England beat Patron's XI by an innings

Rawalpindi, Nov 4: England's preparation for the three-test series against Pakistan got off to a confidence-boosting start when they defeated Patron's Eleven by an innings and 27 runs with more than a session's play on the last day still remaining.

The Patron's Eleven, resuming this morning at 49 for one and requiring 196 to make the tourists bat again, were skittled out for 169 some 44 minutes before tea. England paceman Matthew Hoggard finished with four for 40 and spinners Ashley Giles and Ian Salibsury shared five wickets between them.

For the Patron's Eleven, only left-handed Qaisar Abbas put up any resistance of while scoring 44. He was dismissed in an unusual fashion when his attempted sweep short struck Dominic Cork at short-leg and scooped at mid-wicket where Ian Salisbury took a confortable catch. He was a model of concentration and application when he batted flawlessly for 15 minutes over two hours during which he received 81 balls. His innings contained four boundaries.

Mohammad Shafiq brought respectability to the home team's score with a 30-ball 26 that included three sixes, two off Giles and one off Salisbury, and a boundary.

Test reject opener Mohammad Naveed Ashraf played a few delightful shots before he succumbed to his over adventurous approach. He was caught at the wicket by Paul Nixon, who finished with four dismissals behind the wickets, for 44 that contained seven boundaries.

If Hoggard's outswinger accounted for Naveed, the Yorkshire bowler's inswinger left another Test discard Mohammad Wasim stranded in front of the wickets for an easy decision by umpire Kamal Merchant.

Hoggard, in the afternoon, added the scalps of Mohammad Shafiq and Munir Ansari to finish with encouraging match haul of nine for 104. His performance must be a great satisfaction for Nasser Hussain whose pacers have struggled in the one-dayers to not only take wickets but also put brakes on scoring.

"My eyes licked after watching the wicket. One of the best wickets I have played on. I am sure the selectors will reconsider me for the first Test squad," Hoggard told reporters.

Giles and Salibsury shared five wickets between them. Nevertheless, for the second successive time in the match, they couldn't put up performances which could be a matter of worry for Pakistan in the Tests.

Giles bagged three for 38 while bowling flat but Salisbury conceded 51 runs from his 19 overs at the return of two wickets. While Salisbury picked up the wicket of Imran Abbas last evening, he added the wicket of wicket-keeper Javed Qadeer who offered no stroke to a straightish delivery.

Giles victims were Qaisar Abbas, Salman Shah who was caught behind and last-man Mohammad Akram who mistimed a drive to be caught at cover.

England now proceed to Peshawar on Sunday where they play NWFP Governor's Eleven in the final four-day match from Nov 8.