Key events
Match report
Some further reading:
Daniel Gallan
That’ll do from me.
Thanks to everyone who joined in and contributed, especially those who indulged my silliness regarding floppy hats.
Pakistan’s day in the end thanks to a brilliant last hour after England were in cruise control.
How close can they get to Pakistan’s score? You’ll have to tune in tomorrow to find out.
Look out for the report set to drop any minute.
See ya!
Duckett just loves playing in Pakistan.
He averages 79.28 here, up from the 42.2 he averages across his career. This was his second hundred in five Tests to go along with scores of 63, 79, 82* and 84.
Duckett, who was brilliant, is speaking:
It [accelerated] really quickly. I was happy with how I played and would have been good to go back out there tomorrow with a couple of wickets less, but credit to them. I thought the they bowled so well throughout our innings. They didn’t want to make it easy for us. We can see it spinning. If we can win the first hour tomorrow and get as close as we can to their score and make it a one innings match.
They [slowed their pace down] to me. We thought the new ball would be the hardest phase but actually it was when it was most true and sweeping was easier. When it got softer it became a lot harder. It didn’t quote come off the bat so you were sweeping for two rather than four. They bowled well. They were right at us and got their rewards at the end of the day.
[On the sweep] I’m playing it and committing so much that missing it is not in my head. I remember Younis Khan speaking about sweeping a long time ago and he basically spoke about not getting out lbw. He wants to take two dismissals out the game – lbw and bowled. He didn’t mind top edging it. I’m the same. Bat on ball.
“To continue Atherton’s theme, Dan, that took a turn in the last hour.”
Right you are Simon McMahon. England’s innings certainly caught a tail spin.
Credit to Pakistan. I was chewing them out for their inept performance and some poor body language, but they stuck in the fight thanks to Sajid who ended with 4-86 and bagged the scalps of Pope, Root, Duckett and Brook. Not a bad haul.
“And on the seventh day it spun.”
So says Michael Atherton on Sky.
STUMPS: England 239-5 (trail by 127)
A brilliant day of Test cricket comes to a close. Smith adds one more to his score and Carse sees out Zahid.
England still have a way to go and will need to bat out of their boots tomorrow to reduce the deficit.
England were in cruise control when Duckett and Root were scoring at will, but a collapse of 4-14 saw the middle order blown away by Sajid and Noman.
Smith remains not-out on 12 with Carse with him on 2.
52nd over: England 238-6 (Smith 11, Carse 2) Carse does well to keep out Sajid, who goes back to over the wicket. One slower ball tossed up almost brings out the drive. There’s also an appeal for lbw as Carse goes back in his crease, but it’s hit him outside the line of off stump.
51st over: England 238-6 (Smith 11, Noman 2) No runs conceded from Noman. A maiden keeps the pressure on. That means that Sajid will have a crack at Carse next over.
50th over: England 237-6 (Smith 10, Carse 2) A rare loose ball from Sajid – a rank full toss that Smith whacks for four through the cover. Sajid has decided to operate from round the wicket which is strange considering his joy from over. He’s looking for that miracle ball that lands outside off and turns back through the gate. To be fair, it almost comes off as a late inside edge from Smith saves him and trickles away for a single.
Our Floppy Hat XI has its bowling attack – and skipper – sorted thanks to Geoff Wignall:
I can’t see the difficulty in choosing the floppy hat seam attack. Simply pick from Wasim, Walsh, Hadlee, Broad (and Caddick). And didn’t Donald sometimes favour one?
Incidentally, much as we all love Jack Russell this team’s captain would be Clive Lloyd. That’s just a fact.
49th over: England 232-6 (Smith 6, Carse 1) Smith has his first boundary with a wild slash at some length. It catches the outside edge and races away. They all count.
Jeremy Boyce thinks that England got their tactics wrong:
I go back to the idea I suggested to Rob Smyth yesterday. Stokes should have declared their first innings at 0 – 0 after 1 ball, and had Pakistan out there batting again on what has obviously now turned into a sticky dog.
48th over: England 228-6 (Smith 2, Carse 1) Pakistan are racing through their overs, trying to wedge as many in as they can before the close. Sajid is tossing it up a little higher, trying to tempt the drive. Carse gets off the mark with a quick run into the covers. Smith adds another to his tally with a push off the front foot.
47th over: England 226-6 (Smith 1, Carse 0) A maiden from Noman to Smith. The final ball whistles past the outside edge. More turn, slower through the air, this is more like it from Pakistan’s spinners.
46th over: England 226-6 (Smith 1, Carse 0) It’s all about consolidation now for England. With Pakistan on top, Smith has to take a leading role. He gets s single off the last over but maybe deserved more from that swishing cover drive. Good fielding kept it down to just one.
45th over: England 225-6 (Smith 0, Carse 0) Kudos to both batters for getting padded up in time. I reckon that was a mad dash to make it. Now they have a tough job steering their team to the close. Wonderful bowling from Pakistan’s spinners. Noman has slowed his pace right down and is making good use of that round-arm action.
Colum Fordham must have a crystal ball:
Delighted Duckett got to his thoroughly deserved century I’m also enjoying Sajid’s quirky offspin and joyous reactions. His expression with his wonderful moustache after taking his wickets is something to behold. Positively piratical.
Maybe he’ll galvanise Pakistan into action. He certainly is providing a bit of fun and he’s getting real turn.
Spot on, mate.
WICKET! Stokes c Shafique b Noman 1 (England 225-6)
What is going on!? Stokes is gone off the inside edge. he went to flick it through the on-side but could only find a feather that bounced off his pad and spooned up in the air. Shafique standing at backward short leg reacted sharply and grabbed it on the dive. Three wickets in eight balls. They’re 4-14 and have gone from 211-2 to 225-6!
“Didn’t Jack Russell cause a bit of a rumpus by flatly refusing to wear the official England headwear? I believe the powers that be relented and let him go out in his beloved lucky hat.”
Right you are David Brown, which is why he captains our Floppy Hat XI.
WICKET! Brook b Sajid 9 (England 225-5)
Sajid is turning this game on his own! Two in the over. Three in nine balls. What a run this is! Outside the off-stump, some sharp turn has Brook playing all around it and he’s castled. Fantastic bowling. Sajid celebrates with wild eyes! And why not. He’s been terrific throughout the innings.
44th over: England 225-5 (Stokes 1)
WICKET! Duckett c Salman b Sajid 114 (England 224-4)
Sajid has two in two! Loose from Duckett. It was dangled there, teasing him, tempting him to flash. He took the bait without getting his head or feet towards the ball and a thick edge was well held by Salman at slip. Turn from Sajid who deserves a third wicket. A glimmer of light now for Pakistan.
43rd over: England 224-3 (Duckett 114, Brook 9) Brook is a joy. He leans into a cover drive that screams to the rope despite it being no more than a gentle push. Then he pummels a pull over the infield for four to midwicket. He’s not wasting any time.
ECB keen to keep hold of Hundred franchises
This could get messy.
As Simon Burnton reports, the ECB “do not want to just feel bounced into selling them [when] we could have got a lot more if we’d held back.”
This one will have a few more twists before it settles.
42nd over: England 216-3 (Duckett 114, Brook 1) Success for Sajid who bags the big fish of Root. He concedes four runs off a slashing edge from Duckett that flies through slip before he had a chance to move. Brook gets off the mark with a single off his first ball.
WICKET! Root b Sajid 34 (England 211-3)
A bolt from the heavens! I said Pakistan needed something from someone and Sajid, by far their best bowler this innings, is the man again. Root brought out the sweep to a wider ball outside off but it got full on him and he bottom-edged it back on his stumps. Not sure the shot was one. Perhaps it kept a touch low. Either way, he’s got to go!
41st over: England 210-2 (Duckett 109, Root 34) All too easy for England. What’s most concerning for Pakistan is that they don’t seem to have an answer. Seven off this Zahid over, all run between the wickets. Pakistan need a bolt of inspiration from someone.
Can someone please put together a floppy-hat XI?
I’m concerned we’d struggle with bowlers but thankfully Michael Laycock has one:
I‘ve not properly followed the floppy hat discussions but I can’t believe that no-one has mentioned the definitive Englishman (in my mind) to wear one, Andrew Caddick. Him either taking it from, or handing it to the umpire, is one of the defining images of English cricket in the late 90s/early 00s.
John Swan is doubling down on an earlier theory about the size of the man being a key factor in pulling off a floppy:
I take Jeremy Boyce’s point, but I stand by my theory. Alvin Kallicharan is simply the exception that proves the rule.
Incidentally we had an Estate Agent round our house last year who was also called Kallicharan. So I asked the inevitable question and no, he wasn’t.
Jeremy Boyce sorts our spinner selection for us:
40th over: England 203-2 (Duckett 104, Root 32) Sajid is back but he’s not brought his radar with him. 200 up as Root tucks a reverse sweep for a single. Ducket gets a single himself with a slap into the off-side. Root then pulls/sweeps a short ball that bobbles away behind square on the leg side for two.
Duckett brings up his fourth Test ton!
He does it with a sweep! An outstanding innings with a range of sweeps either side of the wicket. This one, off Salman, was conventional, in front of square and right out of the middle of the bat. Off just 120 balls.
39th over: England 199-2 (Ducket 103, Root 29)
38th over: England 190-2 (Duckett 99, Root 28) Half an appeal against Duckett on 99. Questions if it hit the shoulder of the bat from an attempted reverse but it actually brushed his own shoulder. Root gets three with an outside edge. Duckett looks a little scratchy. Just one more to go.