveries.

Shortly afterwards he summoned the physio again and made way for wicketkeeper Chris Read.

Pietersen's innings -- he had not got past 50 in six previous attempts -- meant that five of England's top six have scored hundreds in the series. The odd man out is Marcus Trescothick. The left-handed opener, himself without a test fifty in eight innings, helped put on 67 for the first wicket after England opted to bat before two wickets fell in five balls without a run being added.

Sami changed ends and changed the moodas Trescothick, having clattered six fours in his 28, drove a return catch back to the strike bowler who accepted it at the second attempt.

Nazir then removed Strauss for a fluent 36, angling one across the England captain who edged to second slip.

At that stage Nazir had figures of 5-3-5-1 and he deserved even better when Pietersen had his first escape. To make things worse for Pakistan, Alastair Cook was given a similar reprieve shortly afterwards when facing Sami, to Inzamam's evident disgust.

Gul, however, eased the touring side's sense of injustice with the last ball of the morning, taking a low return catch off Cook's leading edge after the left-hander had made 23.

That made it 110 for three, with Pakistan with the initiative, only for Pietersen and Paul Collingwood to wrench it back with an 82-run partnership.

Collingwood, who got off the mark with a mid-wicket six off Gul, played a typically gritty and industrious innings of 31 before holing out in the deep off the splice when facing the impressive Gul.

Bell and Read, back in the side for the first time in more than two years following Geraint Jones' lean run with the bat, made sure the final session also went England's way, Read contributing 38 to an 86-run stand before he became Guls third victim near the close.

When Read had replaced Pietersen, his first scoring shot was a boundary off the inside edge just past his stumps.

Nazir, of course, was the bowler. The 28-year-old last played for Pakistan seven years ago and has only managed nine tests in a decade-long career. Pietersen perhaps deserved his good luck because of his audacious approach to the game but Nazir, after such a long wait on the sidelines, surely did not deserve his day of ill fortune.

REUTERS