- Over-by-over updates from the third day of play at Edgbaston
- Maiden century stand from Cook and Hales see England lead by 17
- Australia skittled for 106 as Sri Lankan spinner Herath bags hat-trick
Right, that’s all from us here. Join us tomorrow for day four of this engrossing Test. Bye!
Woakes, who has 21 wickets in the series (the most in a series against Pakistan is 23 by James Anderson, across four matches) reckons there’s every chance the pitch breaks up tomorrow afternoon. Definitely think the draw won’t come into things if we get a full amount of play in for the rest of the Test. Of course, burning nine-overs today isn’t great, for the game or the punters.
Something to savour: the likelihood of a Test going into a fifth day with all three results possible #ENGvPAK
Nine overs left unbowled today. A tenth of the day's play. Not good. Otherwise, a fabulous day of cricket.
35th over: England 120-0 (Cook 64, Hales 50) A shot out to cover takes Alex Hales to 49, before a single for Cook means the right hander has to face the last ball of the day. A tempter from Khan outside off stump is... guided behind point for the single to take him to his fifth Test half century. Brilliant evening’s work from these two.
34th over: England 117-0 (Cook 63, Hales 48) Shah finishes his work today with a tidy if unspectacular six. He’ll have a lot of work on his card tomorrow. Last over coming up...
Important
@StocksC_cricket looks like v NZ, Old Trafford, 2008 https://t.co/9ZgTB0fTu2 (with working link!)
33rd over: England 116-0 (Cook 63, Hales 47) Sohail Khan starting to move with all the dexterity and litheness of a Lego figure. Cook blocks and blocks some more, and even blocks for one. Hales does the same.
32nd over: England 112-0 (Cook 62, Hales 46) One from the over, as the camera lingers on Steven Finn, pads on, in the changing room.
Just the 12 overs to squeeze into the next 12 minutes ... should be fun
31st over: England 111-0 (Cook 61, Hales 45) A cracking punch from Alex Hales that makes it way through extra cover and puts England three ahead. Sohail Khan is the new bowler, who looks to have stiffened up between spells (he’s allowed to - he’s 32). A single to square leg and then Alastair Cook extends the lead to eight with a tuck off his hip through straight midwicket.
30th over: England 102-0 (Cook 57, Hales 40) Now we’ve got some turn! Shah beats the outside edge as Hales pushes forward and hits the pads. It’s ruled not out by Joel Wilson but Misbah reviews. Unfortunately for Pakistan, it pitched outside leg.
29th over: England 101-1 (Cook 57, Hales 39) Inside edge into the leg side brings up the 100 and, importantly, the first hundred partnership in 18 innings between these two.
28th over: England 99-0 (Cook 56, Hales 38) Really nice from Hales, who knows deep point is out so ensures his drive off the back foot to Yasir Shah is through extra cover. England trail by four...
27th over: England 95-0 (Cook 56, Hales 34) Hales, settled, knows he is in control of his own destiny. A languid pat to point gives him a single. There’s a hundred here for him if he wants one. And he definitely does. “Both Sky and TMS have been banging on all afternoon about the chance of a side winning from a 1st innings deficit of more than 100 being 3.5%,” writes Tim Featherstone-Griffin. “Does anyone know the chance of a side winning with a deficit of 103? Or, if that doesn’t turn up a statistically significant sample, between 100 and 110? Because I am bored with the doom and gloomsayers who don’t appear to recognise that this magic stat they’ve come up with also includes sides with a deficit of 150, 200, 300...
26th over: England 94-0 (Cook 56, Hales 33) A rueful shake of the head from Misbah after the ball makes it way back from the midwicket fence, after Cook punishes Shah for dropping short from around the wicket.
STATTAGE
Fifty in less than 70 balls for Alastiar Cook:
Before this series: 3 (in 231 inngs)
This series: 3 (in 6 inngs)#ENGvPAK
25th over: England 90-0 (Cook 52, Hales 33) Block drive from Cook beats Rahat Ali’s dive at mid on for his 51st Test fifty. It’s taken 67 balls. The 68th gives him a single to the left of the same fielder. What a series he is having.
24th over: England 85-0 (Cook 47, Hales 22) Bit of a net, that over, as Hales plays a couple of nice looking runs for no gain whatsoever. The pitch is playing like matting, too.
Cook hasn't played and missed at all in this innings and has only edged three deliveries (one of which went for 4) #ENGvPAK
23rd over: England 84-0 (Cook 46, Hales 33) Hales follows a wide delivery to punch through cover for single. It’s important because, a few overs ago, that was a delivery he would have left well alone. Think he has realised how little movement there is out there. Amir laments a wide delivery that shapes away from Cook but starts too far away to tempt the England captain.
22nd over: England 81-0 (Cook 44, Hales 32) Just one from the over as Shah searches something from the pitch or the batsmen. Neither offer anything.
21st over: England 80-0 (Cook 43, Hales 32) More width to Cook, more work for deep point. And the world keeps turning.
20th over: England 77-0 (Cook 40, Hales 32) Fairly sedate over of leg spin ramped up by a checked whip over midwicket by Hales for four. Belting shot.
19th over: England 71-0 (Cook 39, Hales 27)
Productive for England as Cook gets two runs to point before leg byes bring four from the pads of Hales. Pakistan’s insistence on feeding Cook outside off stump reminds me of the scene from The Office where Tim and Gareth are trying to solve the riddle of the fox and the chicken. Tim, thinking out loud, goes through the options available, ruling them out as he goes, when Gareth interjects by saying: “Oh, I’m a chicken. Thank you Tim for leaving me with my favourite food.” That thought has led to me stumbling across this clip that someone has cut together, where Martin Freeman, the actor who plays Tim, solves the same problem in another show...
18th over: England 65-0 (Cook 37, Hales 27) Charles Hart on email is already calling a draw, as Hales crashes Shah through the off side for four. No real turn of note, or bounce, really. No sign of Shah producing this nut that Warne served up to Strauss here in 2005...
17th over: England 61-0 (Cook 37, Hales 23) Point is pushed out for Cook, allowing him to time the ball into the vacant region for one. Hales then runs a ball across him down third man for four. Maybe a touch risky but gully is open and it was kept down very well.
16th over: England 55-0 (Cook 36, Hales 18) Wonderful from Hales: Shah flights one up outside off stump and the right hander gets a solid foot forward and times nicely through extra cover for four. Glorious.
15th over: England 51-0 (Cook 36, Hales 14) Fifty partnership off 87 balls when Hales works to Ali to square leg. Currently, no other batsman in the series has been scoring runs at a greater strike rate than Alastair Cook. #UNIVERSECHEF
14th over: England 49-0 (Cook 35, Hales 13) Yasir Shah comes into the attack to make use of all the scuffings. Nothing particularly outlandish in terms of turn. Hales defends most with a decent stride forward.
13th over: England 49-0 (Cook 35, Hales 13) A subdued LBW appeal goes up as Cook edges the ball onto his pad. The next ball is short and wide of Cook’s off stump. You know the rest.
12th over: England 45-0 (Cook 31, Hales 13) That’s more like it, Alexander. Rahat pushes him back but offers width and Hales opens the face to drive through point for four.
@Vitu_E given his reformation as a slightly thinner Matthew Hayden, surely Captain Cook needs a new nickname: possibly TurboChef?
11th over: England 40-0 (Cook 30, Hales 9) Hales gets himself into a pickle – squared up a short ball from Amir that shocks him into aborting a pull shot. He gets four as it flies over the slips, off the offered top edge. Very lucky indeed. That’s now three scoring shots in 40 balls...
10th over: England 35-0 (Cook 29, Hales 5) An edge first ball races through the slips for four, stinging the fingers of Azhar Ali in the process. To be fair to Cook, he plays it well to ensure it was always on the way down of the bat.
13, 780* - Alastair Cook has now scored the most runs for @englandcricket across all formats combined. Chef. pic.twitter.com/D9uaU6Le3U
9th over: England 30-0 (Cook 24, Hales 5) “The main difference between the two sides is that England kept a pretty good rate of scoring going but lost wickets doing so, while with Pakistan is was the other way around. If England maintain their first innings pace, they should have knocked off the lead by stumps today. If they have any sense, they ought to aim to surpass that by some distance.” Well summised, John Starbuck. The openers are continuing to feed Cook’s pads. For some inexplicable reason. Rahat Ali will replace Khan next over...
8th over: England 27-0 (Cook 21, Hales 5) Cook finds three runs that over – two through the covers and one to midwicket. Hales still struggling to push into the gaps here, and there are plenty on offer, especially when Khan re-calibrates for the left-right change.
7th over: England 24-0 (Cook 18, Hales 5) More dots for Alex Hales as Cook puts his feet up at the other end.
I for one welcome Alastair Cook's return to England's white-ball teams
6th over: England 24-0 (Cook 18, Hales 5) Good from Cook – two against Khan as he strays onto his pads (again). When Khan readjusts his line, Cook punishes him behind point for four. An edge that drops short of the slips gives Khan a win of sorts before he repeats both mistakes again. 12 from the over.
5th over: England 12-0 (Cook 6, Hales 5) Cook rotates the strike with the first ball of the over, leaving Hales to sit on it for the rest. Telling that Cook has faced seven deliveries and Hales 24...
4th over: England 11-0 (Cook 5, Hales 5) Khan’s getting the ball to shape, but not quite at the pace that Amir is. That allows Cook to nudge a hooping ball into the leg side for one. Hales doubles down into a defence, like a hunchback after a late shift.
3rd over: England 10-0 (Cook 4, Hales 5) Amir tests Hales’ patience with an off side line. Disciplined play from the opener, as he leaves well and defends one dead straight. It’s the tempter that has got to him this series.
2nd over: England 10-0 (Cook 4, Hales 5) First innings hero Sohail Khan is taking the new ball from the other end. A three to Cook through square leg gives Khan the chance to Test out Hales. One on the pads is turned into one to square leg.
1st over: England 5-0 (Cook 1, Hales 4) Bit of lavish away swing from Mohammad Amir, first ball. A clip to leg gets Cook off the mark. Alex Hales, who might have broke out in a set upon seeing that movement, mops himself up and drives crisply through the covers for four, first ball. ENGLAND ON THE CHARGE!
69 - The biggest 1st inns lead (batting 2nd) at Edgbaston to end in defeat is 69, there have been 18 100+ leads (W15 D3). Tricky.
Thanks Rob. Apologies for grossly short-changing you with that last hour. England’s overrate was appalling (10.6!) and we’re essentially running an hour late. That’s just not on, really. Anyway, the second innings is due to begin...
Sarfraz ends on 46 not out, a fine innings, and Pakistan have a very useful lead of 103. Thanks for your support during that hour of torture; Vish will be with you for the evening session. Night!
I preferred Dave Richardson and Paul Adams to this. Okay, that’s a lie. But this is torture of a different kind. Sarfraz needs treatment after being hit on the glove by Broad, which takes us a few minutes closer to
death the tea interval. After the usual four dot balls at the start of the over, Sarfraz plays a tennis shot to long on for three to bring up Pakistan’s 400. Thankfully for the sanity of all, Rahat falls off the last ball, edging straight to Root at second slip.
135th over: Pakistan 397-9 (Sarfraz 43, Rahat 4) Sarfraz takes his one for the over from fourth delivery, which takes Pakistan’s lead into three figures. From the next ball, Cook drops Rahat off Finn. Oh, madon. It was a straightforward chance as he crouched to his right, but he moved too far and it hit him on the wrist. Poor Finn deserves a wicket.
134th over: Pakistan 396-9 (Sarfraz 42, Rahat 4) This kind of last-wicket partnership, with the senior batsman taking a single off the fourth or fifth delivery of every over, should be used as an interrogation method. I’d sing like a canary after watching three or four overs of this groundhog cricket.
133rd over: Pakistan 395-9 (Sarfraz 41, Rahat 4) The usual: four dot balls from Finn, then a single from Sarfraz. Finn has one ball at Rahat, who edges it just short of gully. England are starting to get a little frustrated.
132nd over: Pakistan 394-9 (Sarfraz 40, Rahat 4) Broad goes into one-day mode, almost duping Sarfraz with a slower ball and then producing an inducker that Sarfraz so nearly drags on.
“Greetings from Vietnam, Rob,” says Andrew Hurley. “How do you see the current state of play?” There’s no reason why England can’t make 350-400 in their second innings. But if I had to bet my last Malteser, it would be on Pakistan eventually creeping home by three or four wickets.
131st over: Pakistan 390-9 (Sarfraz 39, Rahat 2) Sarfraz decides to sex up this passage of play by taking a single off the fourth rather than the fifth delivery. So Finn has two strikes at Rahat Ali. The first ball is dreadful, well wide of the stumps, and the second is clipped for two.
130th over: Pakistan 388-9 (Sarfraz 38, Rahat 0) Sarfraz plays a series of beautiful shots, all for no run because he doesn’t want to expose Rahat early in Broad’s over. Eventually he takes a single off the fifth ball, and Rahat survives the sixth. This is fun.
“Oh no,” says Mac Millings. “Acclaimed director doesn’t want a tattoo just yet - Richard Inklater.” Make it stop.
129th over: Pakistan 387-9 (Sarfraz 38, Rahat 0) Sarfraz takes a single off the fifth delivery of Finn’s over, and the No11 Rahat survives the last delivery. Next!
128th over: Pakistan 386-9 (Sarfraz 37, Rahat 0) That was the last ball of the over. Pakistan have a very useful lead of 89.
Sohail Khan’s eccentric innings comes to an end. He walked a long way across to the new bowler Broad, who jagged one back to hit him in front of off stump. Broad started to celebrate, then remembered to appeal, and Bruce Oxenford raised the finger. Sohail chose to review the decision, presumably in the hope he was outside the line. He wasn’t and it was hitting middle stump just below the bails.
127th over: Pakistan 385-8 (Sarfraz 36, Sohail 7) Hello, Rob here. Sohail Khan ducks into a short ball that hits him on the arm guard and pings into the office for a leg bye, and then Sarfraz blasts a superb drive through extra-cover for four. Pakistan’s lead is now 87.
126th over: Pakistan 377-8 (Sarfraz 29, Khan 7) Sarfraz is looking to carry on Anderson’s work but running down the middle in his shots. Neil Goodall emails in: “The coolest to ever play the game? Don Radman. Best pigeon to ever open the batting for England? Alastair Coo. Always bowls a wide first ball of his overs? Lance Lusener.” A lot of shouts for David Goer – some clean, most bawdy. So, too, Chaminda Ass. That’s it from me. Rob Smyth here to take you through to tea. I’ll rejoin you after.
125th over: Pakistan 374-8 (Sarfraz 29, Khan 4) One delivery in and Joel Wilson pulls up James Anderson for treading on the danger area. As it is his third warning, he is now unable to bowl for the rest of this innings. Boos from the crowd and a perplexed Anderson retrieves his cap and walks off into the outfield. Steven Finn will continue this over and is helped over square leg by a very front on Sohail Khan, for his first runs of the series. Seems to love stepping across.
124th over: Pakistan 368-8 (Sarfraz 28) “Ark Butcher,” starts Anthony Hulse, “could both provide a convenient home for wildlife in the event of a flood, as well as turn selected inhabitants into meal sized portions for the others should food stocks start to run low.” Mo Amir goes after review.
Keepers should practice taking the ball and then dislodging bails with their elbow imo. Saves at least a frame or two.
Brilliant review, orchestrated by Chris Woakes, removes Mo Amir. Hooping the ball from over the wicket and in to the left hander, it looks like bat and bad together. Actually, it was pad first. Virtual leg stump obliterated. Easy.
123rd over: Pakistan 368-7 (Sarfraz 28, Amir 1) Blimey - eventful over, that. An overturned LBW appeal and then a run out. Amir sees out the last two deliveries – wafting at his first ball and then pushes around the corner for a single. “To remove those annoying little wisps of fluff from your clothes, who better than Andrew Lintoff?” Good from Artie Prendergast-Smith. “On the other hand, perhaps we should pass over Eoin Organ without further comment.”
Odd one, this. Shah scampers back for a second, puts in the dive. Bairstow’s elbow is what dislodges the bails, while having the ball under control. Tis in the laws.
You can run people out with your elbow now?
Good review from Shah – the ball had hit him just outside the line of off stump. That’ll do wonders for Jimmy’s mood...
James Anderson looks to have Yasir Shah LBW. Umpire Joel Wilson gives it out. Shah reviews...
122nd over: Pakistan 365-6 (Sarfraz 27, Shah 6) Sarfraz is advancing but not quite making the most of Woakes’ pace. He’s struck in front as he scoots down and across and is subject to an LBW appeal as he canters off for a leg bye. No review, after much consideration. Wise, too. “Dominic Cor would wow the fans,” says Ben Roberts.
121st over: Pakistan 364-6 (Sarfraz 27, Shah 6) A wicket with the first ball and then a high edge beats microbrewer Alex Ales, who might have got fingers on that at gully. Raced off the shoulder for four to Yasir Hah, who gets the last laugh with a single high into midwicket.
Oh snap – Misbah’s lazy mode gets the better of him a he’s late on a defensive dab, inside-edging the ball onto his front leg, which sends it backwards onto the stumps.
120th over: Pakistan 358-6 (Misbah 56, Sarfraz 27) Too easy for Sarfraz – Woakes angles one in on leg stump which is sent in front of square for four. “Former Pakistan captain criticised for becoming a poor journalist: Inzamam-u-Haq,” comes Mac Millings. “What about that consummate master of French Cricket Le Hutton?” strong riposte from Bob in Boston.
119th over: Pakistan 353-5 (Misbah 55, Sarfraz 23) Sarfraz Ahmed does that little shuffle down he’s so fond off and meets Anderson a third of the way to drive through cover. The final ball brings byes as hoops wide of the right-hander’s off stump and dies off the pitch. Mike McCarthy has taken the dropping a letter game for a walk: “The game has led to me thinking of Moeen singing ‘you can call me Al’:
If you’ll be my slogger
I will bowl you bad spin pal
I can call you Misbah
And Misbah when you call me
You can call me Al
118th over: Pakistan 348-5 (Misbah 54, Safraz 22) Fifty partnership up this over for these two, as Misbah drives for three through wide mid on. “David Bon was good,” says Peter Salmon.
117th over: Pakistan 342-5 (Misbah 50, Sarfraz 20) What is this utter nonsense? The footmarks, filled in during the lunch break, need tending to, as Anderson’s front foot keeps slipping. After a sizeable delay, the over continues to allow Misbah to drive languidly through backward point for a boundary to take him to his 34th Test fifty. “Of course, the most popular member of Pontin’s holiday camp was always Justin Lager,” says Phil Sawyer. He’s here all week.
“Graeme Hic, the dipsomaniac former England batsman?” Big fan of this from Peter Williams. “Just remembered Ricky Pontin’s (very effective) holiday camp for the Australian team before the 2006/7 Ashes,” writes Dan Langan. Misbah and Sarfraz on their way out to the middle, looking very calm indeed. Speaking of calm, here’s Jimmy Anderson to start off the afternoon session...
Afternoon everyone. Vish here. Let’s start as we mean to go on...
@Vitu_E Surely Warwickshire, on his retirement, will rename the Birmingham End in honour of their most capped England player?
116th over: Pakistan 336-5 (Misbah 44, Sarfraz 20) Moeen’s second over of the day should be the last before lunch. Sarfraz sweeps consecutive deliveries - the first off the top edge, the second hit flat and hard past the man at long leg. That’s lunch. It was a fascinating session, which ends with Pakistan 39 runs ahead and Misbah playing beautifully. Vish will be with you for the first part of the afternoon session. Bye!
115th over: Pakistan 326-5 (Misbah 43, Sarfraz 11) Chris Woakes returns to the attack. He has 20 wickets in the series, almost as many as the rest of the bowlers combined. The others have taken 24 between them. Sarfraz is batting outside his crease to Woakes, then walking further down the pitch as the ball is bowling. This does not impress Woakes, who slams a couple of bouncers past his noggin.
“Graeme Swan,” says Matt Hewson. “I’m not sure I understand this game.”
114th over: Pakistan 325-5 (Misbah 43, Sarfraz 10) Moeen Ali is coming into the attack. There isn’t long until lunch - just over 10 minutes - but Misbah will probably go after him anyway. He waits a couple of deliveries and then muscles a reverse sweep for four as if it’s the most straightforward, logical thing in the world. An orthodox sweep brings him a couple more.
113th over: Pakistan 319-5 (Misbah 37, Sarfraz 10) That’s a fine stroke from Misbah, who guides Finn square on the off side for four off the back foot. The lead has crept up to 22.
“Sir Donald Badman, obviously,” says Pete Salmon.
112th over: Pakistan 314-5 (Misbah 32, Sarfraz 10) Sarfraz square-drives Broad for four, a stroke of gorgeous timing. His busy counter-attacking approach makes him the perfect No7. England will, or at least should, be worried about him.
111th over: Pakistan 306-5 (Misbah 29, Sarfraz 5) A beautiful delivery from Finn turns Misbah round and flies off the edge for four. It scorched past Root, diving to his left in that short slip position; I think it would have carried to an orthodox third slip.
“I love “Joe Rot” (107th over),” says Mac Millings. “We should drop a letter from other people’s names: bad boy Ben Tokes; naughty Alastair Cok; the legendary Rob Myth.”
110th over: Pakistan 299-5 (Misbah 25, Sarfraz 2) Sarfraz is itching to counter-attack, but there is little work with in Broad’s over until he clunks an impatient pull into the leg side for a single off the final delivery.
109th over: Pakistan 298-5 (Misbah 25, Sarfraz 1) Misbah is beaten by consecutive deliveries from Finn; the first was short and wide, the second a jaffa. Another maiden from Finn; Misbah has 25 from 69 balls and is concentrating furiously. He’s a 42-year-old man!
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Related: Win tickets to the third ODI between England and Pakistan at Trent Bridge
108th over: Pakistan 298-5 (Misbah 25, Sarfraz 1) Sarfraz almost drags his first delivery, from Broad, back onto the stumps. Whether he gets a duck or a quick 60, his innings is likely to have a big psychological impact. He gets off the mark thanks to an overthrow, which doesn’t please Broad, and then Misbah glides a single to put Pakistan in the lead. This is terrific stuff, with both sides acutely aware of the importance of the next couple of hours.
107th over: Pakistan 296-5 (Misbah 24, Sarfraz 0) Misbah does well to get on top of a nasty lifter from Finn. He then steers a couple of balls on the bounce to gully, so England bring Joe Rot into a kind of short third slip position.Forty minutes to lunch.
106th over: Pakistan 296-5 (Misbah 24, Sarfraz 0) The diminutive Sarfraz, such a dangerous counter-attacker at No7, is the new batsman.
A nice straight drive from Misbah is deflected just wide of the stumps by the bowler Broad. Shafiq would have been safe anyway, and Misbah gets a couple more runs. Then he flicks three more through midwicket. He is playing really well now. But he will need a new partner, because Shafiq has gone for an 18-ball duck! It was a good delivery from Broad that came back off the seam and went through an inexplicably big gate to hit the stumps. It was a poor stroke from Shafiq, who dragged his bat across the line far too late. Every time Pakistan seem to be getting away, England take a wicket. What an excellent game this has become.
105th over: Pakistan 291-4 (Misbah 19, Shafiq 0) England have missed Ben Stokes in the field in this match. He has a significant impact on England’s intensity and purpose, and his bowling would be pretty handy too. Finn is not at his best, still chasing his own tail, and Misbah works an attempted yorker through midwicket for three.
“I believe that the change to the Birmingham End was due to lobbying by the City Council when they pumped money into Edgbaston’s redevelopment,” says Mike Daniels. “They wanted the name of the City to be referenced more often. However, to many it will always be the City End, just as the “Eric Hollies” stand will always be the Rea Bank stand.” So what’s the Martin Kuhl End all about?
104th over: Pakistan 286-4 (Misbah 16, Shafiq 0) An eventful over. Misbah twice drives Broad for four, through the covers and mid-off, and in between is beaten outside off stump while having an absent-minded fiddle.
There are enough recent precedents to make England feel they can win this game, most notably Trent Bridge 2011 and Lord’s 2015. The pitch should not deteriorate that much, but against that we know that Pakistan can make effective use of scoreboard pressure. Time for drinks.
103rd over: Pakistan 279-4 (Misbah 7, Shafiq 0) Finn replaces Anderson, who has Ambrosian figures of 25-7-37-1. His first ball is mostly too short, too wide and ignored by Shafiq. Another maiden.
102nd over: Pakistan 279-4 (Misbah 7, Shafiq 0) Stuart Broad comes on as first change, replacing Woakes. He has been a bit out of sorts this summer, and it surely can’t be long before some blowhard suggests he should be dropped. His first over is not great, though he does beat the outside edge with a wider delivery that Misbah inexplicably follows. A maiden. Between them Misbah and Shafiq have seven from 50 balls, a reflection of Pakistan’s plan to see off the new ball and cash in later.
101st over: Pakistan 279-4 (Misbah 7, Shafiq 0) Misbah’s gameplan is almost offensively simple. When the seamers are bowling he defends the good balls and hits the bad, and when the spinners are bowling he tries to wallop everything for four or six. After a single off the final ball of Anderson’s over, he has seven from 33 balls.
“Is London Belly what the Sledgehammer of Eternal Justice calls himself when he decides on a night in the capital?” says Phil Sawyer, conjuring up mental images that not even white spirit or death will be able to wash away.
100th over: Pakistan 278-4 (Misbah 6, Shafiq 0) “Morning Mr Smyth,” says Matt Westlake. “You mention that Pakistan were previously top of the rankings in August and September 1988. I know there were two closely fought, drawn series between the sides*, but still: the rankings seem at odds with the traditional narrative of West Indies first, daylight second. Is this a freak of the ranking system, or the Test schedule at the time, or…?
(Aside: is there any footage of these matches out there? The scorecards alone are fascinating.)“
99th over: Pakistan 275-4 (Misbah 3, Shafiq 0) England are giving Misbah a bit of short stuff. He looks entirely unperturbed, by that and everything else that happens in this durned human comedy. Shafiq, meanwhile, is beaten by a beauty from Anderson and then defends the inswinger. This is excellent cricket, with both sides realising this morning session could decide the series, never mind the match.
98th over: Pakistan 274-4 (Misbah 2, Shafiq 0) The new batsman is the accomplished Asad Shafiq - and England appeal for another catch down the leg side off his first ball! They were pretty optimistic but Bruce Oxenford said not out, and rightly so: it hit the thigh.
Younis is strangled down the leg side. He walked across the stumps to Woakes, his back leg zigging all over the place, and flicked it fine to the keeper Bairstow. England needed that. Younis was again undone of the movement, not of the ball but of his body. He turned himself round so much that, by the time Bairstow took the ball, he was pretty much in a left-hander’s position.
97th over: Pakistan 273-3 (Younis 31, Misbah 1) Misbah is turned round by an outswinger, and his defensive stroke loops not too far wide of the bowler Anderson. That was a nervous moment that probably pushed his heart rate up into the 30s.
“Morning Smyth, morning everybody,” says Josh Robinson. “Would you mind giving what I think is known as a ‘shout out’ to OBO regular Ravi Nair, who was planning on spending the day watching his beloved Surrey with me at Lord’s today, his final day in the UK before returning to exile in Bombay, only to have succumbed to a dose of London Belly which is keeping him away from the home of cricket. I’m sure we can’t imagine how much having this information published on the OBO will aid his recovery, and I’m equally sure of how much he’d be delighted to know that everyone’s thinking of him.”
96th over: Pakistan 271-3 (Younis 30, Misbah 1) Woakes sensds down a sharp bouncer from Misbah, who takes it on the shoulder and gets four leg-byes. Misbah is playing his usual game - 1 from 20 balls - and doing it very well. If England don’t get a wicket in the next half hour they will be in the malodorous stuff.
95th over: Pakistan 267-3 (Younis 30, Misbah 1) Misbah gets off the mark from his 14th delivery, working Anderson off the hip for a single. Nothing else happens. It’s a battle of wills, with Pakistan showing the same caution and discipline they did yesterday.
“Ian Ormondroyd End,” says my colleague Tom Davies. “Have I missed a gag here? Was asking yesterday why they now call it the Birmingham End rather than City End but answer came there none. What’s the gangly former Villa and Bradford target man’s contribution to the ground?” It was him or the Chris Price End.
94th over: Pakistan 266-3 (Younis 30, Misbah 0) The first poor ball of the day brings the first boundary when Younis flicks Woakes through square leg. The next ball is short, wide and steered to third man for four more. It’s so important England get an early wicket; these two have a history of century partnerships and another one here would take the game away from England. In fact their average partnership (73) is almost as big as their combined age (80).
93rd over: Pakistan 258-3 (Younis 22, Misbah 0) “I was prattling on at the end of yesterday’s play about Aus v WI in 75-76, and after play I ended up going down a Cricinfo rabbit hole over Vanburn Holder,” says Pete Salmon. “Forty Tests, spread over ten years. Only 109 wickets, and not much of a batsman. It made me wonder about players who had long careers that are, in retrospect baffling. Ken Mackay used to baffle me as a child - 37 Tests, top score of 89, and only took 50 wickets. I suspect Moeen Ali, with his batting average of 29 and bowling average of 40-odd might perplex a few kids down the track. Anyone else?”
It’s a little-known made-up fact that Ken Mackay was the first player to be picked on nickname alone. If you go purely on stats, there would be tens of England players to add to the list. Ramps would be one, yet there were times - particularly between 1997 and 1999 - when he was a superb player for England.
92nd over: Pakistan 258-3 (Younis 22, Misbah 0) Chris Woakes, not Stuart Broad, opens at the Ian Ormondroyd End. That’s fair enough based on their performances yesterday, and Woakes’s ability to swing the ball. He demonstrates that with his first delivery, which shapes nicely outside off stump as Younis offers no stroke. It’s crucial that England make the batsmen play early on, particularly Younis, who is in poor form and whose feet have a mind of their own. Woakes’ line gets straighter as the over progresses, and it’s a maiden.
“At the risk of reaching Peak Guardian (since we reached Peak Beard, I think we have reached Peak Peak), is it a bit bigoted to characterise Pakistan as flaky, inconsistent etc etc,” says Bob Miller. “It is all a bit British Raj of us isn’t it?”
91st over: Pakistan 258-3 (Younis 22, Misbah 0) Angry Anderson - no, not the politician - will open the bowling, with a ball that is only 10 overs old. The first ball swings encouragingly past Younis’s outsde edge; after he gets a single, the new batsman Misbah is happy to wear a first-ball bouncer on the back.
“What’s not to love about Pakistan?” says Luke Richardson. “They have been my favourite other team since Akram and then Inzamam emerged but this team, like all their teams, just have it: the press ups, the good spirit with England on the field, the madness of their good and the madness of their bad (but they can really, really play) and the fact that they even appear to like each other* - well played Misbah!
Some pre-play reading
The Joy of Five, aka my favourite sixes, featuring Viv, Freddie, Moin, Ian Healy and John Davison.
Related: The Joy of Six: sporting pitch fiascos
Meanwhile, in Galle
“Not just Herath Herath,” says Gary Naylor, “but Herath Herath Herath today!”
This is England v Pakistan, but not as we know it. The two teams have reversed their traditional roles in this series. England are full of flair and a bit reckless, brilliant one minute and pretty ordinary the next. They are also emotional and inclined to argue with umpires before apologising in a transparent and futile attempt to avoid being done by the match referee.
Pakistan, by contrast, are resourceful, disciplined, unobtrusive and have few stars. They are also stealthy, and have taken control of this match without overwhelming England at any point. Pakistan resume on 257 for three, a deficit of 40, and if they get through the first hour without too much damage they will fancy their chances of a match-winning lead. England, hot and cold England, need one of their magic bursts with the second new ball. If they restrict Pakistan to a lead of under 100, they will be right in the match.
Related: Azhar Ali puts Pakistan in control with superb century as England struggle
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