Pope and Buttler were hanging in but Naseem has just got rid of Pope with an absolute beauty.
127/5 and now we need Woakes to rediscover some form with the bat, facing an attack that has been little short of brilliant this morning.
There is only one way to survive the delivery that got Pope, make sure you are at the bowlers end when it comes.
There’s been some very good bowling, on both sides - only 5 batsmen have managed to get over 20, and only 10 have got out of single figures. The missed chances by Buttler off Bess are so far making the difference here. England have managed to get over 200, but are still 120 odd behind and even if they manage a few more, a hundred run lead on this… very difficult to see England getting even a draw.
Latest CricViz tweet on this - Rizwan’s keeping has earned Pakistan 10 runs, Buttler’s keeping has cost England 70 runs.
With England trailing by 110 at the moment, there’s the lion’s share of the difference between the two sides (which is surprising since, by eye, you’d think Pakistan have bowled substantially better than England - particularly given England were awful post lunch on both Days 1 and 2).
And all out. Lead is 107.
There’s only 3 scores of substance in Pakistan’s innings, it’s just that one of them was 156.
So, to stand any sort of chance at all, Eng need to bowl Pak out for, what, 150? Chase 250ish and try and remember how to bat? I’d still have my money on Pakistan.
Pakistan currently 73% for the win. I think you are right, we need to shoot them out for 150. Preferably less (obviously). They need to get Shan and Babar quickly in particular - if the first innings is any indication, one is the anchor and the other can get a good chunk of 150 by himself in quick time, before making an England win all but impossible by extending the lead.
It’s not a deck that is going to get any easier to bat on.
Keeping low. Some sharp spin. Just need reverse swing for the whammy.
There goes Shan. 6-1
PT is not wrong. Batting last on this will be tricky. Yasir is going to be a big factor.
I’m not suggesting that England would win chasing 250, just that anything more than that would be unlikely.
Classic work there by England, offering you that little bit of hope to lure you in.
FFS, that’s a terrible piece of slip fielding there. That is going right on Root’s right hip. What he’s doing diving across is anyone’s guess.
One of the reasons Stokes is such a great cricketer is that he is always prepared to take responsibility for getting the team the result. That means taking the ball when a partnership needs breaking, it means sticking in and getting the hard runs when wickets are falling. And just occasionally, it means forgetting other people can catch too. Right attitude, wrong time.
48-3 with Shan and Babar back in the hutch, this period until the end of play today is now the biggest of the match. England probably need 2 more wickets minimum and to avoid conceding heavy runs.
Patented Pakistan batting collapse in 3,2,1…
If Azhar Ali ever needed to play a Captains knock, now’s the time.
Yup, Azhar gone.
Well at least we will see how good the Pak bowling attack really is when they have to defend <200.
If James Bond was only allowed to attack people’s legs, Chris Woakes could play him next.
He’d not be much use as an MI6 field agent mind, given his performance abroad. All the films would have to be based in Britain.
Tell you what, a run out is not what you want there. 101-5 - lead is 208
They’ve been snatching singles though, was always on
It’s curiously harem scarem. Pakistan have a mental target of runs and are desperate to get there asap and have taken some chances that weren’t really there. England putting down the odd catch (some easy, some hard) is helping but they seem like they don’t trust themselves, the pitch nor the bowling to get the runs at an easier clip. All this while Bess is proving my point about not being able to hold down an end, so there are runs to be taken off him, whilst he’s still on.
Stokes coming on to bowl for the last half hour or so of the day, and my word he nearly gets a wicket first ball!