The Skunk walks like a chicken

23 November 2005
CLUCKY STAR
Pakistan in a flap as 'chicken' KP and Bell lead England's fightback
Mike Walters Cricket Correspondent
KEVIN Pietersen was branded a 'chicken' by Shoaib Akhtar, but it was much cock-a-doodle-do about nothing on the day England's twin centurions ruled the roost.

As cricket broke out in Faisalabad and the previous day's pitch-scuffing row seemed like a bad dream, Pietersen and Ian Bell reinforced their places in the pecking order with battling hundreds in the second Test.

Punishing Pakistan for six dropped catches and a missed stumping, England's fourth-wicket pair gave Michael Vaughan's men a foothold in the series when they could easily have gone into freefall.

Pietersen's 100 from 137 balls was a typically breezy innings and Bell's six-and-a-half-hour 115 was a more gentle affair.

England, 391-7 in reply to Pakistan's 462, had an outside chance of winning after Pietersen and Bell's double act and Geraint Jones maintained the fightback with a perky half-century.

Pietersen brought up his second Test century by depositing 95mph Akhtar over deep square leg for his third six.



When he tried to repeat it next ball, he miscued to mid-on and the Rawalpindi Express gave KP a disdainful send-off, flapping his arms in a funky chicken routine.


Asked to explain why, Akhtar replied: "Because he walks like a chicken."


Pietersen, waiting to do a radio interview nearby, was not amused.


Earlier he was dropped twice by Danish Kaneria but after scoring just 40 runs in his six previous innings on tour, he is back in business.


"I don't make mountains out of molehills," said Pietersen last night. "I didn't feel under any pressure just because I had a lean time in the first Test, and I knew there was a big score around the corner. I was disappointed to get out the ball after reaching my hundred, but that's the way I play and that's the way I got to 100 in the first place."


Bell, who finished the Ashes series with scores of 3, 3, 0 and 0, had been bracing himself for the axe until Vaughan injured his knee ahead of the first Test.


Heeding coach Duncan Fletcher's call for more patience after the Multan meltdown, Bell's measured approach was reminiscent of Mike Atherton.


Pakistanis pronounce his name 'Iron' Bell, but for 272 balls it was like watching Iron Mike in his pomp.


Badly missed on 90 by Salman Butt, and by wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal 18 runs earlier, Bell helped Pietersen bat through the pre-lunch session in a partnership worth 154 in 49 overs.


Bell, who has now scored 217 runs in three innings, said: "That was my best day of Test cricket so far. I thought Kevin and I complemented each other's style well because I was happy to knock it around and enjoy the view from the other end when he was going for it."


By the time Bell was out, making room to cut Shahid Afridi's leg spin, England were 64 runs past the follow-on mark and Jones' 55 cut the deficit further.


The only man to miss out was Freddie Flintoff, who lasted 10 balls in which he broke his bat and then had his middle stump uprooted by Akhtar.