The first Test ended in a draw, but only after a dramatic final day which saw Pakistan lose their final five wickets inside four overs, leaving England with a target of 99 that they missed by 25 runs as the light faded
Related: Lights go out on England’s push for dramatic win against Pakistan
There’s a slight sense of disappointment that England didn’t finish the job off there, but it was always a tall order with the light fading, and Pakistan doing everything in their power to slow the game down.
That they reduced the hosts to this was remarkable in the first place; Pakistan had declared in their first innings on 523-8, and England’s spinners finished the second day with collective figures of 0-302. They will now travel to Dubai with a collective spring in their step.
Another light reading, and that’s that. The players shake hands, and with the sense of anticlimax hanging in the air, England fall 25 runs short of a remarkable result, and it ends, after all, in a draw.
11th over: England 74-4 (Root 33, Bell 5); England need 30 runs to win Bruce Oxenford has taken a light reading, but we’re carrying on. Wahab returns, and Bell snaffles a single with a punch down the ground, before Root follows suit with a chop past backward point. Another single for Bell, with Wahab taking an absolute age between deliveries, then a dot ball, and a couple more singles, as England look to have finally run out of time...
10th over: England 69-4 (Root 31, Bell 2); England need 30 runs to win Zulfiqar may have done just enough, with a tight, tenacious over that yields four runs and a wicket. Having said that, one Ian Ronald Bell has just strutted out to the middle...
Joe Root top-edges Zulfiqar way, way up in the air – but two fielders hare after it in the schoolboy style, and it’s dropped in the confusion! They do get that fourth wicket, as Bairstow charges down the track, swings and misses, and is summarily stumped by Sarfraz.
If England do somehow sneak the win here, it’ll be down to two pretty dreadful decisions from Misbah: 1) see the 53rd over, and 2) switching to pace when the spinners were keeping England at bay. Seventeen runs from Wahab’s first over.
9th over: England 65-3 (Root 28, Bairstow 15); England need 34 runs to win There’s a lengthy meeting in the field, and a three-minute gap between overs, before Wahab comes in to offer a bit of pace. The light is fading, but you imagine that the umpires will have noted that spot of time-wasting.
Bairstow slugs an ugly shot down the ground for a single, then smashes a short ball over midwicket, taken at head height – and that’s gone right out of the ground! A wide, then two leg byes, and this over is becoming a problem for Wahab. Bairstow adds a couple more with a swipe behind point – and he finishes with a slap back down the ground for another four...
8th over: England 48-3 (Root 28, Bairstow 2); England need 51 runs to win Malik to Root, who grabs another white-knuckle double, then attempts a pull that ricochets into his shoulder. This ain’t pretty, but he times it slightly better at the second time of asking, finding a fielder at midwicket for a single. Another dot ball, then a Bairstow single, and Root goes to midwicket again for two more. England are about halfway there.
To cut a long story short, that over was eerily reminiscent of Stick Cricket, when you need 15-odd off the last over and they give you a slow off-spinner. Frustrating.
7th over: England 42-3 (Root 23, Bairstow 1); England need 57 runs to win Zulfiqar, who like Malik has not been exceptional, but has largely kept England from clearing the rope, continues the them here. Root and Bairstow take a single each, before Root nudges out to long-on and forces a sketchy two runs. Another two runs for Root, who has bludgeoned his way to 23 with just one boundary.
6th over: England 35-3 (Root 14, Bairstow 0); England need 64 runs to win Bairstow comes in, and there’s an almighty lbw shout against him first ball! The umpire says no, then refuses a review as Pakistan dither over the decision. Good job – it was going past off stump. Bumble points out that the lights are on, now sounding oddly relieved rather than concerned.
Part-time spinner Malik has done very well to frustrate England’s beefy opening batsmen here, and he gets his reward as Stokes pulls a shot to Hafeez, who stoops to take it low at deep midwicket. That’s the fourteenth wicket of the day.
5th over: England 31-2 (Root 14, Stokes 1); England need 68 runs to win Root and Stokes are unsurprisingly going for anything and everything, but a big heave each brings up just a single as they fail to find the gaps.
“At school we had two boxes in the kit bag. No one wanted the one with the odd stain in it. One lad used it as a knee guard” says David Seare, putting an unpleasant twist on the unusual equipment theme.
Moeen attempts a heave down leg side to the boundary, and it looks good – until Malik appears at deep midwicket to take a simple catch. Ben Stokes is next up...
4th over: England 26-1 (Moeen 10, Root 11); England need 73 runs to win 15 overs left – the point where we were all expecting a handshake. Instead, around five runs an over would do it, although the latest they’ve played is 5.35 local time – just half an hour away. Surely today is a little different, though.
Smart stuff from Malik here, dragging one down leg stump as Moeen looked to move down the track. Root on strike, and he times a lovely stroke through the covers for four! Shot.
3rd over: England 19-1 (Moeen 9, Root 5); England need 80 runs to win Root swings and misses as Zulfiqar comes around the wicket, then picks up a single, with Moeen following suit with a tap through midwicket. Root then swipes a fuller ball high into the air, but it drops between two fielders!
2nd over: England 14-1 (Moeen 8, Root 1); England need 85 runs to win Joe Root is in next, and he sneaks a single to get off the mark. “If England fail to score the runs in time, can we blame Cook for scoring too slowly?” says Dominic O’Reilly, who should be tried for treason.
Buttler is rapped on the pads as he moves across the line – he decides to review, but looks plumb to me. And he is.
“England are going to lose this aren’t they, all out for 47 I reckon...” offers optimism’s Tom Gucht.
2nd over: England 13-0 (Buttler 4, Moeen 8); England need 86 runs to win Malik to Moeen, who picks up a couple, then slogs the spinner over mid-on for four! Who says England can’t play the limited overs game?
“Don’t Pakistan realise that a fast bowler wastes more time while bowling an over?” asks Krishnan Patel. “Bowling two spinners give England more balls to face before the light fades.” I don’t know, these two are doing a pretty good job...
Unusual cricket equipment update from Mark Ireland:
“When I was a youngster, and no one had a set of stumps, we’d sneak down to the local cricket club, drag an empty (metal) beer barrel onto the square, and use that for a wicket. The groundsman would be furious if he caught us, but I still reminisce about the clang of ball on keg!”
1st over: England 6-0 (Buttler 4, Moeen 1); England need 93 runs to win It’s Jos Buttler opening up with Moeen Ali, facing Zulfiqar, who is taking his sweet time between deliveries. Moeen gets off the mark with a crack to midwicket, as the Barmy Army, who could comfortably fit in a minibus, belting out Jerusalem. Buttler breaks out the reverse sweep against the left-armer for four, and a wide makes six from the over. A game of cricket has unexpectedly broken out here.
Half an hour and five overs ago, Pakistan were 157-5, and anything but a draw looked a remote possibility. Then Misbah-ul-Haq came down the track, chucked away his wicket, and here we are. After 4.5 days of gruelling, often grim stuff, England need 99 runs to win, and will have around 45 minutes to do it.
...make that five! Imran Khan, without so much as a run in six Tests at No11, strolls out, prods the first ball to Anderson, who gets a third catch in quick succession. It’s a five-fer for Rashid, and Pakistan have collapsed here!
Sarfraz pulls a short ball from Rashid through midwicket for four, to bring up a lead of 98. Two balls later, he’s gone! A leg break from Rashid is edged to Anderson at slip, and Rashid has four...
57th over: Pakistan 168-8 (Sarfraz 22, Rahat 0) Moeen tests Sarfraz, who offers plenty of muddled shots before a late cut off the final ball to keep the strike. There are 22 overs left in the day, light permitting.
56th over: Pakistan 168-8 (Sarfraz 22, Rahat 0) Rahat shuts out a googly from Rashid to finish the over.
“Far back in my hazy Belfast youth, my small army of brothers and I tried to recreate the threat of facing Ambrose et al by bowling a golf ball full pelt on a narrow concrete strip, me batting bareheaded with a cushion stuffed up my jumper” begins Robert Wilson.
Zulfiqar doesn’t look at all comfortable, and gets his line wrong, clipping a wide ball into the slips – and Anderson gets down brilliantly to scoop it up! There’s a delay as the third umpire has another look, but it’s out – and that’s a third wicket for Rashid.
55th over: Pakistan 168-7 (Sarfraz 22, Zulfiqar 1) Sarfraz sweeps over gully for what should be a leisurely single – but runs for two, putting Zulfiqar back on strike. In the stands, captain Misbah looks exasperated. Pakistan are in a wee bit of bother here...
Well then. Ali’s delivery catches a discombobulated Wahab on the glove, it balloons in the air and is taken by Bairstow at short leg!
54th over: Pakistan 165-6 (Sarfraz 20, Wahab 1) Sarfraz continues to attack, punching a floating Rashid delivery through the covers for two. A single puts Wahab on strike, Rashid asks the field to close in, with an extra slip added for good measure. The bowler finds a bit of drift, and catches the outside edge, but the ball drops well wide of slip.
53rd over: Pakistan 159-6 (Sarfraz 15, Wahab 0) Wahab Riaz is the new man at the crease, and Pakistan have an 84-run lead, four wickets in hand, and 26 overs remaining. Hmmm.
Moeen comes in and finds a bit of turn against Sarfraz, before Misbah comes onto strike – and, entirely out of keeping with the rest of his innings, he steams down the track, swipes at fresh air, and is clean bowled. A first wicket of the match for Moeen!
52nd over: Pakistan 157-5 (Misbah 50, Sarfraz 14) Rashid concedes a leg bye, but gets a shot at Sarfraz as a result. Sarfraz picks up four from the over, with a late shot that squirts away for two, and another double from a ball that heads outside off, and is clipped into the covers.
“My dad had a tomato bowled to him by Derek Pringle, first ball after tea in a benefit match. No turn, but a decent bounce” offers John Beaven.
51st over: Pakistan 152-5 (Misbah 50, Sarfraz 10) Stokes to Sarfraz, who has taken to racing out of his crease in a curious, squatting style – a bit like a crab in a cricket helmet. Stokes, perhaps distracted, offers up a full toss but Sarfraz mistimes the shot. It’s a maiden, and that’s drinks.
50th over: Pakistan 152-5 (Misbah 50, Sarfraz 10) Misbah bides his time as Rashid switches up the pace, but picks up his half-century with two runs from a controlled sweep shot. Very well played by the Pakistan captain, not his most explosive innings but a necessary one.
An attempt at a late riff – what’s the most unusual item you’ve used to play a game of cricket? As bat, ball, stumps, and so on. Once, during a park game, after getting through three off-brand tennis balls, we resorted to bowling with a satsuma. I was caught at short mid-on; citrus fruit offers a surprising amount of turn.
49th over: Pakistan 149-5 (Misbah 48, Sarfraz 9) Ben Stokes is in for the misfiring Mark Wood, and Misbah spoils the party, straight batting three deliveries before picking up a single with a push into the on side. Sarfraz comes back on strike, rolls his sleeves up, squats low in the crease, then bobbles a single towards point.
48th over: Pakistan 147-5 (Misbah 47, Sarfraz 8) Sarfraz clearly hasn’t been watching his colleagues, dancing forward and sweeping Rashid grubbily for four. That was pretty cavalier – Pakistan need to see out another twenty overs or so to make absolutely sure of the draw. Another, more controlled boundary ends the over, as Sarfraz drives a poor ball through the covers.
No Snicko or hotspot, so the third umpire has to make do with the thudding sound of willow on leather. Shafiq goes for six, and it’s another wicket for Rashid!
Rashid sends down a leg break that appears to clip Shafiq’s outside edge! There’s a clear sound, but Pakistan have two reviews left, so decide to give it a go...
47th over: Pakistan 135-4 (Misbah 43, Shafiq 6) Misbah has batted solidly, coming in after that careless Hafeez run-out and drawing what little sting was left from this game. He picks up another boundary, sending a wide Wood delivery past gully. Wood oversteps twice in the over, in that curious, ankle-grinding way of his, extending an over that didn’t need extending.
46th over: Pakistan 126-4 (Misbah 33, Shafiq 5) Plenty of drift and turn from Rashid, earning a nod of approval from Misbah. It’s been a good final session for Rashid at least, although he is smacked down to cow corner for four to finish the over.
The three leg-spinners to take a Test wicket before Rashid: Scott Borthwick, Ian Salisbury, Michael Atherton.
45th over: Pakistan 121-4 (Misbah 33, Shafiq 4) Woody sends one zipping onto Shafiq’s pads, prompting a loud appeal – that was going down leg, though. Wood tries to go around the wicket, with fielders dotted around in the avant-garde style, but the deliveries are too short, and easily defended.
“I love Rashid and he’s a definite keeper, but I think it was poor form on his part to take a wicket. We were onto something here. Something immense,” says Robert Wilson.
44th over: Pakistan 120-4 (Misbah 33, Shafiq 4) A bye on the first ball moves Shafiq off strike, which is a shame for Rashid, who gets no joy from Misbah despite finding the right areas, and a touch of spin. There’s been a wicket in the junior match over the road – probably a bit more pace in that pitch.
43rd over: Pakistan 119-4 (Misbah 33, Shafiq 4) Shafiq, who will add a welcome touch of aggression, picks up three with a well-timed punch through the covers. Wood keeps banging the ball down the track, before unleashing the inevitable yorker to Misbah, which is deflected into the on side for two.
“Looking forward to Pakistan declaring and skittling England for under 30” offers Nicholas, taking pessimism to brave new heights.
42nd over: Pakistan 114-4 (Misbah 31, Shafiq 1) So with Younis gone after a doughty 45 off 114, Asad Shafiq is the next man in. Rashid keeps his good form going, getting the final ball to drift into the feet of Misbah. Very well bowled today, given the horrors of the first innings.
He’s got one! Younis finally gets his comeuppance against Rashid, going after the first ball, misjudging the spin and sending it high into the air. Stokes collects it in the covers, and Adil is off the mark...
41st over: Pakistan 113-3 (Younis 45, Misbah 31) Misbah picks out a gap at third man for four, and the rest of the over rolls by without a run, with TV cutting away to a junior match on a nearby field, such is the level of intensity. The final ball is a bouncer that doesn’t bounce, smacking Younis on the shoulder as he tries to duck under it.
A good question from Robin Durie:
Has any player been on the field longer during a match than Cook has during this test? Aside from his brief absence during the first Pakistan innings; then at the end of the final session yesterday, & the first overs this morning - he’s been out there for the whole test - somewhere in the region of 27/28 hours... not a bad effort in that heat!
40th over: Pakistan 109-3 (Younis 45, Misbah 27) Rashid is despatched over the covers by Younis for four, then an optimistic appeal as the ball ricochets to slip off bat, pad and turf, by the looks of things. A curious moment, as Younis sweeps, looks to have double hit and then runs, prompting a call of “oh my word – ref!” from Buttler. It goes by unnoticed. Pipe up a touch, Jos.
39th over: Pakistan 103-3 (Younis 40, Misbah 26) Mark Wood into the attack now, and he gets the ball to dart in towards Misbah from outside off, before sending down a bouncer that Misbah ducks underneath. The final ball, angled across the batsman, scoots past the outside edge. Maiden.
38th over: Pakistan 103-3 (Younis 40, Misbah 26) We’re back under way, with Rashid bowling to Misbah, who sends the first, wideish delivery to point for a single. Younis on strike now, and he
flays three consecutive sixes sees out the over on the back foot. Another fine over from Rashid, drawing coos of admiration from Buttler behind the stumps.
Hello again. Niall here, with you until the bitter end. I’ll level with you, I think this one might be a draw. Could still be fun, though.
One match that most definitely didn’t end in a draw was in Galle, where Sri Lanka beat the Windies in a match that started after this one. Good old West Indies. Here’s the match report:
Related: Rangana Herath takes 10-wicket haul as Sri Lanka thrash West Indies in first Test
37th over: Pakistan 102-3 (Younis 40, Misbah 25)
Anderson, fuming, will continue. Younis is being cautious but he’s stepping across his stumps and it seems only a matter of time before Jimmy gets by his inside edge. He cuts loose here, though – a bit of width and he throws his hands at it to fire through point for four! And again! And that’s tea.
36th over: Pakistan 94-3 (Younis 32, Misbah 25) After that fiasco, Moeen continues, with Misbah reading the spin to sweep over the packed leg-side field for four, before steering a quicker delivery outside off stump away for two more.
35th over: Pakistan 87-3 (Younis 31, Misbah 19)
Anderson, with Buttler up, bowls a bouncer with the keeper can only palm over the bar for a bye. Buttler back now as the next ball is defended into the off side. Misbah then tickles one around the corner, beating the two men in close behind square on the leg side, for four! Oddness ensues as an appeal goes up for LBW and sort of a catch. Not out. See below, it’s all very confusing...
Ermmmm.... not out
So it turns out the umpire gave the batsman out caught at gully rather than LBW. And as the LBW was just “umpire’s call” on impact into the stumps, the decision is overturned and not out.
Anderson thinks he’s trapped Misbah in front. After some thought, Reiffel gives it out. Misbah reviews straightaway...
34th over: Pakistan 80-3 (Y.Khan 31, Misbah 13)
A bit of aggression from Misbah as he swipes Ali over midwicket. But England have a wide mid on in place and he does the fielding. An LBW shout is turned down and Ali seems to suggest to Cook that even he thought it was missing leg. Good turn, though. Younis then hits bat-pad twice in the row. Bairstow is the man and on the second hit, Misbah pats him on the head.
33rd over: Pakistan 78-3 (Y.Khan 30, Misbah 12)
Uber funk, now, with two leg slips to Jimmy and three midwickets! Peculiar stuff. Anderson bowls straight with a bit of late movement. Younis, who chipped to the finest mid-on in the first innings, ensures everything so far is all along the deck.
I was wrong. We are getting funkier!!! #PAKvENGpic.twitter.com/jyum5gRnHz
32nd over: Pakistan 78-3 (Y.Khan 30, Misbah 12)
Misbah strikes one into Bairstow and then tries again, this time bypassing the bat-pad but finding the man at orthodox square leg. Ali goes straighter and Misbah goes again. Again, no run. Finer this time and he gets one away for four. And that’s Pakistan leading by one run! Now a reverse for a couple.
31st over: Pakistan 72-3 (Y.Khan 30, Misbah 6)
Buttler staying up to Jimmy for both batsmen now. Younis blunts a few into the off side. Call me a pessimist, but I think the fun is over...
30th over: Pakistan 69-3 (Y.Khan 28, Misbah 5)
Turns out that appeal the over before was hitting the stumps. Only marginally though – “umpire’s call”. Moeen Ali’s into the attack and immediately there’s turn. Misbah, at the second attempt, manages to work him for runs, via a sweep which is deflected by leg-slip. This time Younis sweeps hard to square leg for four. Orthodox square leg then becomes deep square leg. He gets off strike and then Misbah misjudges a big turning offie. He looks to leave it but, upon seeing it come back in, players a shot late. Just in time, really, as that would have been out on review had he not.
29th over: Pakistan 62-3 (Younis 23, Misbah 3)
Broad mixing up his pace, his seam position, his approach to the crease, his front arm and whether he hides the ball or not. Younis sticks with the same defence. The penultimate ball brings about an LBW appeal as Younis shuffles across his stumps but it looks like it’s sliding down and maybe even a bit too high. Ooooohs follow as the ball is flicked around the corner, aerially but out of the way of leg gully, for four.
Broad has a spinners' field, just all stood a bit deeper: slip, gully, leg slip, short leg. #pakveng
28th over: Pakistan 58-3 (Y.Khan 19, Misbah 0)
Anderson changes ends – he’s got a bat-pad and silly mid on, too. The first ball is nudged in between these two for a single. Buttler then decides to go back as Misbah gets on strike. Anderson dishes up a late, inswinging yorker which is kept out fairly easily by ol’ Misbah.
27th over: Pakistan 57-3 (Y.Khan 18, Misbah 3)
England looking to twist here: Broad starts his over with Bairstow under the helmet and Moeen Ali at silly mid on. The over is at the stumps and full and Misbah’s more than happy to dead bat everything into the off side. Aside from the last ball, which he leaves outside off stump. Another maiden.
26th over: Pakistan 57-3 (Y Khan 18, Misbah 3) So, Anderson is in for Rashid, with Buttler edging forward, forcing Younis to stay in the crease. With the ball nicely roughed up on one side, Anderson is hiding it with his spare hand until the vital moment, hoping to surprise Younis with reverse swing. They’re trying everything out there – but Younis sees out the over, the fourth maiden in the last six overs. Handing back to Vithushan now, who will take you through this rollercoaster until tea.
25th over: Pakistan 57-3 (Y Khan 18, Misbah 3) Misbah, owner of the fastest Test century, has joined Younis in dropping anchor, as Broad bowls out another testing maiden, with the final ball angling in, catching Misbah moving forward and almost finding an edge. Here comes Jimmy...
24th over: Pakistan 57-3 (Y Khan 18, Misbah 3) Rashid keeps his chin up, still searching for that elusive first wicket, and gets a bit of turn in an over that yields just two runs, with Younis walloping the one loose ball into the covers.
In other news, it’s Mohammad Hafeez’s birthday today – maybe he had somewhere to be.
23rd over: Pakistan 55-3 (Y Khan 16, Misbah 3) Stuart Broad replaces Stokes, but Misbah looks pretty comfortable, defending stoutly with zero interest in totting up the runs. That’s until the final ball, which evades the inside edge and crashes into the pad. That looks out... but the umpire says no! England think about the review, and opt against it. It was the right decision, as DRS shows it clipping the top of leg stump, making it the umpire’s call. As Beefy points out in the commentary box, it would have done well to get over the stumps on this pitch...
22nd over: Pakistan 55-3 (Y Khan 16, Misbah 3) There is a little bit in this pitch today for both the seamers and the spinners – and I’m speaking relatively here. Rashid continues, and varies his pace dramatically before serving up a googly to Misbah that’s too short and wide, and is pushed into the covers. Decent stuff from Rashid, although neither batsman looked particularly ruffled.
21st over: Pakistan 52-3 (Y Khan 15, Misbah 1) Stokes continues to turn up the heat, forcing Younis to defend on the hoof, angling one into the covers, then jabbing awkwardly at a fuller ball. The batsman eventually plants his back foot to see out a maiden over. Moeen looks like he’s readying himself – curious timing, with both Stokes and Rashid in a decent rhythm.
20th over: Pakistan 52-3 (Y Khan 15, Misbah 1) Rashid is up against two chaps who can handle spin, but this is an impressive over, the highlight of which is a full-length ball that turns sharply and very nearly clips Younis’ outside edge. It’s similar to the one that should have done for Hafeez (who will probably wish it did now). A single either side keeps the scoreboard moving at a glacial pace.
19th over: Pakistan 50-3 (Y Khan 14, Misbah 1) It’ll be up to old hands Younis and Misbah (combined age: 78, and probably feeling it after two days in the field) to steady the ship. Misbah gets off the mark, and brings up Pakistan’s half-century, with a single off another testing Stokes over.
18th over: Pakistan 49-3 (Y Khan 14, Misbah 0) Misbah-ul-Haq is the new man in the middle, and Adil Rashid will, privately at least, be counting that as a wicket. It was all Stokes’ work though, collecting with his left hand, spinning and hitting the stumps from a distance. I say all Stokes’ work – the collective brain fade from Pakistan’s batsmen certainly helped.
Well, this was entirely avoidable. Hafeez prods Rashid to Stokes at point, starts to run, hesitates, and Stokes rattles the non-striker’s stumps with a pinpoint throw!
17th over: Pakistan 47-2 (Hafeez 34, Y Khan 12) Chance first ball, as Younis again slashes at a wide ball, and cuts it just beyond Ian Bell at slip, running away for four. It was a very tricky chance, with Bell having to fly low to his left. He has, as you’ll be aware, missed better chances this week. Stokes is getting a bit of pace out of the pitch, and the rest of the over flies by without a run...
16th over: Pakistan 43-2 (Hafeez 34, Y Khan 8) “Catch!” hollers Rashid, somewhat optimistically, as Hafeez nudges one off his hip towards short leg. Hafeez then drives into the covers, and the rest of the over plays out without incident. A second maiden in a row – and a most welcome one for Rashid – but not quite the ripsnorting start to the afternoon England might have hoped for.
15th over: Pakistan 43-2 (Hafeez 34, Y Khan 8) Stokes keeps Younis guessing, forcing him onto the back foot before switching to the short stuff, which the wily batsman repeatedly ducks underneath, before having a pointless swing at a wider delivery that squirts past the outside edge. A maiden.
Bad news for England, good news for this series as a spectacle: Yasir Shah was out on the field having a bowl during lunch,and looks to be fit and firing for the second Test.
14th over: Pakistan 43-2 (Hafeez 34, Y Khan 8) Now Rashid, who was unfortunate at the least not to claim Hafeez’s wicket before lunch, gets another go. Younis and Hafeez are both keen to attack poor Adil, not wanting to give him any confidence. Their slashed efforts are collectively mistimed, finding fielders routinely, with one particularly wild slap from Younis flying just wide of the bowler’s grasp.
13th over: Pakistan 38-2 (Hafeez 33, Y Khan 4); Pakistan trail by 40 runs Ben Stokes has ball in hand, trying to bluster his way through early in the afternoon session. He bangs the first ball in short to Younis, who nudges it away for a single. Stokes holds the line, angling in a series of short balls, which are seen off with little fuss.
The Guardian’s own Mike Selvey has been chatting on the telly, sporting a Breaking Bad t-shirt and making Athers look quite the square in his shirt and tie. Here’s what he had to say:
On the conditions: “I take my hat off to anyone playing cricket out there... it’s so hot, and the pitch is flat and slow. The teams haven’t helped themselves though, have they? Dropped catches don’t help when it’s 38 degrees in the shade”
Hello! Niall McVeigh here. Trudging up a dusty, pan-flat track, surrounded by wasteland, with nothing but empty luxury apartments twinkling on the horizon to rouse the senses – but enough about my walk through King’s Cross. This could (still) be exciting...
An intriguing session, that. Relative to the Test so far, we could also label it “compelling”.
Pakistan are still 40 runs behind England but, having lost two wickets in one Jimmy Anderson over, Hafeez has kept things going. Should he have been out on review against Adil Rashid? Compo thinks so. More OBOing in a bit.
That's out
12th over: Pakistan 35-2 (Hafeez 32, Khan 2)
Rashid’s got two slips and a bat-pad, but he veers onto Khan’s pads and allows him to manufacture a single. Rashid then beats Hafeez with a full, turning leg spinner. Umpire says not out for caught behind so Cook reviews on Buttler’s recommendation. Not out, still. The next ball is a dot before Hafeez ends the morning session with a towering six back over the bowler’s head!
Not out - as you were...
Appeal for caught behind as Adil Rashid turns out away from Hafeez. Umpire says not out, Cook gives it the ‘T’...
11th over: Pakistan 28-2 (Hafeez 26, Y.Khan 1)
Wood drops short and Hafeez thumps him into the mid-wicket fence for four! A better – quicker – short ball has Hafeez moving his hands and body out of the way of that one. He finishes with another bouncer though, this one guided sweetly through cover.
10th over: Pakistan 20-2 (Hafeez 18, Y.Khan 1)
Adil Rashid is into the attack and starts with a gentle but turning leggie. Khan finally gets off the mark, beating the cover fielder – the ball makes its way to the off side sweeper – for a single. The slow pitch allows Hafeez to dab through the off-side too.
Mark Putt has some equality for us...
“I noticed (on Cricinfo) that Anderson and Broad have exactly the same test average at the moment 29.22 - remarkable symmetry after more than 700 test wickets between them! 5 wickets each today wouldn’t be bad symmetry either!”
9th over: Pakistan 17-2 (Hafeez 16, Khan 0)
Change of bowling as Mark Wood comes on to replace Anderson. He’s taking a page out of Broad’s book, angling the ball into the right-hander, but Hafeez is getting onto the front foot convincingly, turning the last ball into the leg-side for a single.
8th over: Pakistan 16-2 (Hafeez 15, Khan 0)
Khan still yet to get off the mark as Broad keeps him honest with a good, angled spell into his stumps. Serves up a juicy wide one last ball in an attempt to draw a loose, lazy shot but Younis ignores it.
7th over: Pakistan 16-2 (Hafeez 15, Y.Khan 0)
Sublime from Hafeez, who cuts Anderson through cover, powerfully, for four! The next ball is pushed back to Anderson, who goes to throw the ball back at the batsman and chucks his white rag at him, too. But no chance Jimmy’s giving up that easily.
6th over: Pakistan 12-2 (Hafeez 11, Khan 0)
Anderson and now Broad throwing in the odd cutter to make use of what turn there is out there. Broad does well, coming wider on the crease and dishing out a “leggie” which beats Younis’ outside edge.
5th over: Pakistan 12-2 (Hafeez 11, Y.Khan 0)
Hafeez takes two into the leg-side before hitting a cross-seamer from Anderson down the ground for four. Anderson goes back to outside off but follows up with a yorker that Hafeez digs out. There was a suggesting from the fielders behind the stumps that the ball might have hit pad first, but it didn’t.
4th over: Pakistan 6-2 (Hafeez 5, Y.Khan 0)
Hafeez looking in good order, pushing another two into the off side before taking a singe off the fourth ball. Khan finishes the over edging just short of Joe Root at first slip.
Important news from Ali Martin on the ICC’s potential changes to World Cup qualifying which would hand a boost to the associate nations...
“As it stands, the next edition of the 50-over showpiece will see the top eight of the 12-team ICC rankings – on 30 September 2017 – go through by right, with the final two spots decided by a qualifying tournament the following year. But following criticism of that structure as part of the World Cup’s overall reduction from 14 teams down to 10, the ICC is mulling over whether to cut the number of sides that book their places via the rankings to six, leaving four berths up for grabs.”
3rd over: Pakistan 3-2 (Hafeez 2, Khan 0)
A smile on Jimmy’s face as Masood plays onto his stumps for the second time in the match. Shoaib Malik comes to the crease, “fresh” from his double ton with the bat and double ton in the field. But he’s gone! Jimmy manages to summon something out of this nothing of a pitch and has Malik fending a short-ball to Bairstow under the helmet! Game on?
Well well well! Jimmy gets a second in the over as one is bounced in short and straight and Malik can only punch the ball in the air to short-leg!
Poor bloke. After heading a ball onto his stumps in the first innings, Masood gets a scuttler that he gets bat on but can’t prevent dribbling onto middle stumps and dislodging the bails.
2nd over: Pakistan 3-0 (Hafeez 2, Masood 1)
Broad starts around the wicket to the left-handed Masood, who’s off the mark second ball. Broad puts a few outside off-stump, which bounce demoralisingly into the gloves of Buttler. The ones that don’t are defended by Hafeez.
1st over: Pakistan 2-0 (Hafeez 2, Masood 0)
Anderson was pretty grump when he walked off for the declaration and it seems like he’s pretty peeved now as he readjusts his field. Starts down the leg-side before Hafeez pushes into the covers for two. Root’s singing along to Jerusalem and offers the Barmy Army applause as they finish. Awful hymn, though. No swing at all.
Bit of early #funk with short mid off and short mid on to start... #PAKvENGpic.twitter.com/cX49vsrA6i
England have declared. The last time they batted 200plus overs was 21 years ago against WI in 1994. The Lara-375 match. #PakvEng
206th over: England 598-9 (Broad 17, Anderson 3)
Jimmy gets his reverse out and is caught at first slip – off his arm guard, it turns out. He tries it again at the end of the over but to no avail.
NOT OUT! England’s innings continues...
Anderson tries to reverse sweep Babar, but the ball loops up into the hands of first slip. The umpire gives it out but Jimmy reviews straightaway. Looks like arm guard...
205th over: England 597-9 (Broad 16, Anderson 3)
Block, play and miss then a tuck into the leg side for one. Broad on strike and he has a hoik and a miss. A pull behind square leg gets Broad one and then Anderson nearly skews a leading edge to cover. But doesn’t. Yay.
204th over: England 595-9 (Broad 15, Anderson 2)
Riaz gets a go at Anderson one ball in, but Jimmy’s up to the task: digging out a swinging yorker and nabbing himself a single in the process. Then a beamer! Totally accidental: he’s tried to bowl a leg-cutter but releases it far too early and Broad just ducks into the off-side.
203rd over: England 590-9 (Broad 13, Anderson 0)
Imran Khan into the attack and he removes Rashid with a good ball. James Anderson comes out and leaves his first ball before having his edge beaten for the final one.
Rashid goes to drive Imran Khan but the ball nips in off the seam and cuts through the right-hander, hitting middle and leg. Good nut.
Richard Harris has a suggestion for Cook on email:
“Cook should open the bowling with Rashid, using his quicks in two-over bursts from the other end. He won’t, of course, but it would be interesting.”
202nd over: England 590-8 (Rashid 12, Broad 13)
Riaz manages to get a bouncer in and the umpire calls it as his one for the over, to much amusement from the Pakistan fielders. Rashid whips one into the leg-side, Broad plays out the rest of the over in dots and I’m starting to wonder if it was worth coming into the office for this...
201st over: England 589-8 (Rashid 11, Broad 13)
Strange moment as Rashid seemingly volleys a ball – with his front foot – behind point. Babar’s the bowler, by the way, and the there’s an appeal from the keeper and a close-in catcher, but not him. Turns out it hit Rashid just outside off stump.
200th over: England 586-8 (Rashid 9, Broad 13)
Some short, some full – some Broad was comfortable with, some he wasn’t. Ends the over with a scampered two.
199th over: England 583-8 (Rashid 9, Broad 11)
Rashid gets off strike and Broad gets two with a lovely square drive. Elbow high, swagger tip-top as he saunters there and back before picking off another single to give “Rash” back the strike. Another single from Rashid, dropping his hands on one into the leg-side. The square leg umpire, to his credit, is moving from one side to another for the right and left-hander. Broad finishes the over with a tidy four through cover. Asad Shafiq dives, tries and fails to keep the ball in play.
198th over: England 574-8 (Rashid 7, Broad 4)
Wahab Riaz gets his first over of the day and, two balls in, decides to try and bump Rashid. But the leggie does well, playing it out into the off side and rolling his wrists on it to ensure the ball goes straight into the ground. Naturally, Broad also gets something short, first thing. And again, as Broad ducks.
197th over: England 573-8 (Rashid 6, Broad 4)
Three left from Rahat Ali’s over from last night to finish. Broad plays as correct a play and miss as you’ll see, then skews one between second slip and gully for four.
A quick word from Joe Root on Cook’s knock and England’s tactics today as the players make their way to the middle...
Vice-captain @joeroot05 says England will try and extend their lead and have a go at Pakistan on day five #PAKvENGhttps://t.co/UCjPHD6QEB
Morning all - Vish here to send some fifth day chat your way.
This was supposed to be an opening post full of whimsy. “Get ready for Adelaide redux” I’m supposed to bellow, two floors up in Guardian HQ: an unlikely deterioration of the Abu Dhabi surface lending itself to Adil Rashid’s maiden seven-fer. As Pakistan scrape to a lead of 120, out come Cook and Moeen and Mark Wood, England’s pinch-hitting Nightwatchman, to secure a thrilling victory.
Hello. Vithushan will be along shortly for the fifth and final day of the first Test.
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