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HomeWorldPakistan v England: first Test, day two – live

Pakistan v England: first Test, day two – live


Key events

88th over: England 593-7 (Robinson 7, Jacks 9) Naseem gets a break at last, and Mohammad Ali is summoned back into the attack – not, you imagine, with any great confidence by Babar. Relatively tidy, and that’s DRINKS!

87th over: England 589-7 (Robinson 5, Jacks 8) Mahmood continues to bowl through the agony, possibly because Haris Rauf is off the field. He now wears the air of an uncle forced to bowl at all the nieces and nephews when all he really wants to do is sit and read the paper. To make matters worse, Robinson inelegantly flails him for four.

85th over: England 576-6 (Robinson 0, Jacks 0) Will Jacks’ first boundary in Tests comes off his sixth ball, when he drives Naseem through the covers for four with a stately air. Ollie Robinson keeps out a good length ball that is creeping low.

Becky Chantry, who yesterday was watching the sun rise on her balcony has now gone a step further: “I’m currently sipping bucks fizz for breakfast (still in Cyprus) refreshed after a dip in the sea yesterday. Trying to take this morning’s tumble of wickets in the positive sense that England are trying to keep the game moving…”

84th over: England 576-6 (Robinson 0, Jacks 0) A third wicket of the morning for Shah, some relief for Pakistan, with two new batters at the crease after the end of a magnificent innings from Harry Brook – doing all he has been doing for Yorkshire, and more.

WICKET! Brook c Saud Shakeel b Naseem Shah 153 (England 576-7)

Hauls Naseem to deep square leg where Shakeel accepts another catch – 116 balls, five sixes, 19 fours, the fourth fastest 150 in Test cricket after Roy Fredricks, Mahela Jayawardene, and Brendon McCullum. Incredible in just his second Test.

83rd over: England 568-6 (Brook 145, Jacks 0) Zahid Mahmood puts his hands on his hips as Brook casually reverse-sweeps for six, sweeps for four, reverse-sweeps for another four, leans back and hammers him for four more, dallies down the pitch and spatulates him for six, before top-edging inelegantly for three. 27 from the over – the best over for a batting side for England in 29.Poor Mahmood now has 2-208 on debut.

82nd over: England 541-6 (Brook 118, Jacks 0) A super over from Naseem: first Livingstone’s wicket, then he cracks debutant Will Jacks full on the pad first ball. Babar is persuaded to take a review, but the ball passes safely down past leg.

If you’re watching, do email me and help me stay awake. So tempting to just quickly close your eyes…

WICKET! Livingstone c Saud Shakeel b Naseem Shah 9 England (539-6)

Livingstone gives a one-legged flamingo flick, Pietersen-esque, and the ball flies to deep mid-wicket where Shakeel takes the catch.

81st over: England 539-5 (Brook 117, Livingstone 9) Livingstone quick-steps down the pitch and loops Mahmood for six, then wrinkles his nose under his helmet as if it didn’t quite sing. No new ball as yet.

80th over: England 529-5 (Brook 114, Livingstone 2) A neat and tidy over from Naseem Shah, England are watchful. A brief period of calm has fallen over Ralwalpindi.

79th over: England 527-5 (Brook 113, Livingstone 1) Liam Livingstone is off the mark …with a calm and respectful single through the covers off Zahid Mahmood. A dodgy bit of fielding brings Brook a couple more to finish the over and there are six more balls due before Pakistan can take the new ball.

78th over: England 522-5 (Brook 110, Livingstone 0) Just the one miserly run from Naseem Shah’s over.

77th over: England 522-5 (Brook 109, Livingstone 0) Harry Brook brings his bat down, and flicks Zahid Mahmood, with a careless air, over long-on for six. Beautiful! Livingstone survives his first ball in Test cricket.

76th over: England 515-5 (Brook 102, Livingstone 0) The barmy army are still half way through Jerusalem when Ben Stokes steps and hollers Naseem Shah’s second ball for six – up, up and away. The commentators are still talking about whether Stokes could beat Botham to England’s fastest fifty when he’s done by a clever bit of bowling by Naseem Shah.

Morning session – WICKET! Ben Stokes b Naseem Shah 41 (England 515-5)

A slower ball, off-cutter, which clips the top of middle stump as Stokes backs away!

On Sky, they’ve just run highlights of the last day of Old Trafford 2001, followed by highlights of yesterday. Crazy days.

Just to recap yesterday’s numbers:

Most runs scored on the first day of a Test.

First team to pass 500 on the first day of a Test.

First team to score four hundreds on day one of a Test

Most runs in the opening session of a Test.

Fastest double century opening partnership in Test cricket.

“The pitch is not much different,” reports Michael Atherton at the ground. “It is hard and baked and it is just not hot enough for the cracks to open. It will be very hard to get into Pakistan’s line-up. There will be small windows of opportunity when the ball starts to reverse and the spinners will have to do a holding job, but it will be very hard work.”

Preamble

“Will you have eggs with your chips madam?” Yes please, plus mayonnaise, caviar, chocolate cake and trifle. And while I’m at it, please can you put the cricket on?

On gorged England at Rawalpindi yesterday, clocking up runs at six an over, locking up hundreds for Crawley, Duckett, Pope and Brook, cracking past 500, leaping over the all-time opening day record of 494 for six that had stood for 111 years, until bad light at last gave Pakistan from respite.

Will they aim for the perfect thousand? On this track, flatter than a peppermint cream, against this inexperienced Pakistan Test attack, they probably could. They probably won’t. But whatever they do, it will be worth watching. Play starts at 5am GMT.



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