Show only key events Please enable JavaScript to use this feature Shakeel is six short of a maiden Test century, having hit 213 balls. I can understand why Pakistan would feel sad about that. There is no doubt that, had it not been for the soft signal, Shakeel would have survived.
WIRELESS! Pakistan 291-7 (Shakeel c Pope b Wood 94)
Mark Wood has done it again! This is a huge breakthrough for England. Shakeel tried to pull and gloved the ball to leg where Pope looked to take an excellent low-pitch to his right. The umpires went upstairs, with the soft signal out – and that was crucial, because although there was some doubt whether Pope took the catch cleanly, there was no conclusive evidence to overturn the decision. This was too difficult for third umpire Joel Wilson. 93rd over: Pakistan 291-6 (Shakeel 94, Salman 0) What England would give for another wicket 15 minutes before lunch. Anderson has a strangled LBW appeal against Salmon – missing leg – and then hits him with a good delivery outside the off-stump. A great over ends with a big inswinger that bounces just over the off stump. This is cracking. Pakistan need 64 runs, England need four wickets. 92nd over: Pakistan 290-6 (Shakeel 93, Salman 0) Agha Salman, held back in this innings, is the new batsman and Wood welcomes him with some bumpers.
WIRELESS! Pakistan 290-6 (Nawaz c Pope b Wood 45)
Another twist in this exciting test! Mark Wood took Mohammad Nawaz in the first over of a new spell. He dug in a short delivery around the wicket, and Nawaz took a slightly lazy hit down the leg side. That’s the end of a terrific innings, 45 off 62 balls, and England are now one wicket clear of the bottom order. Updated at 06:44 GMT 91st over: Pakistan 286-5 (Shakeel 93, Nawaz 41) Anderson takes one to kick off a crack and it hits Shakeel on the glove. But it’s another good one for Pakistan, four from it. This partnership is now worth 76 from just 21 overs. 90th over: Pakistan 282-5 (Shakeel 90, Nawaz 40) Shakeel looks very comfortable against Leach, and gets another boundary slapped through covers. He is 10 runs away from a maiden century in only his second Test. If England lose, they will regret their slightly frivolous collapse in the second innings when they lost the last five wickets for 19 in six overs. But you can’t have Bazball without a little rain from time to time. 89th over: Pakistan 275-5 (Shakeel 85, Nawaz 38) Jimmy Anderson replaces Ollie Robinson, who bowled a demanding spell at four with the second new ball. Shakeel thick edges well for four, with the ball going between men at first and maybe fourth slip. He wasn’t carrying anyway. Right here, right now, Pakistan is in control of this runchase. 88th over: Pakistan 270-5 (Shakeel 80, Nawaz 38) Nawaz survives a big LBW appeal after missing a sweep to Leach. Out of line. Suddenly Pakistan only need 85 to win. 87th over: Pakistan 267-5 (Shakeel 78, Nawaz 37) Shakeel bowls a short body ball for a tight single, although Nawaz was comfortably home when Duckett’s shot went past the stumps. This is a good spell from Robinson, who has edged a few times – and there is another one, with Nawaz playing and missing outside the off-stump. Nawaz’s comeback is great. He walks down the track to push Robinson between extra cover and mid-off for four. Nice. 86th over: Pakistan 262-5 (Shakeel 77, Nawaz 33) Leach is in for Root, which might tempt Shakeel out of his bunker. Not yet; only one from above. “As an England fan I would love to see England get over the line again here and complete the series,” says Brendan Large. “But as a sports fan, a decisive part in the third Test would be great, and another examination of this new philosophy of Bazball. Besides, there’s no way Abrar is on the losing side here.” 85th over: Pakistan 261-5 (Shakeel 76, Nawaz 33) Nawaz is again beaten by Robinson, driving too far outside the off-stump, then works a single to set up a valuable fifty partnership. Robinson beats him again at the end of the over. England are two nets clear of the bottom order, so they won’t panic, but they could really break this partnership before lunch. Nawaz’s scoring rate of 33 off 41 balls makes him particularly dangerous. Updated at 06:15 GMT 84th over: Pakistan 259-5 (Shakeel 75, Nawaz 32) Nawaz goes after Root. He registers another boundary through extra cover to bring Pakistan’s target below 100 and then misses a sweep attempt. “Good morning from Johannesburg, Rob,” says Darryl Acone. “You notice that Pope missed a very difficult opportunity from Shaykel. Presumably a specialist goalkeeper like the much-maligned Ben Foakes would glove it? I think the successive generations of England selectors, captains and others colluding in such popish plots deserve to be condemned for the way they have treated many great England keepers (and waves of open hopefuls who were optimistically selected and then mercilessly discarded). “That Fooks had to endure the humiliation of never being there for Josh Buttler being handed the gloves in front of him pales next to the latest stroke of selective ‘inspiration’: someone who barely kept wicket at first-class level. If it were a Greek tragedy, England’s hubris would be punished by the fatal flaw of Pope’s “maintenance.” Fingers crossed here for a win in Pakistan.” I think Foakes has struggled a lot, especially during this West Indies tour in 2018-19, but in this case I understand the logic. Stokes wants as many bowling options as possible, which means he has to sacrifice someone. 83rd over: Pakistan 253-5 (Shakeel 74, Nawaz 27) Robinson follows up with Shakeel, who takes a quick single to short mid on. Apart from a wrongly given boundary when he missed a sweep, I think Shakeel has been all about singles this morning. Robinson’s last ball hits long off and hits Nawaz painfully on the lower arm. This will really encourage England. 82nd over: Pakistan 252-5 (Shakeel 73, Nawaz 27) Crikey, Joe Root returns to the attack. “Jimmy Anderson or Joe Root with the new ball?” Nasser Hussain wonders about the commentary. Nawaz charges off the last ball to hack Root through midwicket for four, an ugly but effective stroke. He has 27 off 32 balls, Shakeel 73 off 180. “In a replay of an email I sent you in the 2006-07 Ashes about Freddie ‘Andrew’ Flintoff, if Ben Stokes wasn’t captain he’d be bowling now. (Not exactly now with the new ball, but you know what I mean.) I do, although in this case there has been some talk that his knee can’t take another punishing spell. He has not bowled at all in this match. 81st over: Pakistan 247-5 (Shakeel 72, Nawaz 23) England take the second new ball and bowl it straight to Ollie Robinson. He has a few slips, and is almost at work with Nawaz missing an airy drive outside the off-stump. Good bowl. Soft drinks 80th over: Pakistan 246-5 (Shakeel 71, Nawaz 23) Nawaz rocks Leach through extra cover for four, a beautiful stroke that takes him to twenty. Pakistan need 109 runs to win. 79th over: Pakistan 239-5 (Shakeel 69, Nawaz 18) In fact, replays suggest that the delivery from Leach bounced over Shakeel’s gloves, so he wouldn’t have been out even if Pope had taken it. It was given as runs. Meanwhile, Shakeel misses a pull attempt by Wood and gets hit to the body. I think he got beat for lack of pace that time. “Top of the morning from Naples,” says Colum Fordham. “Saud Shakeel shows impressive concentration in his fine innings. His short stature helps him react deftly to the variable bounce, especially when the ball is low. I think the new ball will definitely come into the equation and could help Jack Leach as well as the quicks test the Pakistan batsmen. I’m thinking of you for doing the OBO despite the flickering.’ I’m a bit of a drama king. It certainly doesn’t compare to the era I saw [redacted] calmly pour into the garbage can under his desk in the middle of the OBO. 78th over: Pakistan 238-5 (Shakeel 68, Nawaz 18) Jack Leach comes in for Joe Root, who bowled a useful spell and took the wicket of Faheem Ashraf. That’s a good idea, to give him a few overs to settle before England get the second new ball. Left-hander Shakeel, who barely played a shot against offspinner Root, gloves a sharp sweep down the leg side for four. This was an opportunity for Pope, albeit a very difficult one. 77th over: Pakistan 232-5 (Shakeel 63, Nawaz 17) Obviously Leach and Robinson will take the new ball when it becomes available. This allows Wood to empty the tank in this four-match spell and he almost gets past Nawaz with another one that keeps very low. This is a dangerous ball on this surface. Since you so kindly asked, Pakistan scored 34 runs off 13 overs this morning. 76th over: Pakistan 231-5 (Shakeel 63, Nawaz 16) Nawaz enlivens a quiet passage of play by slotting Root emphatically through midwicket for four. That was a good, quick stroke. A paddle for three off the last ball takes Nawaz to 16 off 15 balls, a useful little display with Shakeel largely no-hit at the other end. 75th over: Pakistan 222-5 (Shakeel 62, Nawaz 8) An awkward fielder from Wood is very well defended by Shakeel. Wood does extremely well to bring the life out of this pitch, which is a bit crushing for pace bowlers. 74th over: Pakistan 220-5 (Shakeel 61, Nawaz 7) Best over for Pakistan, with four low-risk singles off Root. They need another 135 to win. “A thought,” says Brian Withington, “but if Pakistan’s last five wickets match England’s exactly then we’re in for a very interesting run indeed, with a margin of victory of 19 runs after facing a score of 311 before the sixth over wicket. falls…” 73rd over: Pakistan 216-5 (Shakeel 59, Nawaz…
