England A crash out of tournament

A Team Triangular Series, Moratuwa:
Pakistan A 239-3 beat England A 125 by 114 runs

Match scorecard

FINAL SERIES TABLE Pakistan A P4 W4 L0 Pts 23 RR 1.70 Sri Lanka A P4 W1 L3 Pts 8 RR -0.19 England A P4 W1 L3 Pts 5 RR -1.44

England A were dumped out of the triangular series after another poor display saw them lose by 114 runs to unbeaten Pakistan A in Moratuwa.

Ian Bell's team needed to win just one of their two weekend games, but they will now miss Tuesday's final after also losing to Sri Lanka A on Saturday.

Faisal Athar hit an unbeaten 102 on Sunday as Pakistan A posted 239-3.

England's reserves were never up to speed in their reply, collapsing to 125 all out in the 35th over.

The game was effectively over when opening bowlers Mohammad Asif (2-27) and Abdur Rauf (2-24) combined to reduce England A to 25-4 after barely seven overs.

We didn't play well, didn't bat well, didn't bowl well and didn't field well England A coach Rod Marsh More Marsh reaction

Leg-spinner Imran Tahir, so damaging in the win over Sri Lanka A last Thursday, then ripped the middle-order out as the English fell to a woeful 71-7 inside 20 overs.

Total embarrasment was averted by eighth-wicket pair Richard Dawson (28 not out) and Paul Franks (23), who put on 38 runs together.

Athar ensured the match would be out of England A's reach with his fine century, which included 14 boundaries and came off 133 balls.

England A started well enough after losing the toss, with Dawson and Jonathan Lewis taking a wicket each and the run-out of Bazid Khan reducing the Pakistanis to 71-3.

But that just brought Athar and Aamer Bashir together, the latter contributing 65 runs to an unbroken stand of 168 for the fourth wicket.

England A's only win of the tournament came against Sri Lanka A.

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England A: V S Solanki, M J Prior, M J Powell, I R Bell, A N Cook, O A Shah, P J Franks, G P Swann, R K J Dawson, S I Mahmood, J Lewis.

Pakistan A: Zulqarnain Haider, Hasan Raza, Faisal Athar, Wajahatullah Wasti, Ashar Zaidi, Bazid Khan, Aamer Bashir, Abdur Rauf, Mohammad Asif, Tahir Khan, Imran Tahir.