England vs Pakistan 3rd Test, Edgbaston

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England 1 Alastair Cook (capt), 2 Alex Hales, 3 Joe Root, 4 James Vince, 5 Gary Ballance, 6 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Steven Finn, 11 James Anderson

Pakistan 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Sami Aslam, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed (wk), 8 Yasir Shah, Sohail Khan, 10 Mohammad Amir, 11 Rahat Ali

Duty281 wrote:Finn coming in now.

He's due a wicket or two, isn't he?

Oh yes! Mind you, Misbah looked a bit all over the place for that short vigil - horrendous footwork.

It's there for England, now.

Surely Cook will retrieve Broad for a short burst before the interval?

Ooh - and there goes the first of the mainstays! Finn gets Misbah for just 10 and Pakistan are 124-4.

Door definitely ajar now. Down to Aslam and Sarfraz to save the tourists now. Do they have the temperament to bat out the day?

One more (or more than one!) before tea and I think England will be considered favourites.

Particularly if said one is Aslam.

Good call by Holding saying Woakes would prefer bowling to a right-hander!

Excellent change by Cook.

Five down, one away from Yasir Shah and the tail.

And Shafiq gets a pair! Pakistan in real trouble now...

Well got Shafiq ...good from Woakes

Get Sami and its game over ...

England now odds-on with the bookmakers.

Huge pressure on the young and inexperienced Aslam to hold everything together.

Duty281 wrote:Good call by Holding saying Woakes would prefer bowling to a right-hander!

Excellent change by Cook.

Five down, one away from Yasir Shah and the tail.

Reckon Cook has used his bowlers brilliantly today. Some good field placements too.

Sami still looks the stumbling block : while he has one end locked England still have a lot to do. But you'd think this is going late now...

dyrewolfe wrote:Ooh - and there goes the first of the mainstays! Finn gets Misbah for just 10 and Pakistan are 124-4.

Door definitely ajar now. Down to Aslam and Sarfraz to save the tourists now. Do they have the temperament to bat out the day?

Sami has. Sarfraz ...maybe. But if they can get one of them then one end will really be open.

Another! Woakes with a beautiful and persistent teasing line.

Good low catch. Four left.

Jesus...wickets going down like skittles!

Sarfraz gone without scoring - nice catch by Root. Just 4 needed now...

Crucial couple of wickets from Woakes.


EDIT:

Yasir survives a big lbw shout by the skin of his bat. Probably won't last long though.

The system works. Pakistan nearly indulging in a complete collapse.

Sarfraz didn't detain them long ...

And nearly Yasir as well ! Though I thought immediately he'd edged that one.

Be disappointing if England don't bowl them out now.

And Finn bowls Sami..

Victory lap ...

FINN!!!

Bowls Aslam and surely hands the win to England!!!

7 wickets down and only the tail to come...

Oh Finn's knocked over Aslam - that's the game! Top of off-stump, inch perfect.

Feel great sympathy for Aslam, he's shown a maturity and grit far beyond his meagre experience and years.

Four wickets in the last four and a half overs.

Time to relax...this is going to be over well before close of play now.

Steady everyone.

I think Australia thought they had it won when they removed Collingwood with eleven overs remaining...

Duty281 wrote:Steady everyone.

I think Australia thought they had it won when they removed Collingwood with eleven overs remaining...

Good point.

But you'd like these odds.

Trouble is now I have to stay up until all hours ...hope they can get 'em quickly after tea .

There's tea.

28 overs left, or 168 balls, for England to capture 3 of the Pakistani tail.

England might well get 'em quickly, as Anderson snaffles number 8.

It has been a good recovery from England, but this victory shouldn't mask that the home side have played well beneath the standard expected.

Good delivery from Jimmy. Too much for Yasir.

C'mon chaps ...two more now...

Mistimed and that's wicket 9.

Nearly there. 6 wickets in twelve overs!

Has been a great days work ; from all five bowlers

One more now lads ...and I can get some sleep.

This has been a real turnaround hasn't it. To be put in, behind by a 100 and facing defeat could have broken Eng but they seem to have passed that test and fought back.

It might hurt Pakistans confidence if they lose now though as they really won't have passed the pressure test if so. This was theirs to win.

trebellbobaggins wrote:This was theirs to win.

Indeed, but they chose a path of relentless negativity on Day 4, and it has cost them.

Duty281 wrote:England might well get 'em quickly, as Anderson snaffles number 8.

It has been a good recovery from England, but this victory shouldn't mask that the home side have played well beneath the standard expected.

Not really. They were under par with the bat on day one : but they were pretty good after that : even on that flat second day they actually bowled better than the scoreboard showed ...but two batsmen played very well.

The last three days they've been excellent.

Fat lady warming up her voice.

Good job by Broad and Anderson to see off the last potentially troublesome players. Rahat is a walking wicket, so this could be over any moment.

First time England will have won with a first innings deficit of 100 since...?

Amazing turnaround, went out and it was two down, come back a couple of hours later and some collapse has been going on

VTR wrote:Amazing turnaround, went out and it was two down, come back a couple of hours later and some collapse has been going on

Seems the pressure of trying to hold out got to them in the end.

Dyre, England beat New Zealand from about 130 behind just last year

Vince drops another one and appears to dislocate his finger in the process?

Might be time for him to fade into the background for a while...

VTR wrote:Dyre, England beat New Zealand from about 130 behind just last year

I have a memory like Swiss cheese...

Boundaries flowing for Pakistan!

Duty281 wrote:Boundaries flowing for Pakistan!

The storm before the calm?

Just typical that Rahat would pick this innings to stick around and bag some runs.

This is truly dross bowling here lads

What's with all the short stuff?

Fast, full and straight - 'tis all you need!

Overdoing the short stuff.

Moeen time for mine ...

These two just boshing everything and give their fans some fun.

They could yet save this.

Yay!

Just when you think all is lost, up pops Trebs with one of his patented reverse jinxes.

Duty281 wrote:
What's with all the short stuff?

Fast, full and straight - 'tis all you need!

I can't believe they actually need someone to tell them that.

Fewer than 100 deliveries left...

Why have they just abandoned everything that's worked so well to get numbers 1-9 out

Taking a long time to close this out...

When do we start to get worried ?

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Why have they just abandoned everything that's worked so well to get numbers 1-9 out

Because if they take the last wicket soon-ish, Hales will have to part-refund the entire crowd!

Come on England - what the hell are you playing at?!?!?!

Duty281 wrote:
Because if they take the last wicket soon-ish, Hales will have to part-refund the entire crowd! drumroll

Typical last wicket frustration.

England won't be getting these two flashing blades out they are probably set to win now.

Good Golly I'm Olly wrote:Why have they just abandoned everything that's worked so well to get numbers 1-9 out

Odd , isn't it ? Teams do tend to relax prematurely when number eleven arrives in this situation. But , although I don't mind a few short ones at players who haven't played them well previously , I'd have liked to see more at the stumps early.
Though total rabbits can't usually edge out swingers ...so the usual methods don't always work either.

Regroup now at drinks : full and straight now perhaps...

Simon Jones was always good at eradicating the tail of a side.

14 overs left. 84 balls.

There we go, Moeen! Great reactions. Probably secures him MOTM!

Excellent test.

Excellent, as you were then :-)

Well done England.