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3 hours ago
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Key events
Lunch: Pakistan trail by 179 runs
19th over: Pakistan 59-3 (Masood 28, Saud 5) Atkinson and Masood give each other night in the final over of the morning session. The result is another maiden, Atkinson’s fourth in six overs.
That was a pretty good morning for England, who extended their lead to 238 before taking three early wickets. Pakistan have a helluva lot to do if they are to make a game of this.
18th over: Pakistan 59-3 (Masood 28, Saud 5) Dan Lawrence gets a single over before lunch, the first by an England spinner in this match. He’s an occasional spinner, with a first-class average of 47, but he does turn the ball and he starts here with a decent maiden to Shakeel.
“For some lunchbreak reading,” begins Krishnamoorthy V, “may I offer this?”
Indeed you may, and thanks for sending it in. Batting techniques are a hot topic, and it feels like a very good time to be interrogative seam bowler.
17th over: Pakistan 59-3 (Masood 28, Saud 5) Masood is beaten by successive deliveries from Atkinson. The first was a jaffa, the second a loose shot that was probably caused by the first. Atkinson does Masood on the inside with the final ball of the over.
Another maiden from Atkinson, who has quietly bowled a fine spell of 5-3-6-0.
16th over: Pakistan 59-3 (Masood 28, Saud 5) A soupçon of width from Robinson is enough for Shakeel to back cut his first boundary. Nicely played.
Pakistan trail by 179.
15th over: Pakistan 53-3 (Masood 28, Saud 1) A maiden from Atkinson to Masood. Just under 15 minutes to play before lunch.
14th over: Pakistan 53-3 (Masood 28, Saud 1) Saud Shakeel tries to pull his first ball and almost drags it onto the stumps.
Robinson took Test-best match figures of 7 for 77 on his comeback earlier in the summer. He could improve upon them here: his current match figures are 6 for 71.
WICKET! Pakistan 51-3 (Shafique c Brook b Robinson 15)
Ollie Robinson strikes! Shafique pushes defensively at a terrific delivery, bowled from wider of the crease, that straightens sharply to take the edge. Harry Brook does the rest at second slip. The line and length were so good.
13th over: Pakistan 51-2 (Masood 27, Shafique 15) Shafique drives Atkinson pleasantly through the covers for a couple, with three singles following later in the over.
In other news, Ben Stokes made a rapid 53 for Durham in the County Championship and Olly Stone has nailed Ollie Pope for nought. Tanya Aldred has all the details.
12th over: Pakistan 46-2 (Masood 26, Shafique 11) Jofra Archer is replaced by Ollie Robinson rather than Josh Tongue. It’s an unusually poor over from Robinson, with T-W-O loose deliveries that are both cut for four by Masood.
Though Pakistan are still in all sorts, this pair have found a nice balance between attack and defence.
11th over: Pakistan 38-2 (Masood 18, Shafique 11) England go up for LBW when A big nipbacker hits Shafique between the legs. It was too high, going down as well, and the discussion about a potential review is a brief one.
Atkinson is getting a bit of movement in the air and off the seam. An excellent, challenging maiden gives Shafique no scope to counter-attack.
I’m not saying he’s the second coming of Pat Cummins, but the best version of Atkinson – the one that bowled that over – is seriously good.
10th over: Pakistan 38-2 (Masood 18, Shafique 11) Archer tempts Masood with a wide, very full outswinger. Masood can’t resist a flashing drive and is beaten.
That’ll probably be it for this Archer spell: 5-0-27-2. No need to work him too hard when you have the bovver boy, Josh Tongue, waiting to come on.
I forgot to say that lunch is at 1.15pm today, with tea at 4.10pm.
Drinks: Pakistan trail by 202 runs
9th over: Pakistan 36-2 (Masood 17, Shafique 10) Gus Atkinson comes on for Ollie Robinson, who bowled a pretty good opening spell of 4-1-10-0. His loosener (sic) is an absolute beauty that beats a wide-eyed Masood; the rest of the over passes without incident.
Who needs a drink?
8th over: Pakistan 35-2 (Masood 16, Shafique 10) Shafique slaps Archer up and over the slip cordon for four. He counter-attacked splendidly from No4 in the first innings and is trying to do the same here. Archer almost kiboshes that with an outrageous wobble-seam delivery that snaps past the outside edge.
The next ball beats the bat as well. Archer has bowled some jaffas (and one or two freebies) in a spell of 4-0-25-2.
7th over: Pakistan 29-2 (Masood 16, Shafique 4) Masood flicks a straight ball from Robinson behind square for four. He’s done well to put away the occasional bad ball, not least because he has played and missed at several good ones in between.
6th over: Pakistan 23-2 (Masood 10, Shafique 4) Archer beats Masood with a jaffa, then errs in line and is put away to the midwicket boundary. Well played. There are plenty of runs out there if Pakistan can get through the new ball.
After Masood takes a quick single, Abdullah Shafique gets off the mark with a thick edge for four.
5th over: Pakistan 14-2 (Masood 5, Shafique 0) Robinson is subjecting Masood to a forensic interrogation, with every delivery landing in Geoffrey Boycott’s favourite corridor. He beats him from over the wicket, then from around the wicket. When Robinson hunts the LBW with a straighter delivery, Masood is alert enough to work him off the pads for the single. Robinson isn’t always a batter’s BFF but he and Masood are enjoying some good-natured craic between deliveries.
4th over: Pakistan 13-2 (Masood 4, Shafique 0) Pakistan still trail by 225 runs.
WICKET! Pakistan 13-2 (Azan c Root b Archer 7)
This is a really nice moment for Joe Root the captain. He puts himself at leg slip for Archer and is immediately in business when Azan flicks a full ball round the corner. Root takes a smart two-handed catch at rib height and Archer has his second wicket. We all love it when a plan comes together.
3rd over: Pakistan 7-1 (Azan 3, Masood 4) Azan gets off a pair by guiding Robinson through backward point for three. He’s started his innings calmly, which is easier said than done when you’re 21 years old and on a pair in your first Test in England.
Robinson moves over the wicket to Masood, the angle from which he dismissed him LBW in the first innings. There are five slips waiting for some action. Masood flirts with a delivery outside off stump, then leaves it at the last second. Not sure whether that counts as a play-and-miss or not.
The last ball of the over certianly does. Masood played the line and was beaten by a beauty that moved off the seam. Robinson smiles, Masood nods.
2nd over: Pakistan 4-1 (Azan 0, Masood 4) Shan Masood tucks his first ball, which was too straight from Archer, to the fine leg boundary.
WICKET! Pakistan 0-1 (Imam-ul-Haq c Smith b Archer 0)
Jofra Archer strikes with his fifth ball. Imam-ul-Haq tried to sway out of the way of a shortish delivery from round the wicket, but it followed him and kissed the glove on its way through to Jamie Smith. Excellent bowling. Imam tried to drop his hands at the last minute but it was too late.
1st over: Pakistan 0-0 (Azan 0, Imam 0) Azan is able to leave his first ball outside off stump. Perhaps Robinson thought he’d be desperate to feel bat on ball and would jab at it.
The rest of the over is handled solidly by Azan. Four defensive strokes + two leaves = a maiden.
The players are back on the field. Azan Awais, on a king pair, is about to face Ollie Robinson.
“Has it really been 22 years?” asks Phil Withall. “The Monster Munch and energy drinks powering yourself and Andy Bull through the long dark nights, the wonder of London’s night time transport links, the slow and comforting decent into madness that has led to this point in time...
“Thank you for your sacrifice, humour, knowledge and timing...”
I’d query all four of those, particularly ‘sacrifice’, but thank you. I do need to correct one potentially slanderous comment. At no time did Monster Munch and energy drinks pass Andy Bull’s lips.
WICKET! England 409 all out (Tongue b Khurram 8)
A half-volley from Khurram is timed sweetly down the ground for four by Tongue. If he keeps playing shots like that we’ll have to start call him Tonguedulkar.
Ah never mind. Tongue has been bowled by a fine off-cutter from Khurram Shahzad, who finishes with unusual but appropriate figures of 21.5-1-133-3. England lead by 238.
89th over: England 403-9 (Archer 22, Tongue 4) Tongue gets off the mark, and brings up the 400, with a breezy chip down the ground for four off Abbas. England lead by choo hundred and thirty choo.
“The top 1000 Tests, you say?” weeps Matt Dony. “As far as I can see, there have been around 2600-2700 Tests played. So, in order to be one of the Greatest 1000, it only has to be in the top 37% or so. And there have been a LOT of forgettable Tests. I agree that this may not be a classic, but I don’t think we can dismiss the idea that it could potentially sneak in around the 932nd place in the list.”
Nah mate, that’s Delhi 1981-82.
Jofra Archer underachieved with the bat in his first Test career but he has played some handy knocks since his return last summer.
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2019-21 155 runs at 7.75
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2025-26 160 runs at 17.77
88th over: England 399-9 (Archer 22, Tongue 0) Archer tries to flick Khurram into the leg side and gets a leading edge behind square for four.
You would think that, after 22 years, I’d remember to post the Test Match Special overseas link at the start of every day. But no, I need a reminder every time. Here it is.
WICKET! England 392-9 (Smith c Masood b Khurram 25)
Urgh, that’s a tame dismissal. Jamie Smith tries to cuff Khurram across the line and skies the ball straight to mid-on.
87th over: England 392-8 (Smith 25, Archer 16) Archer swishes and misses at Abbas, who gives him a look as if to say, ‘Show some respect, mate, I’ve got 119 Test wickets at 23 apiece.’
Archer ignores the unspoken advice and heaves an ugly boundary through midwicket. For lovers of Pakistan cricket, this is hard to watch.
86th over: England 385-8 (Smith 23, Archer 11) Khurram Shahzad replaces Ali Usman and is pulled spectacularly for six by Archer. Pick that out!
That six lifts England’s lead to 214. They’ve lost only one Test match after taking a first-innings lead of 200: Wellington 2022-23, when they enforced the follow-on against New Zealand and were beaten by one run.
Oddly, it was also in Wellington that Pakistan overcome their biggest deficit to win a Test: 170 in 2003-04. It was a Shoaib Akhtar special. New Zealand were 95 for 3 one minute, 103 all out the next.
85th over: England 375-8 (Smith 21, Archer 4) Salman Ali Agha calls for the new ball after a single delivery of Abbas’s over. Archer flicks nicely through midwicket for three.
“Tragedy is too strong a word, but I’ve felt something approaching that watching this Pakistan side,” writes Gary Naylor. “It’s not that they’re no good, it’s that they’re boring.”
Zzzzzzzzzzzzindabad? There should be a rule that Pakistan will always pick a wristspinner or somebody who can bowl 90mph.
84th over: England 370-8 (Smith 19, Archer 1) And three singles from Ali Usman’s first over. It’s been a sedate start to the day.
83rd over: England 367-8 (Smith 17, Archer 0) A quiet first over of the day from Mohammad Abbas, with just a single to Jamie Smith. The new ball is available but the left-arm spinner Ali Usman, who took five of the six wickets to fall yesterday, is going to continue at the other end.
The second Test between Australia and Bangladesh starts in the early hours of tomorrow morning UK time; we’ll have live over-by-over coverage on the site. Australia, who were hammered in the first Test, have made one change to their XI: Matt Renshaw replaces Jake Weatherald at the top of the order.
On this day in 1986… Ian Botham writes his own script.
Taha Hashim
Jordan Cox was one of four half-centurions as England maintained control of the first Test against Pakistan – but there were a few regrets as no one reached three figures on day two in Leeds.
“We were hoping one of us would have kicked on and instead of make it just a hundred, make it 150, 160, 170,” said Cox, who hit 73 in his first Test innings at No 3. “And then the game looks, not completely different, but it puts us in definitely a better position.”
Nonetheless, England look primed to take a series lead. Harry Brook top-scored with 91 as Joe Root and Dan Lawrence hit 66 and 51, respectively, after rain delayed the start of play until 2.45pm. England closed on 366 for eight, extending their first-innings lead to 195.
Ali Usman was the one positive on another tough day for Pakistan, with the left-arm spinner claiming five for 92. “Hopefully, the boys can get 50 runs tomorrow,” said Cox. “You never know, we’ve still got Jamie [Smith] at the crease there and Jofra [Archer], who can still give it a good whack. So hopefully 50-odd runs and then get to our work.”
“I was browsing the changes to the laws of cricket which will come into effect in October,” begins Andrew Goudie, “and I noticed ‘If the striker hits the ball straight, it rebounds off the stumps at the bowler’s end, and rebounds to the striker’s wicket, it will no longer be out Bowled.’ Who knew?
“There’s also a great example of things nobody wants to see except everybody: ‘if a batter were to celebrate the winning hit from the last ball of the match by punching the bowler in the face, they would subsequently lose the match’, which made me think that somebody at Lord’s has been reading old episodes of ‘You Are The Ref‘ featuring a former England and Manchester United full back.”
Taha Hashim
When Jordan Cox was 19, playing in his fifth first-class match and unbeaten overnight on 167 for Kent against Sussex, he decided to set himself a new task. Cox told Sam Billings, his captain and an England international, that he would go past Billings’ first-class best of 171. The top scores of other teammates were in sight, too. “I was just ticking people off,” Cox said a few weeks later. “Having a higher score than Sam Billings and Joe Denly at 19, that’s what got me going.” Denly, an England No 3, had a best of 227. Cox finished on 238 not out.
Six years on, that confidence and bit of swagger made its way to Leeds, with Cox resuming on 23 after England’s near-perfect Wednesday. There were no visible nerves, no rollerskates on the feet. A few gentle taps of the ground, a small shift on to the back foot and then plenty of time before he presented the middle. He looked on holiday while batting in only his second Test, and that too with the responsibility of building a first-innings lead at first drop. Joe Root, 167 Tests in, was at the other end and Cox did not look out of place alongside his captain. The pair have done a bit of this now. Just last week they were decked out in red, trying to launch it together in the Hundred. Strong Welsh Fire, strong England?
Ali Martin’s day two report
The clock had just ticked past 7pm, there was still half an hour of play left on this soggy second day, and it looked for all money that Harry Brook would end a year-long wait for his 11th Test century with a first at his home ground of Headingley.
Brook had agonisingly missed out by one run against India here last summer. And this time, against a ragged Pakistan side that had handed him a life second ball amid another outing to forget, the box was practically begging to be ticked.
And then it happened. With 91 runs to his name, Brook rocked back and went to push the left-arm spin of Ali Usman through vacant midwicket only to swipe at fresh air and hear the ball cannon on to his stumps. Brook came into this match as the world’s No 1-ranked batter but this particular local peak remains elusive.
For all that Brook was cursing himself back in the dressing room, and Usman struck twice more before stumps – he ended the day with five for 92 – it was not hugely damaging to England’s position. At stumps Joe Root’s side had progressed to 366 for eight, and a lead of 195 runs, wi
The weather forecast, since you asked, is pretty good. AccuWeather, the dog walker’s best friend, predicts “bright periods with a brief shower or two this afternoon”.
Preamble
When some sad loner writes the book on the 1000 greatest Test matches – don’t worry, I’m on it – England v Pakistan at Headingley in 2026 will not be a contender. Sure, there’s a chance of Ali Usman giving England a nasty, Multan 2005-style surprise in fourth innings, but right now it looks like a one-sided game of lowish quality.
England will resume on 366 for 8, a lead of 195, after a productive but frustrating second day on which Jordan Cox, Joe Root, Harry Brook and Dan Lawrence all failed to convert fifties into hundreds. As the Telegraph’s Rob Bagchi put it, England have entered the era of daddy fifties.
It was a shame for Cox and Lawrence in particular, but there’s a bigger picture to consider. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good, not when you’ve lost seven of the last nine Tests. In the current climate, a forgettable victory would be preferable to another memorable defeat.
