Match report
Right, that’s it from me. Thanks for your company and your emails. Stick around on site for all the reports and reaction from Lord’s. But from me cheerio!
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A cracking day of cricket and a cracking Test match come to an end. Pakistan were good value for their win and England have a bit of work to do before the second Test at Old Trafford.
Before the players leave the pitch Younus Khan organises a co-ordinated press-up celebration. Good stuff.
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WICKET! Ball b Amir 3 (England 207 all out)
Amir crashes through Ball’s defences and this is all over. Pakistan win the first Test by 75 runs.
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75th over: England 205-9 (Ball 1, Finn 4) 78 more needed to win though that’s probably irrelevant now, eh? Ball takes a single and Finn survives the last.
WICKET! Woakes c Younus b Yasir 23 (England 204-9)
Woakes cuts Yasir to midwicket but Woakes opts not to run and bring Finn into Yasir’s sights. But it matters not – Yasir flights one up there, Woakes looks to drive but can only edge to Younus Khan at slip. That gives Yasir Shah his 10th wicket of the match and takes Pakistan to the cusp of victory.
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74th over: England 204-8 (Woakes 23, Finn 4) 79 more needed to win Finn survives a couple of deliveries from over the wicket, so Amir switches to round. He strays too straight from that angle, though, allowing Finn to clip him off his pads for four to backward square leg. Experiment over, he’s back over the wicket. The final ball of the over finds the edge but drops maybe a foot short of the keeper.
There has been a lot of talk recently over changing test cricket... It looks pretty fine to me!!! Great advert in front of us #ENGvPAK 👌🤓
— James Taylor (@jamestaylor20) July 17, 2016
If anything, my only complaint is it's far too entertaining for anyone with a dodgy heart 😆😆💔💔! #ENGvPAK
— James Taylor (@jamestaylor20) July 17, 2016
73rd over: England 200-8 (Woakes 23, Finn 0) 83 more needed to win Woakes brings up his century (of balls faced) against Yasir. Block, block, block, block. If he was an MMA fighter he’d be Block Lesnar. If he was a Portuguese lager he’d be Super Block. If he was a vegetable he’d be Block Choi. From the last, though, he’s able to cut through backward point for four to bring up the England 200. Finn will be in the firing line at the start of the next over, however.
72nd over: England 196-8 (Woakes 19, Finn 0) 87 more needed to win If Steven Finn has any nerves, he’s hiding them well. He strides to the middle with a big smile on his face. Mohammad Amir wipes that out with his first ball, swinging the ball into his pads. Up goes the finger. Up goes the review sign from Finn. And replays show a faint inside edge. And it pitched outside leg too. So the smile is back.
Briefly. Amir beats him all ends up with the next. But Finn survives the rest. A wicket maiden. And things are looking very, very bleak for England now.
WICKET! Broad b Amir 1 (England 196-8)
Whump. A full swinging yorker from Amir – 2016 vintage Stuart Broad has no chance. Stumps and bails everywhere.
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71st over: England 196-7 (Woakes 19, Broad 1) 87 more needed to win It really wasn’t a great ball from Yasir and it came at a point when Pakistan were just beginning to question their luck. Perhaps there was a bit of tiredness in the shot from Bairstow, both physical and mental. It’s a huge blow to England and a huge boost for Pakistan. Broad strides out and scampers a single to get off the mark.
WICKET! Bairstow b Yasir 48 (England 195-7)
What a way to go. Bairstow has been brilliant – watchful, smart, fully-fledged as a Test player – but he’s just missed a straight one from Yasir. It was short, he looked to turn it into the leg side off the back foot and he’s played all around it.
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70th over: England 195-6 (Woakes 19, Bairstow 48) 88 more needed to win The run rate isn’t going to increase much at this point so it looks to me that England will need to go into a fifth day to win this. Though as I type that, Amir strays to Woakes’s pads and gives away four leg byes. Woakes follows that up with a wild waft at another wide delivery.
69th over: England 191-6 (Woakes 19, Bairstow 48) Yasir again. Bairstow plays out four dots then watches one rip past his outside edge. Another maiden.
68th over: England 191-6 (Woakes 19, Bairstow 48) Another quickfire single adds one to Woakes’ and England’s tallies. And there’s a bye from the next that brings up the 50 partnership from 171 balls. That gets a big round of applause from the Lord’s crowd but every run is being cheered now – the sense of something special happening is growing. Woakes drives firmly for another couple.
67th over: England 187-6 (Woakes 16, Bairstow 48) The reprieved Woakes pushes for a single from the last.
REVIEW! Woakes lbw b Yasir 15
Now then. Have Pakistan got their man? Woakes props forward to Yasir and is thwocked on the pad. Cue a huge appeal and wild celebrations as the finger goes up. Woakes reviews immediately and the replays show a thick inside edge. Not out.
66th over: England 186-6 (Woakes 15, Bairstow 48) Mohammad Amir returns to the attack after Wahab’s superb but wicketless spell. The batsmen add a couple of singles.
65th over: England 184-6 (Woakes 14, Bairstow 47) Woakes pushes Yasir through the covers for a single. And Bairstow does likewise to bring the runs-required column into double digits – 99 more needed – which in turn brings a loud and lengthy roar from the Lord’s crowd.
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64th over: England 182-6 (Woakes 13, Bairstow 46) Woakes does finally get bat on ball as Wahab steams in once more, but it brings him only a single to deep cover. Bairstow dabs to midwicket for a couple off the last.
England's first 23.4 overs of this innings: 96-4. England's last 23.4 overs: 40-0. I know which I prefer @John_Ashdown #ENGvPAK
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) July 17, 2016
63rd over: England 179-6 (Woakes 12, Bairstow 44) Yasir makes a mess of a delivery, dragging it down in ugly fashion and allowing Bairstow to cart the ball over the head of short leg and away for four.
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62nd over: England 174-6 (Woakes 11, Bairstow 40) Another play-and-miss from Bairstow as Wahab continues this brilliant spell. He’s finding just enough wobble away from the bat – a tiny bit too much if truth be told. From the fifth delivery another play-and-miss, Woakes this time.
This partnership is 35 from 139 balls – it’s been tough going but they are still there, which is all that really matters.
Terrific contest with Pakistan turning the screw and England eking out the runs
— mike selvey (@selvecricket) July 17, 2016
61st over: England 172-6 (Woakes 10, Bairstow 39) Review! Sarfraz is convinced that Woakes got a bottom edge on an attempted sweep. No one else in the Pakistan side looks entirely certain but Misbah goes with his keeper and asks for the review. But there’s nowt on Snicko and nothing on Hotspot. Not out. Woakes escapes to the non-striker’s end a couple of balls later with a single that takes him into double figures from his 67th delivery.
60th over: England 170-6 (Woakes 9, Bairstow 38) Woakes cuts Wahab away for single … and then there’s another close shave for Bairstow, who drives and misses. And from the very next ball the bowler does find the edge but the ball drops a yard short of first slip. Wahab must be wondering what he has to do. It has been a brilliant, brief spell so far.
59th over: England 169-6 (Woakes 8, Bairstow 38) Shot! Bairstow unfurls the sweep and gently nudges Yasir away for three to fine leg. Next up Woakes edges once more! But again the ball drops short of the man at slip. Yasir looks more of a threat from over the wicket, though he is leaking a few more runs from there.
58th over: England 165-6 (Woakes 7, Bairstow 35) Wahab again tempts a false stroke, with Woakes this time having a daft waft outside off. And he repeats the trick a couple of balls later
The bowler, though, gets a second warning after wandering into the Danger Zone again – part of the problem is that it’s not just Wahab’s back foot coming through into the forbidden area, but his front foot after that too. One more warning and he’ll be out of the attack for the innings.
And from the last ball of an all-action over we have a drop. Woakes pushes at a wide one and Shafiq at third slip can’t quite keep the ball up, though it looks like it may not have quite carried.
Not content with taking 11 wickets, #ChrisWoakes has faced more balls in this Test than any other Englishman. And smiled more @John_Ashdown
— Tim de Lisle (@TimdeLisle) July 17, 2016
57th over: England 165-6 (Woakes 7, Bairstow 35) Yasir gets a bowl at Bairstow after back-to-back maidens at Woakes. A big bottom edge provides a scare but a more confident cut brings a single – the first run off Yasir since tea from the 23rd ball. And like buses, another single comes from the next as Woakes pushes down the ground.
56th over: England 163-6 (Woakes 6, Bairstow 34) Rahat has a rest and Wahab Riaz enters the fray. He slings one wide, which has Bairstow chasing rather inadvisedly. He fails to make contact, which was probably for the best. Wahab then gets a warning for trampling into the Danger Zone on his follow through.
He responds by beating the outside edge with a beauty that straightens Bairstow up and is a whisker away from giving Pakistan the breakthrough.
55th over: England 161-6 (Woakes 6, Bairstow 33) Yasir v Woakes once more. The spinner is refusing to admit defeat in this round-the-wicket line of attack despite Woakes’s prodigious and effective use of the pad. Another maiden for Yasir, his third on the bounce since tea.
54th over: England 161-6 (Woakes 6, Bairstow 33) Four runs! The first boundary since the 43rd over as Rahat strays onto Bairstow’s pads. The batsman tickles fine for four.
53rd over: England 157-6 (Woakes 6, Bairstow 29) Yasir goes round the wicket to Woakes, who employs his pad to good effect. Another maiden. Yasir’s figures now read: 20-7-47-2.
52nd over: England 157-6 (Woakes 6, Bairstow 29) Woakes, 41 balls into his innings, picks up his sixth run with a little nudge off Rahat. Every run is welcome for England now, though – there have been just 19 of them from the last 13 overs.
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51st over: England 156-6 (Woakes 5, Bairstow 29) Predictably it’ll be Yasir Shah from the Pavilion End. Bairstow looks happy enough blocking him out but there’s no sense of him really getting on top of the spinner and runs are proving very hard to come by. A maiden.
50th over: England 156-6 (Woakes 5, Bairstow 29) Rahat continues after the break and gets one to rear up into Bairstow’s gloves. He picks up a painful single. Woakes edges to second slip but the ball bounces a yard or so in front of Younus Khan.
Only twice have England won after needing 100+ with four wkts left in 4th innings. Oval in 1902, Joburg in 1909-10. Crucial experience.
— Andy Zaltzman (@ZaltzCricket) July 17, 2016
Pakistan need four wickets for victory (though if they get one the end could come fairly quickly). England need 128 runs to win. The sun is out at Lord’s. It’s a fantastic setting for what could and should be a dramatic climax to this Test match. This is what it’s all about.
TEA
So very much Pakistan’s session but as long as Bairstow and Woakes are out there England have a chance. A slim chance, but a chance all the same.
49th over: England 155-6 (Woakes 5, Bairstow 28) Yasir produces another cracker from the fifth ball of the over, pitching in the rough outside leg stump and fizzing past first Woakes’s outside edge and the the off stump. But he survives. That’s tea.
48th over: England 154-6 (Woakes 5, Bairstow 27) Rahat takes what will be the penultimate over before tea. Bairstow drops the ball into the offside and scampers through for a single.
47th over: England 153-6 (Woakes 5, Bairstow 26) A big appeal as Yasir finds Woakes’s pad but it’s always sliding down. Another probing maiden.
46th over: England 153-6 (Woakes 5, Bairstow 26) Rahat is playing the old temptation game, dangling the ball outside off and hoping for Chris Woakes to bite. An inswinger finds the outside edge but the ball flies low to gully, then a wide outswinger does tempt the drive. Woakes is relieved to see the ball miss the outside edge by a whisker and celebrates with a single off the last.
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45th over: England 152-6 (Woakes 4, Bairstow 26) Yasir has changed ends and has Bairstow on the defensive, playing with a bat so dead the ball barely leaves the strip. Until the last ball, that is, which is pushed firmly to point. A maiden.
44th over: England 152-6 (Woakes 4, Bairstow 26) A bowling change: Rahat Ali, scourge of the England top order, replaces Yasir Shah at the Nursery End. A huge wide outside off first up takes England to the 150 – 133 to go and it feels a long way away. It’s a pretty wild over from Rahat, one punctuated by a neat off-drive from Woakes for two.
43rd over: England 149-6 (Woakes 2, Bairstow 26) Amir goes left-arm round to Bairstow and is met by a beautifully timed drive from the batsman – four runs. The experiment lasts two balls and Amir is back to over the wicket.
42nd over: England 145-6 (Woakes 2, Bairstow 22) Yasir goes round the wicket to Bairstow who just about manages to guide the second ball of the over down through backward point for three. Woakes looks fairly comfortable against the spinner, though, and is happy enough fending away with a ramrod-straight bat. Yasir strayed too full in the main.
41st over: England 142-6 (Woakes 2, Bairstow 19) Bairstow shovels Amir into the off side and scampers through for a quick single. That’s the only run from the over but the game has become a rather two-paced affair now – a quiet low hum while the seamers are on, a crashing orchestral blast when the ball is in Yasir Shah’s hands.
40th over: England 141-6 (Woakes 2, Bairstow 18) I’m always slightly loath to criticise players for shots like that – if Moeen had connected and spanked the ball into the stands it would’ve been all “What a shot from Moeen Ali! That’s one way to combat the spinner! He’s taking the attack to him …” etc etc – but that was what you might call a Pretty Ordinary Effort from concept to execution. England are, it hardly needs saying, right up against it now.
Still, here comes Chris Woakes, England’s man of the moment. No bowler has taken 11 wickets in a Test at Lord’s and lost the match. Woakes will have to go some with the bat, though, to avoid becoming the first.
Its before the watershed so not sure I'll mention that from Mo.
— mike selvey (@selvecricket) July 17, 2016
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WICKET! Moeen Ali b Yasir Shah 2 (England 139-6)
Brain freeze from Moeen Ali. To Yasir’s first ball he skips down the track and looks to loft him into St John’s Wood … but he’s nowhere near the pitch of the ball and is clean bowled through the gate.
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39th over: England 139-5 (Moeen 2, Bairstow 18) Amir continues and this time strays a little straight, allowing Bairstow to flick to midwicket for a single. From the last, Moeen plays a slightly squirty push that brings him a single down to third man.
38th over: England 137-5 (Moeen 1, Bairstow 17) That was some delivery. Ballance, who was looking increasingly settled (he began the over with an authoritative sweep), looks anguished but there’s not all that much he could have done about that.
WICKET! Ballance b Yasir Shah 43 (England 135-5)
Wow. Yasir has clean bowled Ballance with a ball that has ripped a mile. It’s pitched way outside off and crashed into the stumps behind Ballance’s pads as he steps out. Remarkable.
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37th over: England 131-4 (Ballance 39, Bairstow 16) Cheers Adam and hello everyone. The usual channels of communication – email and Twitter – are open. England are 152 runs from victory, six wickets from defeat and an hour from tea. Amir continues to Bairstow but his radar is a little off, trained too wide of off stump – Bairstow leaves, leaves and leaves again, with the ball not once feeling the thump of willow. A maiden.
36th over: England 131-4 (Ballance 39, Bairstow 16) It’s principally a Yasir v Bairstow affair from the Nursery end at the moment, the former changing his pace, the latter wanting to use his feet. A single is taken through over when the leggie drops short. They’ll take that up next over. Two to Ballance (who looks increasingly at ease) to end the over. He gets those sweeping hard. Will we see a bit more of that as afternoon evolves?
It’ll be John Ashdown telling you all about it from here. With the players having a drink, it is down to him. Can he deliver England a most unlikely victory? Till next time, thanks for your company.
35th over: England 128-4 (Ballance 37, Bairstow 15) JB one to cover, Gazza tucking to fine leg. Neither look overly concerned here. A misfield at midwicket from Azhar to end the over prompts a bit of excitement.
Nice moment on TMS earlier when Michael Parkinson was brought into the box at lunch to interview Aggers for his 300th Test Match. We’ll pop that up later.
Meanwhile, there’s some other commentary-related corro from Adam Roberts titled Chilling Words.
“When I’m watching Test cricket on TV, there are no worse words than ‘Change of commentators - it’s Ian Botham and Shane Warne’”
No comment.
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34th over: England 125-4 (Ballance 36, Bairstow 13) Boom, it is Yasir following Wahab. I won’t take credit. He’s taken down the ground by Bairstow for one, leaving the crease to do so. In the Ballance match up he’s back around the wicket trying to generate big spin into the pads. After waiting on a couple, he takes a single with the spin as well. He’s doing that well.
Speaking of Warne, Krishnan Patel has a view:
“I know Shane Warne whines non stop until a team declares with a lead of 100 and has ten men around the bat all the time but don’t you agree with him that Misbah is allowing England back into the game with some defensive captaincy? Ballance and Bairstow didn’t face any real pressure when they were new to the crease and the amount of time Yasir Shah bowled from the pavilion end was ridiculous.”
Plenty to trawl through here. I’m reluctant to get into Misbah as a rule, but as I look out in front of me there is a third man out once more. Not sure about that.
33rd over: England 122-4 (Ballance 35, Bairstow 11) Right, Misbah has yanked Yasir. To make that change to follow Wahab from the Nursery End? We’ll see. For now, it’s Amir back for his second trundle of the day. It’s a good one too, clocking the radar closer to 90mph than earlier. A single to Bairstow through cover, but that’s the lot.
Terry Maycock tweets at me that it’ll be Woakes and Moeen to save the day. Someone’s got to. But don’t yet count out the two there at the moment.
32nd over: England 121-4 (Ballance 35, Bairstow 10) False stroke! Bairstow was so happy to let Wahab pass by his off stump. Until he wasn’t. With three slips not four, he survives and profits with a boundary; the third man is only in for Ballance at this stage. Last ball Bairstow is worked over by a much slower off-spinner. Hands on heads in the field; if not for an inside edge that may very well have gone onto the stumps. Tense times at the home of cricket.
Bairstow has scored six of his nine runs off the outside edge of the bat #ENGvPAK
— The Cricket Prof. (@CricProf) July 17, 2016
31st over: England 116-4 (Ballance 35, Bairstow 5) Another first ball single to Ballance, comfortably hitting with the spin. Bairstow does likewise in the direction of the turn, out to cover. My sense is that the sting has left the Yasir spell. Firming in the view that they should spin him around.
I have 20 minutes left. Tell me a story. Then I’ll tell you one. Let’s make it work.
30th over: England 114-4 (Ballance 34, Bairstow 4) Another instance where Ballance gets off strike first ball. A pretty good sign; puts pressure on the bowler when they’re behind in count, so to speak. Admittedly, it’s an edge, but controlled. Less so: later in the over when he tries to cut Wahab but gets a big, fat snick over the cordon. They all count. A single to third man (there’s a third man in) ends his productive, if risky, over.
Pakistan's #WinViz percentage has increased to 68% #ENGvPAK pic.twitter.com/CkYO1AGVq8
— The Cricket Prof. (@CricProf) July 17, 2016
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29th over: England 107-4 (Ballance 28, Bairstow 3) I like Gary Ballance and it isn’t just because of the nightclub incident. Although I really, really liked that. For both Ballance and Bairstow they are looking more at ease against Yasir than anyone in the match so far other than Chris Woakes. A single each, early in the over, before the left hander takes another to conclude it. Positive footwork underpinning each stroke.
That Bairstow backlift. Any higher and he'd be facing the other way. Or something. #ENGvPAK
— Matt Webber (@MattWebberWrite) July 17, 2016
28th over: England 104-4 (Ballance 26, Bairstow 2) Ballance hasn’t any concerns with Wahab, a couple of defensive pushes before tucking a ball from leg stump into the onside for a single. Bairstow is getting in on the purposeful leave business now. After the Vince demise, with the bowler getting the ball to really hoop and deck away from right handers, this is definitely the right play.
A bit of back and forth before the end of the over. Looks like Wahab has picked up a second warning for running in the ~danger~ ~zone~. But nobody really knows. He may just be order two pies with sauce for the tea break. The quirks of our game.
@collinsadam Ballance channeling his inner Nasser with his textbook attacking leave.
— Jake Garlick (@JakeGarlick1) July 17, 2016
27th over: England 103-4 (Ballance 25, Bairstow 2) Bairstow does the work against Yasir this time around, as the sun comes out over Lord’s on an otherwise overcast day. Whereas last over he was a firmly front-foot operator, this time he is happy to play back to open up his scoring options. You have to admire that about JB, he just loves scoring runs. For all that intent however, a maiden is the result.
26th over: England 103-4 (Ballance 25, Bairstow 2) England’s 100 is up when Ballance steers Wahab behind point for four. A bit edgy, bit no real concerns. I don’t want to put the mozz on Gazza here, but he does look good. The last ball of the over he makes a big, assertive stride before leaving with his arms raised high. You can a bit from a leave. There’s some confidence about it when done right. And as distinct from Vince, he has made big Test runs before. Who knows?
25th over: England 99-4 (Ballance 21, Bairstow 2) Around the wicket now to Ballance, the man Yasir got lbw on Friday from the orthodox angle. He’s looking alright against the spin today though, tucking away a single. New man in Bairstow is wary to do much more than come forward in defence at this stage. Sound, after losing his stumps when going back in the first innings.
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24th over: England 98-4 (Ballance 20, Bairstow 2) Bairstow has had to lead many a rearguard action this summer. But he’s edging as well, caught on the crease to a delivery shorter than what picked up Vince. Mercifully for the ‘keeper/bat it falls short of the cordon and then sneaks through for a couple of runs to get him off the mark.
WICKET! Vince c Younis b Wahab 42. England 96-4 (Target: 283)
Wahab has three slips for that very delivery! Vince can’t help himself, with just enough movement away to get the edge, second slip Younis taking the chance after a juggle. It always looked likely for it to end this way for Vince, who only added one to his lunchtime score. It’s super bowling. The stand of 49 ends. Predictably, the wicket falls just at the moment when England looked like they had something going.
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23rd over: England 94-3 (Vince 41, Ballance 19) Yasir stays on from the Pavilion End. Some chat at lunch that maybe he should swing around to augment any lateral movement he can get away from Vince down the slope? Misbah was happy to chop and change him first time around and that worked out pretty well. Thoughts? Adam.Collins.Freelance@theguardian.com or @collinsadam for those. Hit me up.
Ballance looks really good today. The first time Yasir drops right he’s on it in a flash, cracking it out to the point boundary, along the carpet all the way. Four more.
Righto. I’m fed. So let’s whip through some emails before the teams return.
Christopher Dale on aesthetics: “There’s something wonderfully nostalgic about watching Vince bat against Yasir. Bona fide leg spin against high elbowed off-side drives.”
No arguments here. Both lovely cricketers to observe.
David Acaster on strategy: “Now that plan A has gone (Cook stays in, scores 50-odd, rest of team contribute a couple of hundred plus, England win) I wonder if plan B ought to be “play 20-20”.Vince and Balance add another 50, Bairstow comes in and Bairstows them, Moeeeen finishes the job. We just don’t look to have the players now to nibble away at this total.”
Then Jos Buttler to... oh, wait.
Adrian Neville on nonsense: “He’s just beginning to conVince isn’t he? Veni Vidi Vinci. I know, Vici, but close enough for a chant perhaps, when he gets that century.”
Rubbish nicknames: the best kind. To some, I go by Brno (intentionally as the Czech city not the British boxer). It takes five minutes to explain why.
That’ll do it. I can hear the bell. A song you ask? A few of you enjoyed the Song Exploder pod the other day, so let’s go another. This is Courtney Barnett. She is from Melbourne. She is a genius.
At lunch, England have plenty to do
When you step back from it and look at the card, they only require a further 193. In the modern game, that’s not an awful lot. Players are purpose-built to chase down crazy totals all the time.
But that discounts what they are defending: Yasir Shah, the best spinner in the world, on a fourth day track that’s taking to spin.
At lunch there will be some very quiet individuals at the England dining table. The captain got a real good’un from Rahat Ali. But his opening partner didn’t, giving a bit of catching practice. Nor did his deputy, who holed out inexplicably.
So there’s plenty of work for the fledgling, maligned middle order. Vince has been streaky, but has 41 to his name, his highest Test score. Ballance is yet to play a false stroke to the break.
As has been the case all week, you can’t look away. See you in a bit.
If you’re after a bit of lunchtime listening, learn about the 1904 Olympics via The Dollop. Believe me when I say, this is not what you think.
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22nd over: England 90-3 (Vince 41, Ballance 15) Wahab isn’t letting these two get to lunch without having to think about it. A huge appeal starts the over, Wahab launching an appeal for leg before. Or maybe he thinks there’s an inside edge? Either way, he’s turned down. Vince’s turn: and he’s beaten by a beauty, tailing away from the right hander with plenty of swing. If they can get it reversing later on, then England will be in a real bother. But they survive. It’s lunch. Exhale.
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21st over: England 87-3 (Vince 40, Ballance 14) Impressive shot from Gary Ballance, seeing a fuller delivery from Yasir and taking it on with quick footwork. That’s a much harder shot to play than it looks. He’s happy enough to play the deliveries either side of it defensively, conscious that the sandwiches taste a lot better when you’re not out at the break.
Interesting that the Nursery End grass, normally packed 5 mins before lunch, is sparsely populated. Nobody want to look away from this.
— Charlie Reynolds (@cwjreynolds) July 17, 2016
20th over: England 81-3 (Vince 39, Ballance 9) Ballance plays for the in swing, clipping Wahab down the slope for a couple to start the over. The left-armer tightens up his line thereafter, no further runs scored. Two overs until the break. They must go in three down. Which means surviving another Yasir over. One thing at a time.
Me too, Pete.
I bloodly Test cricket
— Peter Miller (@TheCricketGeek) July 17, 2016
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19th over: England 79-3 (Vince 39, Ballance 7) “He’s only a human being,” says Michael Vaughan of Yasir. He compels England to wait for the short ball, saying they will come. Vince doesn’t heed that warning, preferring a lavish drive off the front foot that slices over backward point. It’s four runs, but not great. But Vaughan is proven right when Yasir does drop short. Vince gets that spot on, crunching to point for four more. That’s his highest Test score. But he’ll need plenty more now that he has got a decent start. Can he be the unlikely matchwinner? Let me know. Speak to me. I dare you.
18th over: England 70-3 (Vince 31, Ballance 6) Wahab replaces Rahat after his highly effective eight over spell, 3/36 coming from it. Wahab has a yard on the man he’s replaced, reflected by his first short ball hitting Vince on the arm when he fails to get out of the way in time. Don’t rub it, mate.
Good composure from the England no. 4 though, seeing another bouncer over his head before getting inside a third and guiding it down to fine leg for a welcome boundary. And it’s four more when he bisects second slip and gully. That was less convincing.
But then he ends the over with a third successive boundary! Replicating the first, he’s inside a short ball and hooking hard, beating long leg. So it’s 13 runs from Wahab’s first over; a welcome pressure release.
17th over: England 57-3 (Vince 19, Ballance 5) Bold move from Vince to play Yasir from deep in the crease, but thankfully for him he picks the legbreak correctly and has enough time to stroke it out to the point boundary. The first run off the canny wrist spinner. Regular programming continues for the rest of the over, Vince on the front foot in defence. Already turning into a good little contest between these two.
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16th over: England 53-3 (Vince 15, Ballance 5) The dreamboat Rahat comes in for another over, his eighth. Spraying one down the legside Gazza B helps himself to clipped boundary to fine leg, England’s 50 brought up with the stroke. It’s a bit chilly here now, and overcast. A report of some drops of rain even on the TMS call. That’s the one thing we haven’t had this week: a weather delay. Rahat’s over ends with a quicker yorker to Ballance, but he digs it out without too much trouble.
Woakes on Water to sort it out, says Pat Murphy. Quite like that.
Panic not,England fans. It's all set up for @chriswoakes as he smacks 55 not out for a 1 wkt win & the MOM champers #woakesonwater
— Pat Murphy (@patmurphybbc) July 17, 2016
15th over: England 49-3 (Vince 15, Ballance 1) Doens’t miss, Yasir. Whether he’s tossing them up or rushing them through - and he did both to Vince that over - he’s landing it in a shoe box. Supreme confidence. Backed up by plenty of chatter around the bat. And there are plenty of them.
Three men around the bat for Yasir, he had only two for most of the time in the first dig.
— Jarrod Kimber (@ajarrodkimber) July 17, 2016
14th over: England 49-3 (Vince 15, Ballance 1) Rahat has been all over the place at times but he’s put the most important three England players back in the sheds and that’s not for nothing. Last ball of this set Vince takes a shorter ball off the hip with one hand; in another world that could have been trouble as well. Ballance was off the mark with a push into the covers first ball.
I meant to post this tweet before the last wicket, but I think the sentiment still works.
Cook's having a chat to Ballance right now: "Actually, Gaz, we've had another re-think and we reckon you're a No7. Woakesy, get em on."
— Scott Oliver (@reverse_sweeper) July 17, 2016
WICKET! Root c Yasir b Rahat 9. England 47-3 (Target: 283)
What a debacle! Root, for reasons he will only know, has picked out the only man in deep. And of course it is Yasir, patrolling the square leg boundary. Perhaps it was a response to being beaten outside the off stump the previous delivery? His walk from the field is slower than that of Hales before him. Oh dear. And here comes Gary Ballance.
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13th over: England 46-2 (Root 9, Vince 13) The Pakistan fans beneath us in the Compton Stand are roaring for their legspinner Yasir. With 81 test wickets in 13 Tests I saw yesterday that’s a better start than any slow bowler in the history of the game. He’s immediately on the money here, bowling with a slip, a short leg and a catching cover. Root takes a big stride with a view to penetrating the offside field, but doesn’t succeed. Next ball: shorter and flatter, Root dropped back in the crease but it zipped on down the slope. Oh that’s great bowling. Root gets his bat down. Just. A maiden.
12th over: England 46-2 (Root 9, Vince 13) A dropped chance! Rahat won the edge of Vince who was driving away from his body. It was a mighty effort from old boy Younis Khan away to his right; would have been a screamer. It’s a different story two balls later when he overpitches, allowing Vince to drive him to the cover boundary for the third time since arriving at the crease about quarter of an hour ago. Rahat responds with a frustrated bouncer, the best kind. It actually results a warning to the bowler for running into the ~danger zone~.
And as I hit send, it’s Yasir Shah into the attack. Here. We. Go.
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11th over: England 42-2 (Root 9, Vince 9) Amir kept on but allows Vince then Root to both take singles early in the over. Not quite the same zip as the previous over; I fancy that may be his last. Oh, but then he goes and beats Root last ball of the over! It’s a lavish drive, but no contact. No harm, no foul. Grab a cup of tea, friends. It’s drinks.
10th over: England 40-2 (Root 8, Vince 8) Rahat is the inferior of the bowlers but he has both the wickets so he continues, running away from us in the Nursery End press box. He’s much better for the most part, forcing Vince to play to balls tailing back towards his stumps. But when he does miss, England’s no. 4 is all over it with his second cover drive boundary. A very close leave concludes the set.
Simon McMahon has a simple point to make: “Low scoring tests are always the best. And that is a scientific fact.”
I agree. It’s in the constitution.
9th over: England 36-2 (Root 8, Vince 4) Root is happy enough to watch Amir, on the front foot in solid defence on four occasions. There’s one zipped through a bit shorter and quicker, but Root is up to the task getting his bat well out of the way. Can’t he overstated how important the England vice captain is today.
To that end, my prediction: given the way this Test has gone - neither side able to stitch together two winning hours let alone consecutive sessions - I reckon England will be two down at lunch.
Two of Root's top three highest scores in Tests have come at Lord's (200* v SL & 180 v Aus). He averages 61 here in 8 Tests #ENGvSL
— The Cricket Prof. (@CricProf) July 17, 2016
8th over: England 36-2 (Root 8, Vince 4) Vince opens his account just as Hales and Root had before him with a picture-perfect cover drive. That’s his area. Other than that, he defends a couple and leaves a couple. Time is on their side.
The big question is are England going to lose this with an #attackingmindset or lose this with a #defensivemindset.
— Daniel Brigham (@dan_brigham) July 17, 2016
WICKET! c Hafeez b Rahat 16. England 32-2 (Target: 283)
After looking so good Hales has thrown it away with a bit of catching practice for man at first slip. Hard to determine where he was trying to steer that delivery even had he been successful. In the circumstances, very little gained by playing at a ball that far outside the off stump. He walks off slowly. He knows. Nice snaffle to the left of Hafeez, who put down a bad one on the opening day. Two down and Yasir hasn’t even warmed up. Ominous for the hosts.
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7th over: England 32-1 (Hales 16, Root 8) A single into the offside ends the over, but other than that Hales is kept down the business end. Amir is a bit all over the place with his radar, but still good enough to beat the opener outside the off stump when he does get it right. Leg spin soon, yeah?
Amir has conceded just 1 run from the 10 good length balls he's bowled. His 3 half volleys have gone for 9, including 2 fours #ENGvPAK
— The Cricket Prof. (@CricProf) July 17, 2016
6th over: England 31-1 (Hales 15, Root 8) Root makes it two cover driven boundaries in as many balls, this time punishing Rahat for overpitching. He’s busy in the first half of the over, looking to score, but happy to let balls go as the left-armer found his range.
More lid chat on the electronic mail. Let this be the final word on it. We’ve all learned something this morning.
“We do use ‘lid’ in a cricket sense over here, but it’s restricted to describing the newest member of the team (or specialist I. Ron Bell) crouching down at short leg; he’s ‘under the lid’.”
5th over: England 27-1 (Hales 15, Root 4) Oooh Hales is on this morning. Around the wicket from Amir, coming down-slope from the Pavilion End around the wicket, the big right hander leans into the most idyllic cover drive. A gorgeous stroke. After a pretty good over from Amir, the pressure let off again. England going at a rapid clip here, batting as though they have somewhere better to be by 5:30pm this afternoon.
John Starbuck has arrived. Morning John.
“Having read Ali Martin’s piece in today’s Observer, I’ve now got an earworm of ‘One man went to Mo/Went to Moeen Ali/One man and his dog (caught)/Went to Moeen Ali!’ which will no doubt last all day. Still, if Moeen does continue in the selectors’ favour, maybe his teammates could sing it when he starts a new over? A simple sledge, perhaps, but not unjustified. The thing is, will the other bowlers want their own songs?”
In the series between the England and Pakistan women that finished last week there was plenty of music. But: only one song. Each time a Pakistani player came to the crease this banger came on.
4th over: England 23-1 (Hales 11, Root 4) First ball to the vice captain Root is giving the full treatment. Barely short of a length, he’s deep in the crease and high on his toes ala Steve Waugh. If England are to win this match you expect that much will come to whether Root can get the bulk of the required runs.
Watching a replay of the ball to get Cook, it was pretty handy holding its line. Had to play. Well bowled.
A good delivery to get rid of the captain. https://t.co/XbFzNuRrnw #EngvPak https://t.co/1i1ZWxMgcg
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 17, 2016
WICKET! Cook c Sarfraz b Rahat 8. England 19-1 (Target 283)
Rahat has done it! After a shocking first over he gets one in the channel to Cook who is prodding and edging from the crease. It’s the slightest of nicks, but he doesn’t review. Pakistan are elated.
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3rd over: England 19-0 (Cook 8, Hales 11) Hot and cold. Amir is good enough to win Hales’ inside edge and he’s lucky to survive. But then to end the other he floats one down to the big opener, flayed to the rope.
2nd over: England 13-0 (Cook 7, Hales 6) Rahat was well off his game in the first innings, they need him to lift. But he doesn’t initially. When on Hales hip it’s the easiest of singles, when dropping short to Cook he’s slapped out to cover for three. To Hales again Rahat misses once more, a boundary taken to midwicket with no risk at all. Between times he sprayed one so wide to the captain that it should have been signalled a wide. Enthusiastic applause for every run. But a very poor way to start for the left-armer. Nine from it.
If you want to follow the county championship in a second tab as a new round begins, do so with Will Macpherson here.
County cricket: Hampshire v Surrey, and more – live! https://t.co/2nvYfK7Tzm Join @willis_macp for the latest pic.twitter.com/Jpjp1UUMTN
— Guardian sport (@guardian_sport) July 17, 2016
1st over: England 4-0 (Cook 4, Hales 0) Amir’s first ball is a genuine loosener and Cook doesn’t miss out, collecting the first of the four runs England require to the point boundary. The crowd love that. The left-armer is back into his groove for the rest of the over. We’re away.
Some housekeeping. I won’t use “lid” again. Seems that term for helmet doesn’t translate to England. Everything will be okay, I promise.
They couldn’t do much more than that. Pakistan have lost their last four wickets for seven runs, the final two for one this morning adding just a single.
This has been the habit of this match: every time - every single time - a side looks to have it under control, the other mob bob up and do something like that.
Woakes leads the hosts off with cap in hand. 18-6-5-32 in the second dig, meaning his match figures are 11/102 for the match. Have that.
283 to get. “You have to say Pakistan are the favourites,” says Jonathan Agnew on TMS. With that middle order, it’s hard to refute. But do you really think this will end without several more plot twists? Nonsense to that.
Probably six minutes until we’re back. Use some of them for this. From my home town of Melbourne yesterday. Only there could thousands turn out - men and women - to dress and dance like Kate Bush.
https://www.facebook.com/abcnews.au/?fref=ts
WICKET! Amir c Bairstow b Broad 1. Pakistan all out 215.
Big Bad Stuart Broad has done the job this morning. A conventional tail-ender nick to Bairstow ending Amir’s brief stay at the Pakistan innings. Broad finishes with three, the last couple coming for no runs this morning. They’ll be chasing 283.
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79th over: Pakistan 215-9 (Amir 1, Rahat 0) Amir is off the mark with a push to Woakes, who must fancy his second six-fa of the match here. Rahat doesn’t look convincing. He’s in at no. 11 after batting at seven first time around as nightwatchman. The least capable bat going in as nightwatchman, you ask? Never change, Pakistan. Anyway, he survives.
Ian Copestake’s into it early with a West Wing reference. Why not:
“I am glad for those who witnessed yesterday, but for me I feel now how CJ did when she lost her footing and landed in her own pool, before surfacing to insist repeatedly that the watching Toby “avert your eyes.” I say also, avert your eyes from the idea of this as a contest, for England’s position is utterly hopeless and no reasonable person can expect them to bat for long enough to even trouble this lead. Yesterday was the day, so avert your eyes back to that.”
Well, as I type this the final wicket has fallen. Can’t do more than that. Don’t make predictions about this match, my internet friend.
78th over: Pakistan 214-9 (Amir 0, Rahat 0) A wicket maiden was the result of that opening over, for those keeping track.
Omar Ahsan makes a very fair point in response to my earlier suggestion: “I cannot grab a bacon and egg roll as I am Musalmaan and pig products are forbidden to us. Show some sensitivity. I will grab a samosa.”
I’m not eating meat at the moment. Don’t ask why, I can’t properly explain it. So I’ll have one of those too.
WICKET! Yasir c Bairstow b Broad 30. Pakistan 214-9
The perfect start for England who need to finish off Pakistan before this lead swells any further. After four nicely pitched up deliveries, it looked in the 78th over any venom would have to wait for the new rock. But Broad bent the back to aim right at the badge of his lid (that’s helmet, for those who don’t like the term on twitter), clipping the edge of Yasir as he couldn’t work out whether to hook or evade. A great one-hander from Bairstow high above his head. The ‘keeper isn’t off the hook for the one he dropped late yesterday, but all you can do is take the next one.
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Just in time the sun is out, with the players due in about five minutes. Wasim Akram has rung the bell, the MCC giving him a lovely ovation.
Janet Stevens has opened the batting on the corro. And I thank her for it.
“This is clearly a cracker and I am just sorry that I have been too busy away from my computer to follow it. Perhaps I do need one of those smartphone thingies after all.” Personally, I miss my blackberry from politics days.
She continues: “Someone pointed out yesterday that Pakisatn have never lost a match when Misbah has made a century and never won when he has got a duck.Tie, anyone?”
Well, Greg Matthews - integral to the first tie in Test cricket in 1986 - is at Lord’s this week. Make of that what you will. Here’s a glorious piece of writing about Mo in last month’s edition of Cricket Monthly, by Melbourne writer Shannon Gill.
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Welcome back to Lord’s for day four.
Adam Collins here on the OBO tools for the first half of the day, with John Ashdown riding by for the afternoon. If this week is anything to go by, there’s little point making predictions. This match has oscillated wildly, with every moment carrying great significance (shameless, I know). That’s what happens when a Test Match goes deep with all possible results available, in contrast the underwhelming contests earlier this summer. To be savoured.
The Lord’s crowd responded accordingly in the evening session yesterday. The joint heaved, from the posh to the punters. Say what you want about how you watch your cricket, there’s nothing quite like being there.
Looking out from the press box, there’s a bit of cloud about but no flavour of rain. That’ll please Chris Woakes. What a gem he is. From replacement all-rounder to England’s top dog in the space of a couple of games back in the XI. The nature of bowling is you bowl trash and take a bag; the opposite often also true. But Woakes’ eleven for the match so far has been hot stuff. With a couple left on the shelf this morning, he may very well end up with 13. That’d be fitting.
England have never chased even the 282 they currently require to win a Test at this venue. That’s obviously a fairly rubbish fact and I dislike myself for even using it, so I’m glad to get it out of the way early. Far more relevant is the fact that Yasir Shah will be bowling last on a track that showed welcome signs of deterioration the longer yesterday went on.
In short: this has classic written all over it. So grab yourself a bacon an egg roll, maybe a nice little flat white. A spot of meditation maybe? Whatever gets you in the zone.
Between now and then, do get the conversation going. Who saw this Woakes thing happening? What are some other classic Saturdays at Lord’s over the years? Would Jonny Bairstow get the gloves in your club side? All that and more to adam.collins.freelance@theguardian.com, or of course @collinsadam.
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Hello. Over-by-over coverage will begin shortly. Until then, here’s Vic Marks’ report from day three at Lord’s, as Chris Woakes delivered again for England:
Moving day at Lord’s. In fact the movement was often imperceptible as the game sometimes proceeded at a 20th century pace. Wary batsmen gleaned their runs at under three per over. But movement there was. Eleven wickets fell, five of them to the irrepressible Chris Woakes and one side will be celebrating victory before Monday evening. The beauty of it is that we are not quite sure which one it will be.
This is when the cricket can be compelling even if there is not a six in sight, although Misbah-ul-Haq did his best to become the first man to clear the boundary in this Test during his brief and barren innings; the runs may be trickling but every boundary and most certainly every wicket changes the balance of the game deliciously. By the close Pakistan were 214 for eight, a lead of 281, already a substantial target, which was once achieved here by England in 2004 against New Zealand. This pitch is not quite so benign as 12 years ago.
The Pakistan batsmen had to battle hard to get their runs especially when Woakes had the ball in his hand. The Brummie Botham, as we shall try never to describe him again, took five more wickets, to give him 11 in the match. Once again he was England’s most potent bowler cruising up to the crease, never straining for rhythm and pace. England will be rejuggling their attack for Old Trafford with the return of Jimmy Anderson and Ben Stokes. But Woakes will definitely be there. Now his name is written on to the teamsheet in ink before just about everybody else.
You can read more here.
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