Key events
Some lunchtime reading:
Brendan Large writes in:
I apologise but I have not been reading the whole OBO today (work and life is a pain). But I was wondering if this latest collapse is just bad batting/ great bowling/ or the ball jagging all over the shop again?
The answer’s a little boring, but it’s a mix of all those things.
England’s quicks have done it again, with two drops by Ben Duckett at first slip barely mattering. The Pakistan Cricket Board’s performative cull has not changed anything – as expected.
Lunch
23rd over: Pakistan 100-7 (Razaullah 11, Shakeel 37) Razaullah pulls Tongue awkwardly … but gets it away for four. The tailender throws everything at the next delivery … but only finds air. A slower ball hits Razaullah’s right glove, and the physio is out to check in. A yorker is surely on the way … as Razaullah swings his golf club and misses again. Wild. A slog to close the over and session does come off, and Pakistan get to three figures. It ends a dreadful session for the visitors.
22nd over: Pakistan 92-7 (Razaullah 3, Shakeel 37) Ollie Robinson is back and averaging under seven with the ball this series. Leg-byes bring Pakistan four more precious runs. Razaullah survives.
21st over: Pakistan 86-7 (Razaullah 2, Shakeel 37) Razaullah punches for a couple down the ground – he’s playing just his ninth first-class match. He does have a hundred to his name.
WICKET! Imran b Tongue 5 (Pakistan 84-7)
Yep, that’s some delivery. Tongue spears in a yorker at off-stump and another debutant is sent on his way.
20th over: Pakistan 82-6 (Imran 3, Shakeel 37) Imran clips Atkinson nicely for a couple and keeps the strike after a leg bye.
19th over: Pakistan 79-6 (Imran 1, Shakeel 37)
I can’t say I know all that much about Mohammad Imran, on debut and out there with Shakeel. With a first-class batting average of 26.52, he should improve Pakistan’s tail, which has folded so easily this series.
18th over: Pakistan 75-6 (Imran 1, Shakeel 34)
Afternoon to Mike Wiltsher:
Just tuned in: given the way the Pakistan squad have been treated the score is no real surprise. It’s still possible the tail may wag and England also collapse in a heap but, at the moment, even as a perennially disappointed England fan, it’s hard to take much joy from the scoreline.
There’s little joy here for anyone who cares about Test cricket.
Saud Shakeel continues to fight, playing on a different surface. He drives Atkinson through the covers for his fifth boundary. He’s less convincing with an uppish drive through gully, but Pakistan will welcome any runs.
17th over: Pakistan 64-6 (Imran 0, Saud 24) Pakistan haven’t got to 200 this series. Three figures could be a problem here.
Colum Fordham writes in:
Looks like the PCB are reaping what they’ve sown by slashing seven players from the team and two coaches: utter chaos.
Admittedly a fine four-pronged England seam attack spear-headed by Archer bowling in cloudy conditions makes for a tricky start for the Pakistani players but they look demoralised and their board’s decision is effectively blooding young, inexperienced players in a highly unfavourable environment.
The dismal Pakistan batting also makes the match a one-sides contest that does nothing to aid the fortunes of test cricket. Apart from that, a great first morning performance by England!
WICKET! Ghori lbw Tongue 4 (Pakistan 64-6)
What a start! Ghori cuts away his first ball in Test cricket for four, welcoming a short and wide Tongue delivery. A strong leg-before shout follows but the umpire says no. I think this could be clipping leg stump … it’s actually missing. But it doesn’t take long for the killer blow – Tongue nips it in and this one’s plumb. Ghori reviews but it’s futile.
16th over: Pakistan 60-5 (Ghori 0, Shakeel 24) Shakeel drives Atkinson for four but then goes a bit too wild, inside-edging to the ropes. Ghazi Ghori is at the other end, on Test debut. It’s a horrible situation to come into as a 23-year-old. Shakeel continues to play his shots, nailing another cover drive.
WICKET! Babar b Tongue 7 (Pakistan 48-5)
Time for Josh Tongue and Shakeel plays the shot of the session, pinging a cover drive for four. Tongue will look to square up Babar … well, no, he’ll bowl him instead, rattling off stump. It might have stayed a touch low. Pakistan’s misery continues.
15th over: Pakistan 48-5 (Ghori 0, Shakeel 12)
14th over: Pakistan 43-4 (Babar 7, Shakeel 8) Babar doesn’t find the middle but still gets enough on the ball to locate the square-leg rope. Shakeel flashes hard outside off for an edge … and Duckett puts another down at first slip, unable to hold on with his right hand. This one was higher and tougher, but still gettable.
13th over: Pakistan 37-4 (Babar 2, Shakeel 7) There’s been a bit of rain around but we’re good to continue. Shakeel is lunging forward against Robinson … who decides to surprise the batter with a short ball. Shakeel pulls away for a couple.
12th over: Pakistan 35-4 (Babar 2, Shakeel 5) Babar played a cracking knock against New Zealand on this ground seven years ago in the World Cup, hitting an unbeaten ton in a successful chase of 238. Happier days. Gus Atkinson whizzes the ball past Babar’s outside edge on the way to a maiden.
11th over: Pakistan 35-4 (Babar 2, Shakeel 5) Robinson slides down the leg side and Smith, up to the stumps, isn’t getting that. It runs away for four byes. The catch off Masood was taken by Theo Wylie, by the way, a 20-year-old at Warwickshire.
10th over: Pakistan 29-4 (Babar 2, Shakeel 3) Saud Shakeel, so close to a ton at Lord’s, punches through mid-off for three. We’re one wicket away from the keeper on debut. Babar, bounced out by Archer in London, flashes outside off and only catches air.
WICKET! Masood c sub Wylie b Archer 6 (Pakistan 26-4)
Ollie Robinson’s Test bowling average has dropped to 19.19. Ridiculous, isn’t it? And now another for Archer – a truly horrid dismissal. Masood falls like Azan, awkwardly shoving the ball into the leg-side, chipping it for the easiest of grabs at midwicket. This has been a horrible, horrible first hour for Pakistan. And it’s not a surprise.
9th over: Pakistan 26-3 (Babar 2, Masood 5) Five men make up England’s slip cordon … but Babar Azam clips into the leg-side for a couple.
WICKET! Shafique c Lawrence b Robinson 3 (Pakistan 24-3)
And another. Robinson’s relentlessness tells, finding the outside edge of Shafique, and Dan Lawrence cleans up in the stacked cordon. This one-sided series refuses to change its rhythm.
8th over: Pakistan 24-2 (Shafique 3, Masood 5) Archer finds Masood’s outside edge … but the ball finds the gap in the cordon to run away for four.
7th over: Pakistan 18-2 (Shafique 2, Masood 0) Masood is playing his 50th Test – it’s taken him 13 years to get there. Robinson continues to toy with Shafique, the ball constantly threatening to brush the outside edge.
6th over: Pakistan 16-2 (Shafique 0, Masood 0) Shan Masood is hit first ball on the pad … it looks close to me but England aren’t going to review. Maybe sliding down leg.
WICKET! Azan c Tongue b Archer 9 (Pakistan 14-2)
Dropped! Azan – unable to score off Robinson – drives loosely at Archer, and an edge carries low to Ben Duckett at first slip … but he can’t gobble it up. Not that it really matters: Azan is left in a tangle on the back foot and chips to Josh Tongue at midwicket. Oh dear.
5th over: Pakistan 13-1 (Shafique 0, Azan 9) Robinson looks dangerous with every ball, refusing to miss his spot. Azan, covering his stumps, can’t do anything about another delivery that jags extravagantly away from his bat.
4th over: Pakistan 13-1 (Shafique 0, Azan 9) Azan looks confident, driving Archer through the covers again for his second boundary. Archer then pulls back his length to jag the ball away from the southpaw.
3rd over: Pakistan 8-1 (Shafique 0, Azan 4) Abdullah Shafique is in at three for Pakistan, with Shan Masood dropping to four. Jamie Smith is up to the stumps … as Robinson bowls a corker, nipping it away from the right-hander. It’s a fine take from the keeper, too.
WICKET! Ayub lbw Robinson 0 (Pakistan 8-1)
Ayub is given out again! And he reviews once more … but this looks fairly plumb to me. Robinson wobbles it into the left-hander and slaps the back pad. It’s smashing into leg stump and that is a really poor review. It’s a 10-ball duck for the recalled opener. Robinson has his 100th Test wicket!
2nd over: Pakistan 8-0 (Ayub 0, Azan 4) Jofra Archer has two left-handers to play with as Azan, who battled hard at Lord’s, unfurls a lush drive through the covers to close the over, punishing a half volley.
1st over: Pakistan 4-0 (Ayub 0, Azan 0) A welcome start for Pakistan, with leg byes travelling down the leg-side for four. Robinson, on 99 Test wickets, beats the bat with one that jags away from the left-hander … before nipping one back in for the leg-before! And up goes the finger! Ayub looked to leave and is hit well outside the line … and it’s travelling well over the stumps. Robinson must wait a little longer for No 100.
The anthems have wrapped up. Time for Ollie Robinson to wobble the ball down. Saim Ayub is on strike.
Andrew Goudie writes in:
Winning this match would be maximum Pakistan ridiculousness. And who knows? England have a long history of ridiculousness too.
Saim Ayub has flown in from the Caribbean Premier League … to take on a new-ball duo of Ollie Robinson and Jofra Archer. Ayub hasn’t played a first-class match since last October, hasn’t played a Test since January 2025. He’ll probably have to play a role with the ball, too, as Pakistan’s only spin option. Good luck to him.
The teams
Pakistan have three debutants and make four changes to the XI that played at Lord’s. Saim Ayub slots in at the top of the order and there are caps for Ghazi Ghori, Razaullah and Mohammad Imran.
England: Emilio Gay, Ben Duckett, Jordan Cox, Joe Root (c), Harry Brook, Dan Lawrence, Jamie Smith (wk), Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Ollie Robinson, Josh Tongue
Pakistan: Azan Awais, Saim Ayub, Abdullah Shafique, Shan Masood, Babar Azam (c), Saud Shakeel, Ghazi Ghori (wk), Mohammad Imran, Razaullah, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Abbas
England win the toss and choose to bowl first
Joe Root says he likes the overheads. England aren’t messing about – they’re unchanged.
The County Championship roars on. Tanya’s keeping tabs from Old Trafford.
Ali Martin
There are some chilly white-ball games still to come this month and with it the sight of Kevin Pietersen back in England training kit for the first time in 12 years. KP is down with the kids these days, 6/7 memes and the like, and starts a new life as the “specialist mentor” to Harry Brook’s young thrusters.
But the final Test of the summer that starts at Edgbaston on Wednesday does feel like an end of sorts, or at least one last push before a breather for the side that has undergone the more significant recalibration. And that is before we get on to Pakistan and a tour that has descended into a bonfire of players and a phone-snatching investigation into “discipline and conduct”.
Here’s something I wrote on Pakistan. It’s been a tough watch.
Preamble
Hello, hello, hello and welcome to the last Test of the English summer. It’s been a wild one: beginning with Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, ending with Joe Root and Marcus Trescothick. Stephen Fleming’s on the way. There’s been late-night drama, a series defeat to New Zealand, and a comfortable triumph against Pakistan. But the hosts aren’t the story today. No, it’s all Pakistan, with their board’s frankly ridiculous decision to discard seven players and two coaches after the second Test at Lord’s. A remarkable toss awaits as Babar Azam is asked about any changes to his XI. This bizarre dead rubber gets going at 11am BST.