England v Pakistan: first Test, day three – live! | The Guardian

Over-by-over updates from the day’s play at Emirates Old TraffordArcher unfazed after being outpaced by Pakistan’s ShahSend your thoughts to Tim by email or tweet @TimdeLisle 10.51am BST The number-crunchers at Sporting Index reckon England will make 260. The number-crunchers at CricViz give England a 24pc chance of winning the match, and Pakistan 66pc (the draw gets 10pc). Both these guesses, educated as they are, seem to err on the side of generosity. And not to Pakistan.Next man in is Chris Woakes. The optimists may be thinking that’s OK, he has a Test century, and anyway, he’s Mr Impeccable. The pessimists might retort that, in two Test innings this summer, he has a grand total of one run. 10.06am BST On Thursday, under some classic Manchester clouds, Test cricket was cast in a bad light. Yesterday, it could hardly have looked better. We had a pulsating, fluctuating, palpitating day – England taking control in the morning, Pakistan breaking free after lunch when Shadab Khan ran riot, England fighting back as Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad wrapped up the tail. A first innings of 326 was just right: could be a winning score, could be a loser. And then came the coup de théâtre. Six overs of carnage, England 12 for three, their worst start in a home Test innings for 20 years. Pakistan had done three things spectacularly well: opening the batting (Shan Masood’s 156 was 13 times as many as England’s openers managed between them), opening the bowling (pace at one end, guile at the other, intent at both), and making some noise. In an empty ground, where others have settled for eerie silence, the Pakistanis worked out that the role of the crowd could be played by their players. It doesn’t take 20,000 people to fill the air with feeling. Continue reading…

• Over-by-over updates from the day’s play at Emirates Old Trafford
• Archer unfazed after being outpaced by Pakistan’s Shah
• Send your thoughts to Tim by email or tweet @TimdeLisle

10.51am BST

The number-crunchers at Sporting Index reckon England will make 260. The number-crunchers at CricViz give England a 24pc chance of winning the match, and Pakistan 66pc (the draw gets 10pc). Both these guesses, educated as they are, seem to err on the side of generosity. And not to Pakistan.

Next man in is Chris Woakes. The optimists may be thinking that’s OK, he has a Test century, and anyway, he’s Mr Impeccable. The pessimists might retort that, in two Test innings this summer, he has a grand total of one run.

10.06am BST

On Thursday, under some classic Manchester clouds, Test cricket was cast in a bad light. Yesterday, it could hardly have looked better. We had a pulsating, fluctuating, palpitating day – England taking control in the morning, Pakistan breaking free after lunch when Shadab Khan ran riot, England fighting back as Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad wrapped up the tail. A first innings of 326 was just right: could be a winning score, could be a loser. And then came the coup de théâtre. Six overs of carnage, England 12 for three, their worst start in a home Test innings for 20 years.

Pakistan had done three things spectacularly well: opening the batting (Shan Masood’s 156 was 13 times as many as England’s openers managed between them), opening the bowling (pace at one end, guile at the other, intent at both), and making some noise. In an empty ground, where others have settled for eerie silence, the Pakistanis worked out that the role of the crowd could be played by their players. It doesn’t take 20,000 people to fill the air with feeling.

Continue reading…