Read is right for England

Rikki Clarke's promising innings of 43 ended with a driven catch to extra cover.

Thereafter, though, Read and the even less experienced Gareth Batty took charge to ensure the hosts' first-innings total of 242 was left well behind.

Read, particularly commanding against the spinners, hoisted one handsome six and helped himself to 11 fours before finally succumbing to end a seventh-wicket stand of 116.

Fatigue probably played a part. Having batted in stifling heat throughout, he drilled slow leftarmer Arafat Sunny low to extra cover but still retained enough energy to express his annoyance with an angry swish of the bat.

Even so, Read had banked his first 50 in an England shirt and, before the visitors were dismissed for 333, Batty was also celebrating a half century.

Batty, aiming for an eighth boundary, holed out in the deep soon after raising his bat.

Trescothick's sights had been set on the century. But, having missed out by 10 runs in England's first practice match earlier this week, the left-handed Somerset opener fell four short today when trapped leg before by paceman Alamgir Kabir.

Still, a 117-ball stay including four crunching sixes on top of 10 other boundaries indicated a man in prime form.

The same cannot be said about some of Trescothick's touring colleagues, after Michael Vaughan (1), Paul Collingwood (0), Nasser Hussain (22) and Graham Thorpe (13) all departed well ahead of schedule.

MARK RICHARDSON scored 145 and Scott Styris hit a career-best 119 as New Zealand batted through the second day to finish on 536 for five in the Second Test against India in Mohali today. The First Test was drawn.

STUART CARLISLE hit 118 as Zimbabwe reached 256 for eight at the close of the first day of the Second Test against Australia in Sydney.

SOUTH AFRICA were bowled out for 320 on the opening day of the First Test against Pakistan in Lahore.