Player of the Match
Player of the Match

END OF OVER:
86 | 9 Runs 1 Wkt | ENG: 297/10

  • Steven Finn15 (25b)
  • Sohail Khan23-3-96-5
  • Mohammad Amir16-3-53-2

6.25pm: So, England have been wrapped up for 297 - not the worst effort, by any means, but not so intimidating, either. Fifties from Gary Ballance and Moeen Ali gave the scorecard some fibre after the top three fell before lunch, but Pakistan kept at to work their way through the order; Sohail Khan finished with 5 for 96 and while the runs flowed pretty freely, all the other bowlers chipped in. You can't judge a pitch until both teams have batted on it - and we'll have to wait for tomorrow to see how Pakistan go - but England's chances of overturning that decade-long hex on the team batting first are in the balance (one l). To read up the day, here's Gnasher's report and we'll be back for more in the morning. Thanks for your comments... Cheerio!

"Impeccable timing from Neeraj." Sohaib Kharal speaks for the majority

85.6
W
Sohail Khan to Anderson, OUT, bit of inswing, Anderson is trapped in front, up goes the finger - Sohail has his five-for! That looked a straightforward decision but Anderson reviews anyway, hoping for a lucky break. It came back a good distance, hit the back leg, and is clipping leg stump according to Hawk-Eye. Sohail threw his hands up and then prostrated himself in thanks, it's been a hugely successful comeback for him, a wicket for each year he has been out of the Test side

JM Anderson lbw b Sohail Khan 5 (21m 9b 1x4 0x6) SR: 55.55

"Don't worry my friends from Pakistan," teases Niraj Kheria, "these two will bat till lunch tomorrow :)"

85.5
1
Sohail Khan to Finn, 1 run, on the stumps, swatted away for a single this time
85.4
4
Sohail Khan to Finn, FOUR, slightly short again and picked up over deep backward square for four more! Finn swings from the hip and gets another boundary, much to the amusement of the crowd
85.3
0
Sohail Khan to Finn, no run, short ball, slammed into the pitch, climbs above a cross-batted whirl

For those of the tweeting persuasion, get your #PoliteEnquiries in to George and Jarrod. On the Twitters

85.2
4
Sohail Khan to Finn, FOUR, spanked on the up through mid-on! Finn hits this one right out of the screws, back past the bowler, boshed

"What if Eng all out in 87th Overs, does Pak has to come for bat for 1 over?" I'm pretty sure, Prince Insan, that since the turnaround would be ten minutes, and the cut off is 6.30pm, that will be that for the day if either gets out from this point on

85.1
0
Sohail Khan to Finn, no run, length ball, nibbles away in the channel, swing and a miss

Sohail continues in search of a five-for

END OF OVER:
85 | 6 Runs | ENG: 288/9

  • Steven Finn6 (20b)
  • James Anderson5 (8b)
  • Mohammad Amir16-3-53-2
  • Sohail Khan22-3-87-4
84.6
1
Mohammad Amir to Finn, 1 run, round the wicket now, full at 80mph and steered low through backward point off the outside edge

"Hi Alan Is there a link to watch all the highlights at once rather than click on ten links to watch ten wickets?" There will be, Nihar, for those in the US. Full highlights go up at the end of the day

84.5
0
Mohammad Amir to Finn, no run, thunders in, hits the middle of the pitch, Finn sees it early and ducks
84.4
0
Mohammad Amir to Finn, no run, fairly full, Finn leans down to defend in front of the stumps
84.3
1
Mohammad Amir to Anderson, 1 run, skips out and swings the arms, top-edging a slice to third man on the bounce
84.2
0
Mohammad Amir to Anderson, no run, lovely line, again nips the ball through past the edge as Anderson drives down the Bakerloo

"Ghulam Ali is not alone. Hafeez is praying the same as well," chuckles anees from zaid

84.1
4
Mohammad Amir to Anderson, FOUR, shortish outside off and Anderson flings the kitchen sink at it, swipes across the line and is rewarded with a big top edge over the slips

END OF OVER:
84 | 4 Runs | ENG: 282/9

  • Steven Finn5 (17b)
  • James Anderson0 (5b)
  • Sohail Khan22-3-87-4
  • Mohammad Amir15-3-47-2
83.6
0
Sohail Khan to Finn, no run, touch short, 79mph and seaming away outside off, Finn shoulders arms

"Alan, given the conditions, do you think 280 odd is a good first innings score?" Well, Anushrut, it hasn't exactly been a green seamer, though the bowlers have got something out of the surface... I'm tempted to say below par, although it's not as bad as some recent first-innings efforts at Edgbaston

83.5
4
Sohail Khan to Finn, FOUR, shot! Finn plants the front dog and pings Sohail off his pads through midwicket... All wrists and timing
83.4
0
Sohail Khan to Finn, no run, fired down in the channel, hits the seam and jags away as Finn reaches for it unsuccessfully
83.3
0
Sohail Khan to Finn, no run, angled in much straighter, straightens and squares up the batsman, hit on the knee roll... but Oxenford reckons it was sliding down

GhulamAli wants Sohail to hold off for 10 minutes... "Please Pakistan let Finn and Anderson play the remaining overs of the day. Otherwise I'm pretty sure we will end up losing 2 or more wickets by the end of day."

83.2
0
Sohail Khan to Finn, no run, shaping away a couple of feet outside off, left alone this time
83.1
0
Sohail Khan to Finn, no run, good length outside off, Finn taps it down into the covers

Can Sohail get his five-for?

END OF OVER:
83 | (wicket maiden) | ENG: 278/9

  • James Anderson0 (5b)
  • Steven Finn1 (11b)
  • Mohammad Amir15-3-47-2
  • Sohail Khan21-3-83-4

"Five catches bebind the stumps for Sarfraz," observes SM Ahsan. "He's been neat today."

82.6
0
Mohammad Amir to Anderson, no run, touch back of a length again, Anderson prods in vain from the crease
82.5
0
Mohammad Amir to Anderson, no run, the only thing that's saving Anderson is the length here, slightly short and he can commit late, beaten in the channel once more
82.4
0
Mohammad Amir to Anderson, no run, that's a beautiful line from Amir, shaping in and then whistling through straight, Anderson turned around and clueless
82.3
0
Mohammad Amir to Anderson, no run, past the bat again, Anderson feeling for it outside off

Splendid comeback

0

No. of Tests won by England against Pakistan after facing a higher deficit than the 103 runs in this Test.

Quick wickets

23

No. of balls in which Pakistan lost their 4 wickets (4th to 7th) - Misbah, Shafiq, Sarfraz, Sami. The four wickets added just one run combined.

Young Sami Aslam

0

No. of Pakistan openers who made 2 50+ scores in a Test at a younger age than Sami Aslam (20 y, 235d). He is overall the fifth youngest opener to do so.

fourth-innings specialist

59.17

Younis Khan's ave in the 4th inns of Tests, before this - highest among 27 batsmen with 1000+ runs in 4th inns. However, his ave in 4th inns outside Asia is 41.71.

Hafeez outside Asia

20.09

Hafeez's ave in Tests outside Asia - lowest for any opener with 25 or more Test innings, including non-subcontinent openers.

Can Pakistan survive?

3

No. of times the teams have batted more than 80 overs in the 4th inns at Edgbaston. Pakistan needs 343 runs in 84 overs.

Safe target?

2-8

Win-loss by the teams chasing targets of 200+ in Tests at Edgbaston, in 16 occasions. SA, though, chased 281 when last time target of 200+ was set, in 2008.

Bairstow at top

777

Previous most Test runs by an England wicketkeeper in a calendar year, by Matt Prior (2012). Bairstow has gone past that mark in the second inns of this Test.

No big score yet

9

No. of inns Vince has played in Tests, but hasn't yet scored a fifty. He has got out for 42 twice, in 30s twice and only two single-digit scores.

Top-three show

2002

Last time England's top-3 scored 50 or more in their 2nd inns of a home Test, before this - vs SL, Lord's. This is only their 6th such instance at home

First in a decade

2006

The last time both England openers passed 50 in a Test innings v Pakistan - Strauss and Trescothick, at Headingley in August 2006

Century stand at last

37

Attempts without a century stand in the second innings for England in Tests. The last one before today was in March 2013 - 231 between Compton-Cook

A healthy lead

9

Instances of Pakistan taking 100+ 1st-innings lead v England in England, before this Test. They have won 4 and drawn 4, with 1 forfeiture