England put themselves within sight of a series victory at Lord’s on Friday, bowling Pakistan out for 110 in 37.2 overs and then batting through to 81-3 at a light-shortened close to lead by 261.
Ollie Robinson was the destroyer, returning 4-11 from 13 overs with six maidens — a spell of relentless accuracy on a surface offering just enough seam movement to make every defensive stroke a negotiation. Jofra Archer supported him with 3-26 from 11.2 overs, Josh Tongue took two, and Pakistan’s first innings was over inside a session and a half.
The tourists were already a batter light. Imam-ul-Haq limped off with a left calf injury while fielding and did not bat, leaving Pakistan to face England’s four-man seam attack with ten men. Only Azan Awais offered sustained resistance, making 46 from 102 balls before falling in the 35th over. Saud Shakeel’s 16 was the next-best score. Extras contributed 20 — the second-highest entry on the card.
Robinson’s control turns a lead into a stranglehold
England’s 290 on day one had looked ordinary in isolation. Having been sent in and reduced to 36-3 by Mohammad Abbas — who removed Emilio Gay, Ben Duckett and Joe Root in a burst of three wickets for four runs in 16 balls — the innings was rescued by Jamie Smith’s 61 and Jordan Cox’s 55, then extended by a last-wicket stand of 47 between Gus Atkinson (45) and Tongue. Abbas finished with 4-56, Mohammad Ali 3-67.
By stumps on day two, 290 looked substantial. The difference was Robinson’s line. Where Pakistan’s seamers had attacked the stumps and been driven through the covers when they over-pitched, Robinson worked a fourth-stump channel and refused to deviate from it. Six maidens in 13 overs is a statement of intent as much as economy: batters who could not score were eventually compelled to play.
Babar Azam, back from the finger injury that ruled him out of the first Test at Headingley, lasted long enough to strike two boundaries before edging Tongue to third slip. It was a dismissal that summarised Pakistan’s afternoon — a promising start terminated by a delivery that asked one question too many.
England’s second innings and the state of the match
Leading by 180, England chose to bat again rather than enforce the follow-on, and lost three wickets in 22 overs before bad light ended play early. Root made 24 from 37 balls; Gay was unbeaten on 30 from 69 with six fours, with Harry Brook on 7. Abbas, so devastating on day one, went wicketless from eight overs for 27.
The position:
- England 290 and 81-3, leading by 261
- Pakistan 110 all out (Awais 46; Robinson 4-11, Archer 3-26)
- England lead the three-match series 1-0 after winning at Headingley by an innings and 103 runs
- Imam-ul-Haq’s calf injury casts doubt on his availability to bat in the second innings
Pakistan have not chased more than 300 to win a Test in England. A fourth-innings target beyond that, against Archer and Robinson at Lord’s, would be the most demanding assignment this side has faced on the tour. The one variable working in their favour is the weather: rain is forecast for Saturday, and any interruption both eats into England’s bowling time and freshens conditions for the seamers who reduced them to 36-3 on Thursday.
What a series win would mean for Root’s England
This is a young England side operating under a new captain. Root took the job back after Ben Stokes’s retirement from Test cricket, and the squad has been reshaped around him — Cox is playing only his third Test, and his 55 at first drop strengthens a case for permanent occupancy of a position England have struggled to settle. Brydon Carse’s withdrawal from the squad over a nightclub incident thinned the seam-bowling options further, which makes the workload absorbed by Robinson, Archer, Tongue and Atkinson more notable.
Win here and England take an unassailable 2-0 lead with a Test to spare, having dismissed Pakistan for under 200 in three consecutive innings. For a bowling attack rebuilt largely from injury returns, that would represent something firmer than form.
Pakistan’s problem is more structural. Their batting has now been dismissed for 110 or fewer twice in the series, and the reliance on Abbas — 43 years into a career of remorseless accuracy — is becoming conspicuous. Without runs to defend, even his best spells only delay the outcome.
Sports journalist and editor at SportsPortal.net. Covers cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis, and basketball with a focus on how global sports connect with Pakistani audiences. Follows the PSL, Pakistan national cricket team, Premier League, and major international tournaments. Has reported on sports for digital audiences since 2021.
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