England defeat Governor's XI by 81 runs

Trescothick and Elahi hit centuries: Karachi, Oct 20: Discarded Salim Elahi strengthened his claims for a recall with a blazing century against England but his efforts were not enough to prevent Governor's Eleven crash to a 81-run defeat in the day and night match at the National Stadium here on Friday.

Governor's Eleven, chasing a mammoth England score of 323 for seven in 50 overs, were bundled out for 242 in 46.4 overs after losing their last nine wickets for 73 runs. The home team were on course to give the tourists run for their money when they reached 169 for one by the 27th over with Salim and Asim Kamal (43) adding 168 runs for the second wicket.

But the cheap dismissal of Asim, caught at short fine leg off a fulltoss from Graeme Hick, started Governor Eleven's slide. Only a late assault by Shoaib Malik (23) brought some respectability to their score.

Salim, named in a 15-man squad for Tuesday's first one-day international, scored a superb 120 off 103 balls that contained 16 scorching boundaries and a towering six. Salim batted with admirable confidence against an England bowling attack which is most likely to test the Pakistan team on Tuesday.

Salim was in a punishing mood reaching his half century off just 40 balls with nine boundaries. His next 50 runs came off 48 balls with six hits to the fence.

While Salim held the Englishmen by the scruff of their necks, Asim batted with great patience and calculation. He nudged the pushed the ball around to give his more experienced and in-form batsman the strike.

Barring Salim and Asim, the Governor's Eleven scoreboard gave a dismal look. The three internationals - Shahid Afridi, Younis Khan and Faisal Iqbal - shared just four runs between them.

Darren Gough, expensive in his first spell, came back to effectively use the old ball by finishing with five for 32, including three wickets in 19 balls that virtually broke the back of home team's batting. Graeme Hick also picked up two cheap wickets of Asim and Salim, bowled while trying to play an inside out shot, conceding 26 runs.

Earlier, Somerset's Marcus Trescothick scored a blazing century and Worecestershire's Hick blasted a 60-ball 82 to propel England to a match-winning 323 for seven that included 97 runs off the last 10 overs.

Trescothick and Hick reduced the all-international Governor's Eleven bowling attack to pedestrian by making the ball disappear to all parts of the park. Trescothick belted 12 boundaries and three huge sixes off 93 balls. The left-hander was particularly severe on Shabbir Ahmad hitting him for four boundaries in an over, three off consecutive balls of the bowler's second over.

Shabbir suffered further whipping when Hick scored 18 off his eighth and last over. Hick struck nine exquisite boundaries and two sweetly timed sixes.

Skipper Nasser Hussain also had a good opening game to the 57-day tour of Pakistan by scoring 44 off 64 balls with five boundaries. But there was disappointment for opener Alec Stewart, who was caught at gully, Graham Thorpe, caught at short fine-leg, and Andrew Flintoff, caught by Rashid Latif off a top edge.

England play their second warm up match on Sunday before facing Pakistan in first of the three one-day internationals on Tuesday.