Key events
Show only key events
Please enable JavaScript to use this feature
99th over: England 651-9 (Leach 5, Anderson 1) Jimmy Anderson, 40, comes into bat for Pakistan for the first time. A single is ambushed and it’s all action as first Leach storms down the pitch and looks to have an edge to slip, but not out. Then a genuine thick edge to a Zahid googly, fielded by Babar Azam at slip.
WICKET! Robinson lbw Mahmood 37 (England 649-9)
The cup break is for Robinson! He goes for the reverse slide, misses and gets caught. He immediately reviews, but it’s a call from the ref, so he has to go.
98th over: England 647-8 (Robinson 35, Leach 4) Mohammad Ali is finally being treated with respect. Here come the fizzy water bottles in the field, I’m going to run and put the kettle on…
97th over: England 646-8 (Robinson 34, Leach 4) Forget what I said earlier, lunch is actually in an hour. Shah crackle another.
“He’s an avid Pakistan supporter here,” writes Meherwan Polad, “but he wouldn’t care if we were bowled in this Test because we finally stop putting up those wickets. I’d rather lose a Test in 3 days while we give our fast bowlers a chance . However, I have had this hope before but the PCB never learns from these lessons. So sad – these Test series against top Test teams are so rare and should be so precious for Pakistan fans.”
Strongly agree, miserable for the bowlers.
96th over: England 645-8 (Robinson 33, Leach 0) After the departure of Jacks, Leach is almost run out after going for a non-existent run and being dismissed by the motionless Robinson. With a direct hit, Leach would have been out, but the fielder misses and the ball ends up over the rope. Babar’s aerial combat body language suggests that he is not happy.
WICKET! Will Jacks c Naseem b Mohammad Ali 30 (England 641-8)
Jacks up the leg side and is caught at mid-wicket.
95th over: England 637-7 (Robinson 33, Jacks 26) Thinking of becoming a Svengali in my spare time and starting a cricket band. Naseem Shah definitely makes the cut as the sensitive floppy hair whose special skill is bowling at 90 mph. Anyway, high six with a little bit of this, a little bit of that. Five minutes to lunch.
94th over: England 632-7 (Robinson 30, Jacks 24) Useful runs as the pitch starts to fill up.
– Good morning, Tanya. Hello Smilers! “I was wondering if anyone else is at the OBO-Advent of Code intersection as they both start every morning at 5am UK time? Advent of Code offers a puzzle each day, which require you to launch a computer program quick to find the answer.This year we are helping Santa’s elves to find special star fruits to provide magical energy to their reindeer.Today’s puzzle is about elves playing rock paper scissors.
Respect to everyone who can pull out a computer program at 5 in the morning.
93rd over: England 628-7 (Robinson 26, Jacks 23) This is the real deal, here comes Naseem, who has been struggling with a sore shoulder this morning, with the new ball. Jacks sends a screaming wide through extra cover for four, then four over and over to bring up Robinson’s fifty partnership.
Zahid Mahmood’s figures of 31-1-227-2 make him the most expensive debutant in the history of Test cricket. We’ve all been there.
92nd: England 616-7 (Robinson 18, Jacks 13) Mohammad Ali takes the new ball, not the most powerful combination. Robinson slips to first but then smashes two fours, one through extra cover and the other down the ground.
91st over: England 608-7 (Robinson 18, Jacks 13) An over from Zahid as England pass their highest score against Pakistan and, with a six from Robinson, shout past 600.
90th over: England 598-7 (Robinson 9, Jacks 12) Robinson pays respects to Mohammad Ali in the afternoon, carefully blocking his last three balls.
“Poker used to be played by gnarled old pros in the back rooms of casinos using the same skills and techniques for decades,” touches Hugh Malloy. “Then, online poker happened, and the next generation was able to communicate and share technical data on how to play. The result? Players became much, much more aggressive. They realized that they bet a lot, even without the best hand, forced your opponent to fold. Yes, you may be bluffed, but optimal play says you’ll win more without fear.”
So was Bazball made in the (online) poker room?
89th over: England 596-7 (Robinson 8, Jacks 11) The dog gets up, does five laps and laps before settling back on the sofa with a deflated sigh. Jacks tries a Zahid reverse sweep twice, no payoff.
And to counter Becky Chantry and her happy Cyprus mornings I bring you Daniel Ironside. “Wow, it’s been quite a day. We’ll get to the cricket in a minute, but first I have to explain what happened about 2 minutes after the ID emailed your person.
“Water, everywhere, falling profusely on my beautiful wooden floors. The culprit was a leaky pipe leading to the sink next to where I was sitting. Newspaper, telephone, everything got very wet while the my morning brain was trying to decode what was unfolding before my eyes. No thought was convincing, I was in pure fight, flight freeze mode as I tried manfully to direct the flow and stem the tide armed only with a small towel. Slowly by and by the phrase “stop cock”, which I don’t want to use often, left the vestiges of my prehistorically tuned mind. I took my torch manfully and personally and stormed out. I lifted the cover outside the water drain and oh so sweetly, after some semi-frantic attempts to turn it off, I managed to cut off the water supply to my home. It was a strangely bittersweet moment when I realized that I had done something ridiculous simple thing but never tried before and then the slow burn of reality seeped in as I had to face the reality of clear and painful costs.
Suffice it to say, it wasn’t really what I needed in my life before 6.30am. All went well in the end and I’m incredibly lucky to have a lovely plumber neighbor called Matt who came over the same morning and sorted out what I think was a very reasonable cost. Big shout out Matt, you saved my morning.
88th over: England 593-7 (Robinson 7, Jacks 9) Naseem gets a break at last, and Mohammad Ali is called back into the attack, not, you imagine, with a lot of confidence from Babar. Relatively neat, and that’s DRINKS!
87th over: England 589-7 (Robinson 5, Jacks 8) Mahmood continues to play in agony, possibly because Haris Rauf is out. Now he looks like an uncle forced to make balls to all the nieces and nephews when all he wants to do is sit and read the paper. To make matters worse, Robinson bowls him inelegantly for four.
85th over: England 576-6 (Robinson 0, Jacks 0) Will Jacks’ first Test boundary comes off his sixth ball, as he drives Naseem through covers for four with majestic air. Ollie Robinson keeps out a good length ball that is creeping down.
Becky Chantry, who was watching the sun rise on her balcony yesterday, has now taken it a step further: “At the moment I’m taking money for breakfast (still in Cyprus) refreshed after a swim in the sea yesterday. Trying to take the fall of wickets this morning 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 batsmen at the crease after the end of a superb Harry Brook innings, making all he has made by yorkshire and more.
WICKET! Brook c Saud Shakeel b Naseem Shah 153 (England 576-7)
Hauls Naseem to deep square leg where Shakeel takes another catch – 116 balls, five sixes, 19 fours, the fourth fastest 150 in Test cricket after Roy Fredricks, Mahela Jayawardene and Brendon McCullum. Unbelievable in only 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 he hits it for four more. , scampers down the pitch and spatulas it for six, before inelegantly going up for three. 27 off the over: Best over for an England batting team on 29. Poor Mahmood now 2-208 on debut.
82nd over: England 541-6 (Brook 118, Jacks 0) A super over from Naseem – first the wicket of Livingstone, then he cracks debutant Will Jacks on the first ball. Babar is convinced to go for a review but the ball goes safely over leg.
If you’re watching, email me and help me stay awake. So tempting to close your eyes quickly…
WICKET! Livingstone c Saud Shakeel b Naseem Shah 9 England (539-6)
Livingstone takes a single-leg flamenco stroke, Pietersen-style, and the ball flies to mid-wicket where Shakeel takes the catch.
81st over: England 539-5 (Brook 117, Livingstone 9) Livingstone quickly comes down the pitch and loops Mahmood for six, then scrunches his nose under his helmet as if he hasn’t finished singing. No new ball yet.
80th over: England 529-5 (Brook 114, Livingstone 2) A clean and tidy innings by Naseem Shah, England are on the lookout. A brief period of calm has fallen over Ralwalpindi.
79th over: England 527-5 (Brook 113, Livingstone 1) Liam Livingstone is out…with a calm and respectful single at covers by Zahid Mahmood. Some dodgy fielding gets Brook a couple more to end the scoring and it’s six more balls before Pakistan can take the new one.
78th over: England 522-5 (Brook 110, Livingstone 0) Just the one stingy run from Naseem Shah’s over.
77th over: England 522-5 (Brook 109, Livingstone 0) Harry Brook lowers his bat and bowls Zahid Mahmood carelessly over long on for six. Beautiful! Livingstone survives his first ball in the Test…