Key events
96th over: Pakistan 443-9 (Razaullah 75, Ali 4) Mohammad Ali is the last man for Pakistan. Shot! He smears his first ball for four through midwicket. Heady stuff. Three dots mean Razaullah is on strike for the next over to Lawrence…
WICKET! Mohammad Abbas c Atkinson b Tongue 42 (Pakistan 439-9)
Oh no! Abbas carves Tongue to point and the jaw dropping partnership is finally over. 121 runs added for the ninth wicket, Abbas walks off wracked in disappointment, he wanted a maiden Test fifty and to be there to help Razaullah to a what would be an all time great maiden Test century. The latter still could happen you know. England’s relief is palpable.
95th over: Pakistan 439-8 (Razaullah 75, Abbas 43) Razaullah faces Lawrence without a helmet. Don’t do this at home, kids. But also, love it. He defends stoically for four balls and then takes a single to cover. Abbas reverse sweeps (!) once more, he misses and it hits him on the arm guard. Root sends it upstairs for a review but it hit Abbas outside the line.
94th over: Pakistan 437-8 (Razaullah 74, Abbas 42) The light is now starting to fade at Edgbaston, we might not make it to 7pm. Root throws the ball to Josh Tongue and puts in a silly mid off. Razaullah pokes a single and Abbas defends the rest of the over. The lead is up to 117 runs and Dan Lawrence is coming on for a twirl in the gloaming.
93rd over: Pakistan 434-8 (Razaullah 73, Abbas 40) A few of you in the OBO inbox have already mentioned Botham’s Ashes and 1981…
England’s field is pure Brownian Motion. They’ve lost the plot in the last fifteen minutes or so. Atkinson hides the ball down the leg side for a maiden and some brief respite.
92nd over: Pakistan 433-8 (Razaullah 73, Abbas 40) Archer is too full and is driven by Abbas for a sumptuous four through cover. I’m laughing as I type. Incredible scenes here at Edgbaston.
91st over: Pakistan 429-8 (Razaullah 73, Abbas 36) Mohammed Abbas is batting like Javed Miandad! He backs away and smashes Atkinson down the ground for SIX! The partnership and the lead both pass 100. A single brings Razaullah on strike. Oh my days! He smears a lofted drive over cover for SIX. Absolutely incredible shot. I’m going to have to fire up synonyms.com soon. England are shellshocked, this game is being turned on its head by a remarkable ninth wicket partnership.
90th over: Pakistan 416-8 (Razaullah 67, Abbas 30) Abbas takes a single off Archer, it takes him to his highest Test score and leave Razaullah with two balls to face off Jofra… SIX! What a shot! That might be the biggest so far, smeared over wide long on. The next ball is hit like a canon down the ground for four more. This is phenomenal hitting. Pakistan lead by 96 runs.
89th over: Pakistan 405-8 (Razaullah 57, Abbas 29) Mo Abbas is completely untroubled by Gus Atkinson who replaces Ollie Robinson in the evening sunshine. The old timer clips two twos and is then happy to take the strike for the next over with another languid flick into the leg side.
88th over: Pakistan 400-8 (Razaullah 57, Abbas 24) This is simply incredible from Razaullah! He hits Jofra flippin Archer down the ground for consecutive SIXES. That’s his fifty too, applause and cheers all around the ground for him, he’s lit up the fag end of this summer! Pakistan’s 400 is up and they lead by 80 runs.
87th over: Pakistan 386-8 (Razaullah 43, Abbas 24) Robinson bowls five dots at Abbas but the sixth is clubbed down the ground for four more! Pakistan’s lead is up to 66.
“Today’s play has given us a much-needed reminder of what Pakistan can offer: entertaining and unpredictable cricket” writes Colum Fordham. Azan Awais and Razaullah have been particularly bright sparks, the latter’s lusty hitting adding lustre to a courageous second innings. And a much better test for England’s bowlers.”
You can guess what Colum’s email was titled…
86th over: Pakistan 382-8 (Razaullah 43, Abbas 20) Jofra Archer replaces Tongue. Razaullah swings hard at the first two but doesn’t connect. Archer is a picture of frustration. A single is scampered down the ground to bring Abbas on strike. Archer goes for the yorker… misses by an inch or two and Razaullah creams it through the covers for four. Archer gives him a nod of approval, it was a full bunger but it was dispatched in some style.
85th over: Pakistan 376-8 (Razaullah 38, Abbas 20) Ollie Robinson replaces Dan Lawrence. Hello Gruesome! Razaullah stands tall and punches for four off the back foot! Fifty partnership up. A single to leg takes Pakistan’s lead to fifty runs. And counting! Abbas wipes Robinson into the building site for SIX. This is tremendous.
84th over: Pakistan 365-8 (Razaullah 33, Abbas 14) Razaullah hacks one down the ground off Tongue and it leaves Abbas on strike for four balls. No mither, a top edge over the cordon brings four more! Joe Root has a smile on his face, part of him will be glad his bowlers are being tested. His captaincy is too. Tongue beats Abbas with a beauty off the fifth ball but still can’t find the breakthrough England need. This partnership has lasted ten overs and is worth 47 runs.
83rd over: Pakistan 360-8 (Razaullah 32, Abbas 10) Mo Abbas gets out the reverse sweep and adds four more! Dan Lawrence has his head in his hands. Abbas clips for two off his hip and Pakistan lead by 40 runs. What a sport.
82nd over: Pakistan 354-8 (Razaullah 32, Abbas 4) Tongue slams his first ball with the new Dukes down the leg side and away for four byes. Razaullah calls for new gloves after one ball, he isn’t messing about. Ah, my mistake, it’s an arm guard. Yikes. He nearly swings himself off his feet to the next ball but connects only with fresh air. Rinse and repeat x 5! Tongue has no idea how he hasn’t hit the stumps, but he hasn’t and it is time for a drink.
Extra half hour tonight lads? Who’d have thunk it.
81st over: Pakistan 350-8 (Razaullah 32, Abbas 4) Razaullah can’t get Lawrence’s box of tricks away and ends up taking a risky single to get on strike the next over! He dropped his bat and fell over but makes his ground. Mo Abbas dutifully blocks the last ball and so on we go. Pakistan lead by 30 runs. Oh, the new ball has been taken.
80th over: Pakistan 349-8 (Razaullah 31, Abbas 4) Just a single and bye off Tongue. More importantly Razaullah is on strike and Dan Lawrence is coming on to bowl. Do not adjust your set.
79th over: Pakistan 347-8 (Razaullah 30, Abbas 4) Shot! Shot! and SHOT! Razaullah crashes three SIXES off Gus Atkinson and the crowd are loving it! Delicious swings of the bat – the first six is crashed into the hotel development on the leg side and the next two crunched down the ground! Fantastic ball striking, England look a bit clueless as to what to do in the face of such aggression. The lead is up to 27 runs… something to bowl at soon…
78th over: Pakistan 329-8 (Razaullah 12, Abbas 4) Razaullah tries to wipe Tongue into the leg side but can’t connect. He gets something on the fourth ball but it squirts to midwicket for a single. Haha! Brilliantly agricultural from Mo Abbas! He takes a step to leg and clubs for four (somehow) down the ground.
77th over: Pakistan 324-8 (Razaullah 11, Abbas 0) An over of short stuff from Atkinson and nothing doing. The field is now spread far and wide, Razaullah is not going to die wondering.
76th over: Pakistan 324-8 (Razaullah 11, Abbas 0) Wow. Josh Tongue replaces Archer and Razaullah marmalises his second ball over square leg for SIX! Serious swagger in that, I like the cut of this guy’s jib. England will have to bat again.
75th over: Pakistan 318-8 (Razaullah 5, Abbas 0) Mohammad Abbas joins Razaullah in the middle. We might not be here much longer folks.
WICKET! Mohammad Imran c Cox b Atkinson 4 (Pakistan 318-8)
Another blinder of a catch by Jordan Cox behind the sticks, almost a carbon copy of Ghori’s dismissal as Archer finds the inside edge with one that nips back.
74th over: Pakistan 317-7 (Imran 4, Razaullah 4) Just one off Jofra’s latest as he oversteps the front line. Not so quiet the next over though…
73rd over: Pakistan 316-7 (Imran 4, Razaullah 4 ) Yes please! Razaullah arrives in the middle swipes his first ball down the ground for four! Another of those and England will have to bat again, that’s a lose/lose situation for Emilio Gay and Ben Duckett eh?
Just a quick one, you know that fever dream you sometimes have where you and Ravi Bopara are playing darts down the boozer? Yes? Yes?! Well it can now become a reality.
Friend of the OBO and one of the sharpest brains/filthiest chuckles in cricket media – Yas Rana – is hosting An Evening With Ravi Bopara next Wednesday evening in London town and there are still a few tickets available. Bring your questions and BYOA*.
(*Bring yer own arrers)
WICKET! Ghazi Ghori c Cox b Atkinson 16 (Pakistan 312-7)
Atkinson finds the edge, Cox pulls off the catch. Pakistan nearing the brink.
72nd over: Pakistan 310-6 (Ghori 15, Imran 3) Archer whistles through a maiden. Those in The Hollies are now bathed in sunshine, I can spot a few pink nosed Fred Flintstone’s and ruddy cheeked Village People. They won’t at all mind Pakistan rattling off some runs and forcing England to bat again… oh about that…
71st over: Pakistan 310-6 (Ghori 15, Imran 3) Does Umpire Reiffel have early dinner plans? He triggers Ghori LBW to Atkinson but the DRS has the batter hitting the cover off it and the ball going well over the stumps. Decision overturned, it would have been a howler.
70th over: Pakistan 308-6 (Ghori 15, Imran 2) Mohammad Imran is the new batter. Archer steams in at him with shadows lengthening across the Edgbaston outfield. Lovely evening in Brum now. The new batter pokes for two to get off the mark and Ghori sways out of the way of the rest of the over.
WICKET! Saud Shakeel c Gay b Archer 29 (Pakistan 306-6)
Archer goes around the wicket and gets the breakthrough! A horrible ball to face for Saud as it lifts sharply off a length and balloons off his bottom glove, Gay takes a simple catch at short leg.
69th over: Pakistan 306-5 (Saud 29, Ghori 15) Atkinson from t’other end. He’d dearly love some wickets to make those series stats look a bit better on paper but Ghori glides him away for four. Oh.
68th over: Pakistan 302-5 (Saud 29, Ghori 11) Jofra Archer bowls the first over back after the tea break. Ghori has a look at the first two deliveries and then pulls the next over midwicket for four! Archer has a look of real disgust, the proverbial pug chewing a tangfastic. Other sour sweets are available but if you are reading Haribo, let’s talk.
Ghori tucks a single off his hip and Saud ducks – repeat ducks – the final ball bouncer. Pakistan breach 300 and trail by 18 runs.
Thanks for your emails, keep them coming in. Bright sunshine now at Edgbaston ahead of what could be the final session of the Test.
*Could be*
67th over: Pakistan 297-5 (Saud 29, Ghori 5) Pakistan make it to tea and trail England by 23 runs, another good session from them despite the loss of Masood just shy of a century (95) and Babar to a loose flap on 76.
England are going to win but they are being made to work for it.
66th over: Pakistan 296-5 (Saud 29, Ghori 5) Four off Jofra Archer including another thoroughly unconvincing attempt at a pull from Saud who somehow gets the ball to land safe off his splice.
65th over: Pakistan 292-5 (Saud 26, Ghori 4) Robinson replaces Tongue and Cox comes up to the stumps, a different question to answer now for Saud and Ghori. The latter glides for a couple into the off side and there are four byes as Robinson loses his line to spear down the leg side. We’ve got five minutes until tea.
Durham promoted, Lancashire lose… again – Tanya Aldred has all the latest over on our County blog:
64th over: Pakistan 286-5 (Saud 26, Ghori 2) Eeeesht! We’ve got ten minutes to go til tea and Pakistan have lost their heads a little here at Edgbaston. Saud pulls Archer just over the salmon leaping Root at square leg and gets four. He plays a wild hack at the very next ball and squirts it over the infield for two. Have a word.
63rd over: Pakistan 279-5 (Saud 20, Ghori 1) It was a terrific catch from Jordan Cox but Babar is coming in for some criticism from both Mark Butcher and Stuart Broad on the sky commentary. “I don’t understand why you wouldn’t just duck underneath it… the pitch is even paced” says Butcher. It is a shame for the match scenario too, just when thoughts were starting to turn to England having to bat again.
Ghazi Ghori walks out to join Saud, he didn’t last long in the first innings, England sense the kill. Nick first ball! It goes through the vacant third slip though and sub fielder Theo Wylie Coyote does some nifty work on the boundary to save three runs. It’s all happening all of a sudden.
WICKET! Babar Azam c Cox b Tongue 76 (Pakistan 278-5)
Gone! That’s a poor shot from Babar who flaps and gets a glove behind to the diving Jordan Cox! England have the breakthrough. Babar trudges off with his head down, he’s been exposed against the short stuff once again.
62nd over: Pakistan 278-4 (Babar 76, Saud 20) Root has a fly slip and almost a back stop on the boundary edge. Archer goes short and Babar pulls for four! He is going to take it on here at Edgbaston. Short again from Archer… uppercut from Babar and it flies to the sub fielder Theo Wylie who nearly goes from zero to hero with a juggling relay catch to himself but he steps on the sponge and can’t pull off the speccy. SIX runs to Babar but England are licking their lips.
61st over: Pakistan 267-4 (Babar 65, Saud 20) Babar and Saud are eating into the last of England’s lead and so Root cooks up a different tactic. He sets the field back and instructs Tongue to go short. Babar doensn’t look comfortable, he flaps at a pull shot and only just gets it wide of Root himself fielding at square leg. Stand by your beds, short stuff incoming.
60th over: Pakistan 266-4 (Babar 64, Saud 20) Saud leans onto the front foot and picks up two to bring up Pakistan’s third consecutive fifty partnership. Proper criggit.
Rob Grey is a fickle beast:
“I emailed in to the OBO yesterday and I was fuming at the state of Test cricket” he emails.
“Today I’m in the Hollies and I take it all back, it’s called ebb and flow. You just have to ride that wave. I love Test cricket, long may it thrive.”
How lovely. I suspect drink has been taken, Rob?
59th over: Pakistan 264-4 (Babar 64, Saud 18) Tongue is too short and too wide, Babar does not miss out, quicksilver hands and the ball traces away to the cover boundary.
Saud has been busy since arriving in the middle, he clips down the ground for two and tucks an 86mph attempted yorker off his boot like it ain’t no thang.
“1ft 8 inches” Ali Martin coos across from his perch. “That’s the difference in height betwen Saud Shakeel and Shaquille O’Neil.” That’s why they pay him the big bucks, Cardus wasn’t coming up with that sort of stuff was he.
58th over: Pakistan 257-4 (Babar 60, Saud 15) Archer is in the low to mid eighties on the speed gun but it’s enough to trouble Babar, a back of a length ball completely squares up him up and finds the edge but it runs all along the floor and wide of the cordon for four. Babar shrugs it off and works a full ball for a couple.
57th over: Pakistan 250-4 (Babar 54, Saud 14) Tongue is clipped into the leg side for two more by Babar. He such an aesthetically pleasing player to watch and the crowd give a warm ripple of applause. The crowd are so much more into this contest here on day three. Yesterday was so flat at Edgbaston, especially when Pakistan were 0-2 in this inings and there was a real danger of another two day Test in the offing.
A louder cheer now as Jofra Archer peels off his jumper, he is going to bowl the next over. Pakistan trail by 70 runs.
56th over: Pakistan 248-4 (Babar 52, Saud 14) England are trying to get the ball changed but there’s nothing doing for them at the moment, the umpire passes it through the Saturn rings and throws it bag to a questioning Joe Root. Atkinson gets one to scud through low but Babar is up to it, clipping off his toes for a single.
This ball is 56 overs old but it is swinging through the air a touch. At last England’s bowlers are having to graft a bit for their wickets, no bad thing.
55th over: Pakistan 246-4 (Babar 51, Saud 14) It’s been hard yakka for Josh Tongue today, he leaks eleven (eleven) runs off his eleventh over and has nowt for 71 so far. Ouch. Saud drives one handed through the covers for four, an extraordinary shot that briefly made him look like a stern Victorian nanny shooing some unruly children into the orangery. Something like that anyway. Tongue spears four more down the leg side and it clips Saud’s hip to run away for four more.
54th over: Pakistan 235-4 (Babar 50, Saud 8) Atkinson is into his seventh over on the spin, he allowed himself a smile after picking up the wicket of Masood. It was his first Test wicket in over 30 overs, I was chatting to my press box neighbour Andy Bull earlier about how Atkinson had done 1/3 of a Len Hopwood – England’s beleaguered seamer who holds the record for the most fruitless deliveries in Test cricket, bowling 462 balls without taking a wicket against Australia in 1934.
Len’s record is safe once again… and might be for some time.
Anyway, Babar Azam clips Atkinson for a couple past point to go to his 38th Test fifty. About that century Babar…
James Wallace
Thanks Rob and hello all.
Go on admit it. You didn’t think we’d still be here did you?
(Neither did I but I’m glad we are. Can Babar Azam get his first Test century in four years?)
Drinks: Pakistan trail by 87 runs
53rd over: Pakistan 233-4 (Babar 48, Saud 8) Josh Tongue replaces Ollie Robinson, who bowled a threatening eight-over spell either side of lunch. Saud plays and misses at a peach before driving his first boundary through the covers.
That’s it from me – the estimable Jim Wallace is here for the rest of the day.
