ENG vs PAK 1st Test at Old Trafford, Manchester
England vs Pakistan (ENG vs PAK) 1st Test Day 3 Live Cricket Score Updates: England resume Day 3 on 92 for four, still 234 runs behind Pakistan’s competitive first innings total of 326, boosted by a superb career-best 156 from opener Shan Masood, who scored a third century in as many innings. Seamer Mohammad Abbas later caused mayhem at the top of the England order in the first Test at Old Trafford.
The hosts rely on the partnership of Ollie Pope (46 not out) and Jos Buttler (15 not out) after Shaheen Afridi trapped Rory Burns (4) leg before wicket, before Abbas (2-24) did likewise to Dom Sibley (8), and then claimed the prize wicket of Ben Stokes for a duck, the ball clipping the off-stump with a subtle nip away off the pitch.
It has started to rain in Manchester. Play has been stopped as the covers come on. Buttler battling hard: 29 (89) Woakes: 7 (7). ENG are 141/5 after 47.2 overs
Chris Woakes takes a thumping blow on the head as he ducks into a Naseem Shah bouncer, and England's sub fielders bring out not just a selection of helmets but a whole kitbag.
Naseem Shah's outstanding bowling gives Pakistan the much-needed breakthrough as Ollie Pope departs for 62 after completing 50-run partnership with Buttler. Woakes comes to the crease. ENG are 127/5 after 45 overs.
A patient first hour of the day brings up 50-run partnership between Pope and Buttler, who has only really attacked the ball when it's been very full in this innings, defending and leaving when the Pakistan bowlers have been more on a good length in the channel. ENG are 115/4 after 43 overs.
Drinks are on the field after an hour of Test cricket. Not much to reflect on the scoreboard so far. Pope brought up his half-century and is about to complete a 50-run partnership wiith Buttler at the crease. Pakistan continue their search for wicket.
Pope presses on with Buttler after passing fifty. The hosts are relying heavily on their partnership. Pope faces some intense balling. Mohammad Abbas is bowling superbly. He's brought a miss or an edge with 23% of his deliveries, swinging the ball more than last night (0.5 degrees v 0.2 degrees), seaming it just as much. England are 106/4 after 39 overs.
Ollie Pope brings up his fifth Test half-century in a total of 11 Tests. His 50 comes at a very crucial point of the Test and he celebrates it by raising his bat, only to realise there is no crowd. He turns to the dressing room instead.
The current session is very critical for both the teams. Pakistan have allowed only two runs, both taken by Pope, in the first four overs of the day. Pak are looking for a wicket.
Day 3 of the first Test kickstarts in Manchester. England have a difficult task ahead as they trail the tourists by 234 runs. Ollie Pope and Jos Buttler at the crease, Shaheen on the attack.
According to forecast, the weather is promising and we can see a full game today. England have a lot of damage work to do. They're 92/4 in reply to Pakistan's 326 & will be facing a stern challenge from the tourist's skilled attack.
England fast bowler Jofra Archer believes his side lacked luck after another disappointing display with the ball has left them facing a sizeable first innings deficit after day two of the first test against Pakistan on Thursday. (READ MORE)
Ben Stokes was batting almost a foot outside of his crease on the second day of the 1st Test to negate the possibility of being caught lbw by Pakistan’s seam bowlers, but left a huge gap to be bowled out as a result. The man who got his wicket was Mohammad Abbas, the 30-year-old who could turn out to be Pakistan’s ace in the pack in this series. (READ MORE)
Masood hit a career-best 156 off 319 balls to become the sixth Pakistan Test cricketer to score three centuries in successive innings. With this feat, Masood joins a league of legends, all of whom have achieved the same record– Zaheer Abbas, Mudassar Nazar, Mohammad Yousaf, Younis Khan, and Misbah-ul- Haq. (STATS)
Thrilling as the pacers were towards the end of the second evening, it was the slow riffs of Masood that made the day Pakistan’s. Barring the backend of his 470-minute marathon, when he threw caution to the wind, he was a model of restraint, eschewing risks and indulgences, embodying the dying art of slow, patient batting. Every blocked-delivery and accumulated-run sucked the steam out of England’s bowlers. (READ MORE)
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the first Test Day 3 proceedings in Manchester as England and Pakistan play the first of the three-Test series. Pakistan start Day 3 with a lead of 234 runs with Ollie Pope and Jos Buttler resuming the day at the crease. Stay tuned for live score and updates here.