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Aamer at the double against England

Pakistan quick Mohammad Aamer carried on from where he left off against Australia by removing both England openers on the first morning of the first Test at Trent Bridge here Thursday.

England, at lunch, were 103 for two after teenage left-arm paceman Aamer had taken two wickets for 19 runs in eight overs.

Aamer, who took seven wickets in Pakistan’s dramatic three-wicket second Test win over Australia at Headingley last week, had Alastair Cook caught at first slip and eventually had England captain Andrew Strauss, who won the toss, caught behind for 45.

South Africa born batsmen Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen were 35 and one not out respectively in the first of this four-Test series.

Strauss had a huge reprieve when, on 15, he edged an outswinger from the 18-year-old Aamer only for wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal to drop the routine chance despite getting both hands to the ball.

England were then 22 without loss in the fifth over.

Cook struggled in overcast conditions similar to those in which Pakistan bowled Australia out for just 88 in the first innings at Headingley.

Cook, scraped eight in 38 minutes before giving Aamer a deserved wicket when, squared up, he edged to first slip Imran Farhat, with England 42 for one in the ninth over.

Trott then got a fortunate edge first ball to a swinging Aamer delivery.

Strauss’s off-drive against Umar Gul brought up England’s fifty.

Trott then took advantage of the fact the Decision Review System (DRS) was in use for this series when, on 13, he fell lbw to leg-spinner Danish Kaneria by Sri Lankan umpire Asoka de Silva.

Trott immediately signalled for a review and replays showed he’d got an inside edge, prompting de Silva to reverse his original verdict.

Pakistan did have another wicket though when Aamer, returning for a second spell, induced a flat-footed Strauss to playing loosely outside off-stump and this time a gleeful Kamran Akmal made no mistake as a 75-ball innings featuring six fours came to end and with it a second-wicket stand of 51.

Pakistan players wore black armbands in memory of the 152 people killed in after an airplane crashed near the capital city of Islamabad on Wednesday.