The National Times - England all out for 409, lead Pakistan by 238 runs in 1st Test

England all out for 409, lead Pakistan by 238 runs in 1st Test


England all out for 409, lead Pakistan by 238 runs in 1st Test
England all out for 409, lead Pakistan by 238 runs in 1st Test / Photo: © AFP

England enjoyed a flurry of tailend runs before they were dismissed for 409 by Pakistan on the third day of the first Test at Headingley on Friday for a first-innings lead of 238.

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England resumed well-placed on 366-8, already 195 runs ahead of Pakistan's meagre 171.

Four batsmen -- Harry Brook (91), new number three Jordan Cox (73), skipper Joe Root (66) and the recalled Dan Lawrence (51) -- had all made fifties on Thursday without any of the quartet going onto a hundred.

For Brook, it was the second time in two years he had been out in the 90s in a Test on his Yorkshire home ground following his 99 against India at Headingley in 2025.

Jofra Archer kept the runs coming with a pulled six off Khurram Shahzad and last man Josh Tongue struck two impressive straight-driven fours either side of Jamie Smith miscueing to midwicket for 25.

The innings ended when Khurram Shahzad (3-133) bowled Tongue for eight, with Archer 23 not out after England had added 41 runs in just shy of eight overs on Friday.

Pakistan left-arm spinner Ali Usman, who took his maiden five-wicket haul in Tests on Thursday, provided a rare highlight for the tourists in this first of a three-match series with a return of 5-95 in 24 overs.

Usman is just the fourth Pakistan spinner to take five wickets in a Test innings in England after Abdul Qadir, Mushtaq Ahmed and Yasir Shah.

He is also the first opposition spinner to perform the feat in a Test at Headingley since Australia's Ashley Mallett back in 1972.

England's strong position owed much to pacemen Ollie Robinson (5-51) and Tongue (5-46) had shared all 10 Pakistan first-innings wickets between them on Wednesday.

This is England's first Test of the post-Babzall era, with former captain Ben Stokes having retired from all international cricket and Brendon McCullum sacked as red-ball coach following the series loss at home to his native New Zealand in June.

Lewis--TNT