Cricket: Pakistanis mowed down by minnows

THE Minor Counties had a measure of success against quality opposition on the first day of the two-day match with the Pakistanis at Marlow yesterday. Having restricted the tourists to 226, the part-timers had advanced to 130 for 2 by the close.

Pakistan, fielding six players who were on Test duty against England at Headingley, had been reduced to 37 for 5 before Zahid Fazal and Waqar Younis undertook some much-needed restoration work.

Graeme Calway, a 26-year-old cricket coach at Bromsgrove School, prompted Pakistan's early collapse. He took three wickets in an over to account for Asif Mujtaba, Naveed Anjum and Moin Khan to finish with 4 for 30 from 12 overs.

Zahid, an 18-year-old understudy played with an assurance and authority belying his experience. Three times he lifted the slow left-armer, Tony Smith, out of the ground for six, before being dismissed three runs short of his hundred. Waqar's 57, off 68 balls, was his highest score of the tour.

The Minors, with six players making their representative debuts, made good progress with the bat. The Devon left-hander, Nick Folland, who has been offered a two-year contract with Somerset, was untroubled in reaching 56. His unbroken third-wicket stand with Cheshire's Ian Cockbain realised 59 runs by the close.

At Jesmond, Sachin Tendulkar gave a number of England's tour hopefuls a glimpse of what to expect on this winter's jaunt to India. Devon Malcolm, Angus Fraser, Chris Lewis and Phil Tufnell were among the bowlers to suffer as the diminutive Indian Test batsman scored 100 off 115 balls for the Rest of the World against an England XI.

Tendulkar shared a partnership of 128 with the New Zealand captain, Martin Crowe, as the Rest of the World side amassed a formidable 319 for 6 from their quota of 55 overs. In response, the England XI overhauled the target with four overs to spare. Lewis, with 66 runs off 52 balls, and Derbyshire's John Morris (72) laid the foundations.