Righto, I’m off for a lie down/a slug or two of something cold and strong. We WILL be back tomorrow to bring you England’s chase of 130 runs on day four… no you stop it.

Ali Martin’s report has landed:

Thanks for your company and correspondence, goodbye.

Razaullah hit 81 from 73 balls and the 21 year old has the dashing good looks of a golden days movie star. He speaks to Sky Sports in Urdu with a beaming smile on his face. Urooj Mumtaz translates.

I just had to bat,” he says “You were the ones who enjoyed it.”

“I was planning to take it long and deep. They bowled in the slot so I was eyeing it up. This is just a journey at the start. I am enjoying it thoroughly. There was no point I was scared.”

Test Match Special’s Andy Zaltzman has a six hitting stat:

Razaullah’s nine sixes is tied for the most ever in a Test innings in England. The other is Ben Stokes’ 155 with nine sixes against Australia in the Ashes Test in 2023.”

Every now and then Test cricket knocks your socks off. The last few hours took the shoes and trewsers too. A real pleasure to OBO that partnership between Mohammed Abbas and Razaullah. Thanks for all your emails and apologies I didn’t get chance to properly go through them amongst all the madness.

I’ll be sticking around for some post play reaction.

96th over: Pakistan 443-9 (Razaullah 75, Ali 4) Mohammad Ali is the last man for Pakistan. Shot! He smears his first ball for four through midwicket. Heady stuff. Three dots mean Razaullah is on strike for the next over to Lawrence…

95th over: Pakistan 439-8 (Razaullah 75, Abbas 43) Razaullah faces Lawrence without a helmet. Don’t do this at home, kids. But also, love it. He defends stoically for four balls and then takes a single to cover. Abbas reverse sweeps (!) once more, he misses and it hits him on the arm guard. Root sends it upstairs for a review but it hit Abbas outside the line.

94th over: Pakistan 437-8 (Razaullah 74, Abbas 42) The light is now starting to fade at Edgbaston, we might not make it to 7pm. Root throws the ball to Josh Tongue and puts in a silly mid off. Razaullah pokes a single and Abbas defends the rest of the over. The lead is up to 117 runs and Dan Lawrence is coming on for a twirl in the gloaming.

93rd over: Pakistan 434-8 (Razaullah 73, Abbas 40) A few of you in the OBO inbox have already mentioned Botham’s Ashes and 1981…

England’s field is pure Brownian Motion. They’ve lost the plot in the last fifteen minutes or so. Atkinson hides the ball down the leg side for a maiden and some brief respite.

92nd over: Pakistan 433-8 (Razaullah 73, Abbas 40) Archer is too full and is driven by Abbas for a sumptuous four through cover. I’m laughing as I type. Incredible scenes here at Edgbaston.

91st over: Pakistan 429-8 (Razaullah 73, Abbas 36) Mohammed Abbas is batting like Javed Miandad! He backs away and smashes Atkinson down the ground for SIX! The partnership and the lead both pass 100. A single brings Razaullah on strike. Oh my days! He smears a lofted drive over cover for SIX. Absolutely incredible shot. I’m going to have to fire up synonyms.com soon. England are shellshocked, this game is being turned on its head by a remarkable ninth wicket partnership.

90th over: Pakistan 416-8 (Razaullah 67, Abbas 30) Abbas takes a single off Archer, it takes him to his highest Test score and leave Razaullah with two balls to face off Jofra… SIX! What a shot! That might be the biggest so far, smeared over wide long on. The next ball is hit like a canon down the ground for four more. This is phenomenal hitting. Pakistan lead by 96 runs.

89th over: Pakistan 405-8 (Razaullah 57, Abbas 29) Mo Abbas is completely untroubled by Gus Atkinson who replaces Ollie Robinson in the evening sunshine. The old timer clips two twos and is then happy to take the strike for the next over with another languid flick into the leg side.

88th over: Pakistan 400-8 (Razaullah 57, Abbas 24) This is simply incredible from Razaullah! He hits Jofra flippin Archer down the ground for consecutive SIXES. That’s his fifty too, applause and cheers all around the ground for him, he’s lit up the fag end of this summer! Pakistan’s 400 is up and they lead by 80 runs.

87th over: Pakistan 386-8 (Razaullah 43, Abbas 24) Robinson bowls five dots at Abbas but the sixth is clubbed down the ground for four more! Pakistan’s lead is up to 66.

“Today’s play has given us a much-needed reminder of what Pakistan can offer: entertaining and unpredictable cricket” writes Colum Fordham. Azan Awais and Razaullah have been particularly bright sparks, the latter’s lusty hitting adding lustre to a courageous second innings. And a much better test for England’s bowlers.”

You can guess what Colum’s email was titled…

86th over: Pakistan 382-8 (Razaullah 43, Abbas 20) Jofra Archer replaces Tongue. Razaullah swings hard at the first two but doesn’t connect. Archer is a picture of frustration. A single is scampered down the ground to bring Abbas on strike. Archer goes for the yorker… misses by an inch or two and Razaullah creams it through the covers for four. Archer gives him a nod of approval, it was a full bunger but it was dispatched in some style.

85th over: Pakistan 376-8 (Razaullah 38, Abbas 20) Ollie Robinson replaces Dan Lawrence. Hello Gruesome! Razaullah stands tall and punches for four off the back foot! Fifty partnership up. A single to leg takes Pakistan’s lead to fifty runs. And counting! Abbas wipes Robinson into the building site for SIX. This is tremendous.

84th over: Pakistan 365-8 (Razaullah 33, Abbas 14) Razaullah hacks one down the ground off Tongue and it leaves Abbas on strike for four balls. No mither, a top edge over the cordon brings four more! Joe Root has a smile on his face, part of him will be glad his bowlers are being tested. His captaincy is too. Tongue beats Abbas with a beauty off the fifth ball but still can’t find the breakthrough England need. This partnership has lasted ten overs and is worth 47 runs.

83rd over: Pakistan 360-8 (Razaullah 32, Abbas 10) Mo Abbas gets out the reverse sweep and adds four more! Dan Lawrence has his head in his hands. Abbas clips for two off his hip and Pakistan lead by 40 runs. What a sport.

82nd over: Pakistan 354-8 (Razaullah 32, Abbas 4) Tongue slams his first ball with the new Dukes down the leg side and away for four byes. Razaullah calls for new gloves after one ball, he isn’t messing about. Ah, my mistake, it’s an arm guard. Yikes. He nearly swings himself off his feet to the next ball but connects only with fresh air. Rinse and repeat x 5! Tongue has no idea how he hasn’t hit the stumps, but he hasn’t and it is time for a drink.

Extra half hour tonight lads? Who’d have thunk it.

81st over: Pakistan 350-8 (Razaullah 32, Abbas 4) Razaullah can’t get Lawrence’s box of tricks away and ends up taking a risky single to get on strike the next over! He dropped his bat and fell over but makes his ground. Mo Abbas dutifully blocks the last ball and so on we go. Pakistan lead by 30 runs. Oh, the new ball has been taken.

80th over: Pakistan 349-8 (Razaullah 31, Abbas 4) Just a single and bye off Tongue. More importantly Razaullah is on strike and Dan Lawrence is coming on to bowl. Do not adjust your set.

79th over: Pakistan 347-8 (Razaullah 30, Abbas 4) Shot! Shot! and SHOT! Razaullah crashes three SIXES off Gus Atkinson and the crowd are loving it! Delicious swings of the bat - the first six is crashed into the hotel development on the leg side and the next two crunched down the ground! Fantastic ball striking, England look a bit clueless as to what to do in the face of such aggression. The lead is up to 27 runs… something to bowl at soon…

78th over: Pakistan 329-8 (Razaullah 12, Abbas 4) Razaullah tries to wipe Tongue into the leg side but can’t connect. He gets something on the fourth ball but it squirts to midwicket for a single. Haha! Brilliantly agricultural from Mo Abbas! He takes a step to leg and clubs for four (somehow) down the ground.

77th over: Pakistan 324-8 (Razaullah 11, Abbas 0) An over of short stuff from Atkinson and nothing doing. The field is now spread far and wide, Razaullah is not going to die wondering.

76th over: Pakistan 324-8 (Razaullah 11, Abbas 0) Wow. Josh Tongue replaces Archer and Razaullah marmalises his second ball over square leg for SIX! Serious swagger in that, I like the cut of this guy’s jib. England will have to bat again.

75th over: Pakistan 318-8 (Razaullah 5, Abbas 0) Mohammad Abbas joins Razaullah in the middle. We might not be here much longer folks.

74th over: Pakistan 317-7 (Imran 4, Razaullah 4) Just one off Jofra’s latest as he oversteps the front line. Not so quiet the next over though…

73rd over: Pakistan 316-7 (Imran 4, Razaullah 4 ) Yes please! Razaullah arrives in the middle swipes his first ball down the ground for four! Another of those and England will have to bat again, that’s a lose/lose situation for Emilio Gay and Ben Duckett eh?

Just a quick one, you know that fever dream you sometimes have where you and Ravi Bopara are playing darts down the boozer? Yes? Yes?! Well it can now become a reality.

Friend of the OBO and one of the sharpest brains/filthiest chuckles in cricket media - Yas Rana - is hosting An Evening With Ravi Bopara next Wednesday evening in London town and there are still a few tickets available. Bring your questions and BYOA*.

(*Bring yer own arrers)

72nd over: Pakistan 310-6 (Ghori 15, Imran 3) Archer whistles through a maiden. Those in The Hollies are now bathed in sunshine, I can spot a few pink nosed Fred Flintstone’s and ruddy cheeked Village People. They won’t at all mind Pakistan rattling off some runs and forcing England to bat again… oh about that…

71st over: Pakistan 310-6 (Ghori 15, Imran 3) Does Umpire Reiffel have early dinner plans? He triggers Ghori LBW to Atkinson but the DRS has the batter hitting the cover off it and the ball going well over the stumps. Decision overturned, it would have been a howler.

70th over: Pakistan 308-6 (Ghori 15, Imran 2) Mohammad Imran is the new batter. Archer steams in at him with shadows lengthening across the Edgbaston outfield. Lovely evening in Brum now. The new batter pokes for two to get off the mark and Ghori sways out of the way of the rest of the over.

69th over: Pakistan 306-5 (Saud 29, Ghori 15) Atkinson from t’other end. He’d dearly love some wickets to make those series stats look a bit better on paper but Ghori glides him away for four. Oh.

68th over: Pakistan 302-5 (Saud 29, Ghori 11) Jofra Archer bowls the first over back after the tea break. Ghori has a look at the first two deliveries and then pulls the next over midwicket for four! Archer has a look of real disgust, the proverbial pug chewing a tangfastic. Other sour sweets are available but if you are reading Haribo, let’s talk.

Ghori tucks a single off his hip and Saud ducks - repeat ducks - the final ball bouncer. Pakistan breach 300 and trail by 18 runs.

Thanks for your emails, keep them coming in. Bright sunshine now at Edgbaston ahead of what could be the final session of the Test.

*Could be*

67th over: Pakistan 297-5 (Saud 29, Ghori 5) Pakistan make it to tea and trail England by 23 runs, another good session from them despite the loss of Masood just shy of a century (95) and Babar to a loose flap on 76.

England are going to win but they are being made to work for it.

66th over: Pakistan 296-5 (Saud 29, Ghori 5) Four off Jofra Archer including another thoroughly unconvincing attempt at a pull from Saud who somehow gets the ball to land safe off his splice.

65th over: Pakistan 292-5 (Saud 26, Ghori 4) Robinson replaces Tongue and Cox comes up to the stumps, a different question to answer now for Saud and Ghori. The latter glides for a couple into the off side and there are four byes as Robinson loses his line to spear down the leg side. We’ve got five minutes until tea.

Durham promoted, Lancashire lose… again – Tanya Aldred has all the latest over on our County blog:

64th over: Pakistan 286-5 (Saud 26, Ghori 2) Eeeesht! We’ve got ten minutes to go til tea and Pakistan have lost their heads a little here at Edgbaston. Saud pulls Archer just over the salmon leaping Root at square leg and gets four. He plays a wild hack at the very next ball and squirts it over the infield for two. Have a word.

63rd over: Pakistan 279-5 (Saud 20, Ghori 1) It was a terrific catch from Jordan Cox but Babar is coming in for some criticism from both Mark Butcher and Stuart Broad on the sky commentary. “I don’t understand why you wouldn’t just duck underneath it… the pitch is even paced” says Butcher. It is a shame for the match scenario too, just when thoughts were starting to turn to England having to bat again.

Ghazi Ghori walks out to join Saud, he didn’t last long in the first innings, England sense the kill. Nick first ball! It goes through the vacant third slip though and sub fielder Theo Wylie Coyote does some nifty work on the boundary to save three runs. It’s all happening all of a sudden.

62nd over: Pakistan 278-4 (Babar 76, Saud 20) Root has a fly slip and almost a back stop on the boundary edge. Archer goes short and Babar pulls for four! He is going to take it on here at Edgbaston. Short again from Archer… uppercut from Babar and it flies to the sub fielder Theo Wylie who nearly goes from zero to hero with a juggling relay catch to himself but he steps on the sponge and can’t pull off the speccy. SIX runs to Babar but England are licking their lips.

61st over: Pakistan 267-4 (Babar 65, Saud 20) Babar and Saud are eating into the last of England’s lead and so Root cooks up a different tactic. He sets the field back and instructs Tongue to go short. Babar doensn’t look comfortable, he flaps at a pull shot and only just gets it wide of Root himself fielding at square leg. Stand by your beds, short stuff incoming.

60th over: Pakistan 266-4 (Babar 64, Saud 20) Saud leans onto the front foot and picks up two to bring up Pakistan’s third consecutive fifty partnership. Proper criggit.

Rob Grey is a fickle beast:

“I emailed in to the OBO yesterday and I was fuming at the state of Test cricket” he emails.

“Today I’m in the Hollies and I take it all back, it’s called ebb and flow. You just have to ride that wave. I love Test cricket, long may it thrive.”

How lovely. I suspect drink has been taken, Rob?

59th over: Pakistan 264-4 (Babar 64, Saud 18) Tongue is too short and too wide, Babar does not miss out, quicksilver hands and the ball traces away to the cover boundary.

Saud has been busy since arriving in the middle, he clips down the ground for two and tucks an 86mph attempted yorker off his boot like it ain’t no thang.

“1ft 8 inches” Ali Martin coos across from his perch. “That’s the difference in height betwen Saud Shakeel and Shaquille O’Neil.” That’s why they pay him the big bucks, Cardus wasn’t coming up with that sort of stuff was he.

58th over: Pakistan 257-4 (Babar 60, Saud 15) Archer is in the low to mid eighties on the speed gun but it’s enough to trouble Babar, a back of a length ball completely squares up him up and finds the edge but it runs all along the floor and wide of the cordon for four. Babar shrugs it off and works a full ball for a couple.

57th over: Pakistan 250-4 (Babar 54, Saud 14) Tongue is clipped into the leg side for two more by Babar. He such an aesthetically pleasing player to watch and the crowd give a warm ripple of applause. The crowd are so much more into this contest here on day three. Yesterday was so flat at Edgbaston, especially when Pakistan were 0-2 in this inings and there was a real danger of another two day Test in the offing.

A louder cheer now as Jofra Archer peels off his jumper, he is going to bowl the next over. Pakistan trail by 70 runs.

56th over: Pakistan 248-4 (Babar 52, Saud 14) England are trying to get the ball changed but there’s nothing doing for them at the moment, the umpire passes it through the Saturn rings and throws it bag to a questioning Joe Root. Atkinson gets one to scud through low but Babar is up to it, clipping off his toes for a single.

This ball is 56 overs old but it is swinging through the air a touch. At last England’s bowlers are having to graft a bit for their wickets, no bad thing.

55th over: Pakistan 246-4 (Babar 51, Saud 14) It’s been hard yakka for Josh Tongue today, he leaks eleven (eleven) runs off his eleventh over and has nowt for 71 so far. Ouch. Saud drives one handed through the covers for four, an extraordinary shot that briefly made him look like a stern Victorian nanny shooing some unruly children into the orangery. Something like that anyway. Tongue spears four more down the leg side and it clips Saud’s hip to run away for four more.

54th over: Pakistan 235-4 (Babar 50, Saud 8) Atkinson is into his seventh over on the spin, he allowed himself a smile after picking up the wicket of Masood. It was his first Test wicket in over 30 overs, I was chatting to my press box neighbour Andy Bull earlier about how Atkinson had done 1/3 of a Len Hopwood – England’s beleaguered seamer who holds the record for the most fruitless deliveries in Test cricket, bowling 462 balls without taking a wicket against Australia in 1934.

Len’s record is safe once again… and might be for some time.

Anyway, Babar Azam clips Atkinson for a couple past point to go to his 38th Test fifty. About that century Babar…

Thanks Rob and hello all.

Go on admit it. You didn’t think we’d still be here did you?

(Neither did I but I’m glad we are. Can Babar Azam get his first Test century in four years?)

52nd over: Pakistan 229-4 (Babar 48, Saud 4) Babar softens his hands to steer Atkinson past gully for four. He’s two away from a much needed fifty.

“What has that wicket done for Gus’s figures for the series?” asks Richard O’Hagan.

It literally cut his average in half; it’s now in the low hundreds.

51st over: Pakistan 221-4 (Babar 42, Saud 3) Robinson beats Saud with a jaffa that kicks off the seam from round the wicket. Another maiden, Robinson’s eighth of the innings. The other bowlers have one between them.

Pakistan trail by 99.

50th over: Pakistan 221-4 (Babar 42, Saud 3) Still no centuries for Pakistan in this series. You have to feel for Masood, who didn’t do much wrong – it was a good ball and a stunning catch.

Maybe Babar will be the one to reach three figures. He continues on his merry way by timing Atkinson to the left of mid-on for four. Beautiful shot.

49th over: Pakistan 214-3 (Masood 95, Babar 38) Masood turns his mouth into an O shape after defending a big outswinger from Robinson. The old ball is starting to do a bit, particularly for Robinson. Babar has a flash outside off stump and is beaten.

“So,” says Rory Young, “at this point Stokes would have someone, probably himself, bowling bouncers…”

48th over: Pakistan 213-3 (Masood 95, Babar 38) Babar slashes Atkinson in the air but wide of gully and away for four. That takes Atkinson’s series average up to 201, the sixth highest for an England bowler in a Test series. Poor old JJ Warr is top of the list.

47th over: Pakistan 206-3 (Masood 92, Babar 34) Masood snicks Robinson between slip and gully for four. That takes him into the nineties. He has a couple of Test hundreds against England, both biggies: 156 at Old Trafford in 2020 and 151 in the extraordinary Multan Test of 2024.

Robinson is bowling well. He’s getting a bit of swing and is threatening both the front pad and the outside edge.

46th over: Pakistan 201-3 (Masood 87, Babar 34) Babar tries to drive a seductive outswinger from Atkinson and is beaten. Careful now.

“Music, you say,” says Richard O’Hagan. “I’m currently working my way through the new albums by Deary, Opus Kink and Man/Woman/Chainsaw. And I saw Die Anstalt a couple of nights ago, who were brilliant but who have very little released over here. Pleased to see that you also have some love for mary in the junkyard, although their lack of capital letters makes my skin crawl.

“Anyway, the whole point of this is to say that I’m glad that Pakistan seem to have stopped treating Maximo Park’s ‘Now I’m All Over the Shop’ as their mantra.”

45th over: Pakistan 201-3 (Masood 87, Babar 34) Babar is surprised by a bit of extra bounce from Robinson. He played it well, popping the ball on the off side before looking suspiciously at the pitch. A no-ball brings up the 200, the first time Pakistan have reached that mark in this series. It’s an embarrassing milestone, I guess, but they have batted commendably since Ollie Robinson reduced them to 0 for 2 yesterday afternoon.

44th over: Pakistan 199-3 (Masood 87, Babar 33) Babar flirts with a tempting outswinger from Atkinson and is beaten. That’s a rare false stroke in his most fluent innings of the series. Batting looks really comfortable now.

43rd over: Pakistan 196-3 (Masood 86, Babar 31) “What are your thoughts about the England line up for the coming tour of South Africa this winter and (whisper it) the Ashes next summer?” asks Tim Claremont. “Who would you have at 3 and 6? Can you see Rehan Ahmed getting a game? And how concerned are you about Robinson on a flat deck? I am still haunted by his innocuous Ashes in 2023, albeit I appreciate that he was coming back from injury then, and that he’s not getting dropped after this summer …

“PS it’s been a while since you wove your musical obsessions into the OBO … what are you listening to at the moment.”

I’m not too worried about Robinson’s effectiveness on flat pitches, because even when he’s not taking wickets he is very economical. His record in the 2023 Ashes, for example, is better than we remember: 10 wickets at 28. Fitness is an ongoing concern I guess.

Lawrence has done more than enough to start the South Africa series, even if I fear for him against their pace attack. I’d have Jacob Bethell at No3; it might be a blessing for Jordan Cox to miss out because it’ll surely be a low-scoring series. Rehan might get a game in Bangladesh but otherwise I’d imagine England will pick a batter who bowls. My hunch is that by next summer it’ll be Cox rather than Lawrence at No6, with Bethell the main spinner.

As for music, it’s still my greatest passion but most OBO readers probably don’t care about the new Digging For Kanky song. If you are interested, these are my favourite songs of 2026.

42nd over: Pakistan 192-3 (Masood 85, Babar 28) Gus Atkinson, who is still stuck on one wicket in the series, returns to the attack. Nothing doing in that over, either in the wicket column or off the Edgbaston pitch.

“What this situation calls for is a bit of Root spin,” says Mark Hooper. “But Root being Root, he probably doesn’t even recognise he’s a more effective option than Brook or Lawrence.”

He bowled some good spells in his first stint as captain: 5 for 8 in the Ahmedabad fiasco and a matchwinning four-for in South Africa just before Covid. I think he dismissed Steve Smith once as well, albeit when Smith had made about 400.

41st over: Pakistan 191-3 (Masood 84, Babar 28) Ollie Robinson starts after lunch. England are trying a few different things in the field, including a man on the drive for Babar. Robinson almost strikes with a grubber to Babar that whooshes past off stump and through Cox’s legs for four byes.

“Can I request a shout out to Harold Turner of Warwickshire’s over-70s team?” writes Mike Daniels. “He scored 101* against Wiltshire this week at the age of 80?”

My heart just got a whole lot warmer. A shout out is the least we can do!

Tom Van der Gucht has emailed on the subject of Kevin Peter Pietersen

I’m pleased to see KP coming back into the fold in a mentoring capacity. This current team owe him a debt of gratitude. He (and Anderson) took a lot of stick for their dodgy hairdos back in the 2000s, with their skunk cut and frosted tips being frowned upon.

“The present Test team have some shocking cuts too with Josh Tongue’s mohawk, Jacob Bethell’s Pat Butcher special and Jordan Cox’s mullet. What would Fred Trueman have muttered on air back in the day when faced with such extravagant barnets. Back in the day, players had hair cuts so neat you could use them as a set square- Arnold Rimmer style. Yet today, nobody bats an eyelid.

In the last couple of years, few things have given me as much joy as watching Jacob Bethell bat. I’ll cherish those memories for ever – not least because from hereon in, every time he plays a gorgeous cover-drive or brings up another impossibly accomplished century, my mind will jump straight to Pat Butcher, and then probably to Frank Butcher wearing nothing but a bowtie and a roguish smile. Cheers Tom!

The Birmingham End, explained

“Warwickshire took a big loan from the City Council to help fund stadium redevelopment,” says Mike Daniels. “Apparently as part of the deal it was agreed to change the name to Birmingham End to publicise the City, see also ‘Birmingham Bears’.”

Lunchtime reading

And now for something completely different Harry Brook is going to bowl the last over before lunch.

39th over: Pakistan 177-3 (Masood 83, Babar 22) Robinson has a big LBW appeal turned down when Babar inside-edges a nipbacker onto the pad. It was a no-ball anyway.

There are still doubts over Robinson’s effectiveness in good batting conditions, so this is a good challenge for him. A mixed over includes two no-balls, the aforementioned LBW shout and a play-and-miss from Babar.

38th over: Pakistan 170-3 (Masood 80, Babar 20) Babar, who looks in the mood to demonstrate his attacking range, rifles Tongue down the ground for four. Joe Root tries unsuccessfully to get the ball changed.

Masood nails a flick off the pads but is denied a boundary when the ball hits the square-leg umpire Paul Reiffel. Masood sees the funny side, though his humour may change if he’s dismissed being 97 and 99.

37th over: Pakistan 164-3 (Masood 79, Babar 15) Archer is replaced by Robinson after an innocuous two-over spell. His third ball to Masood is too straight and runs away for four leg-byes. We shouldn’t get carried away, especially as England are going to win the series 3-0, but they’ve looked a little bit toothless with the ball.

36th over: Pakistan 158-3 (Masood 77, Babar 15) Chris Woakes is in the Sky Sports commentary box and has just mentioned his autobiography, The Wizard, written in conjunction with our own Ali Martin. It’s out on 22 October and is highly recommended (Ali kindly sent me a preview). “You’re always looking forward as a cricketer so it was nice to look back and reflect,” says Woakes. “A thoroughly enjoyable experience.”

Babar flips Tongue through square leg for four more. Pakistan are always halfway to making England bat again; they trail by 162.

“The scores and balls faced by Masood and Babar just a moment ago was 77 (111) and 11 (11),” says Andrew Goudie. “So there.”

35th over: Pakistan 154-3 (Masood 77, Babar 11) Archer is bowling at what Richie Benaud used to call ‘half rat-power’. Masood jumps on another short ball, dragging it through square leg for four.

“Graham Gooch did cross my mind,” says Brian Withington, “but I was really thinking about Sir Alastair Cook - truly ‘flaky’ - who carried on after giving up the captaincy (but maybe GG did as well, less successfully, now I think about it?).”

Ah yes, my mistake. Gooch did indeed carry on for 18 months – he started well but his form fell off a cliff after the 210 against New Zealand in the first Test of the 1994 summer.

34th over: Pakistan 150-3 (Masood 73, Babar 11) Babar chases an outswinger from Tongue and is beaten. Tongue only has eyes for wickets, which means bad balls are part of the package; Babar flicks one such delivery to fine leg for four. Tongue has figures of 7-0-50-0, and the only surprising bit is the second nought.

33rd over: Pakistan 146-3 (Masood 73, Babar 7) Dan Lawrence’s work is done for now. Jofra Archer, who bounced Babar Azam out in devastating fashion at Lord’s, returns to the attack. Masood moves into the seventies with a couple of boundaries, a short-arm pull and a meatier swat through midwicket. He’s played superbly since reaching fifty.

County cricket Hampshire’s last pair of Scott Currie and 17-year-old Manny Lumsden are giving Nottinghamshire a peedie scare at Trent Bridge. Tanya Aldred has the latest.

32nd over: Pakistan 135-3 (Masood 63, Babar 7) Tongue changes ends to replace Atkinson. His first ball is fractionally too straight and clipped for four by Babar. Tongue gets it spot on later in the over, straightening a beautiful delivery past Masood’s outside edge.

“I might be in a small minority here, but I just can’t get behind the idea of Brook as an England captain,” says Geoff Wignall. “Not because of his late night, pre-match bouncer altercation; but because of the subsequent deliberate, premeditated lying about it.

“Old-fashioned concept though it probably is, I hold to the notion that respect for the truth (and for the public) should be a fundamental requirement. (I developed similar qualms about Atherton, much as I admired his abilities and fortitude.) Am I just showing my advanced age and irrelevance?”

It’s a perfectly reasonable view, even if I think everyone should be allowed one mistake. That said, lying in public office has become so commonplace that we’re probably both showing our age and irrelevance.

31st over: Pakistan 128-3 (Masood 60, Babar 2) That’s Dan Lawrence’s fourth Test wicket. His bowling is quietly important moving forward because England are unlikely to pick a specialist spinner too often.

“English cricket must be in very rude health indeed if our biggest concern is whether Joe Root can still bat,” writes Brian Withington. “Reminds me of the doubts that used to surface from time to time about that flaky batter from Essex who used to open the batting before, during and after captaincy to reasonable effect.”

Well, most of the time.

30th over: Pakistan 125-2 (Azan 59, Masood 59) Masood takes a quick single and is home when Robinson’s throw hits the stumps. After Azan glides Atkinson through the slips for three more, Masood cuts stylishly for four. England beat the bat five or six times inthe first 10 minutes of the day, but it’s been hard going since then.

I was going to write that Atkinson looks subdued but his body language is similarly restrained when he’s hoovering up wickets. He must be a cracking poker player.

29th over: Pakistan 117-2 (Azan 56, Masood 54) Azan times Tongue sweetly past backward point for four more. Right here, right now, he looks in almost compete control; it might be time for the spin of Dan Lawrence.

“So what have we learned from this summer?” muses Max Williams. “Firstly, the series were played in the wrong order – aside from the obvious preference to climax with the more competitive contest, had Pakistan had toured in June perhaps Stokes is still captain. We suddenly seem to have a serious bowling line-up. Ollie Robinson should’ve toured Australia. I miss Zac Crawley and still hold out hope for his 2027 Ashes comeback.

“It’s funny: some players look bankers from debut (e.g., Root), while others never quite fit (pick any opener between 2012-2022 not named Alastair Cook). This team has several players that could go either way: Cox, Gay, Lawrence might all have lengthy Test careers or be gone by next summer. Ultimately you want a settled lineup but there’s something quite enjoyable about the current sense of opportunity – especially after several years in which the line-up was arguably too settled. (Please ignore hypocrisy of earlier Crawley mention.)

“Anyway, there seems to be a decent team taking shape here and I feel more optimistic than I did at the start of the summer, let alone post-NZ series. How do you reckon we go in South Africa?”

If I close my eyes, I see an orgy of flying stumps. That series should be a primal treat, given the pitches and the quality of both pace attacks. My guess is either 2-1 or 3-0 South Africa. But an England win isn’t beyond the realms, especially if the games are low-scoring dogfights.

25th over: Pakistan 95-2 (Azan 43, Masood 45) Saying which, Masood has been dropped by the sub Theo Wylie at backward point. It was a sharp but relatively straightforward chance when Masood edged a drive off Tongue. I think he was beaten for pace.

At the end of the over Root runs up to Wylie, puts his arm round him and has a quick chat. “I can think of some captains who might not have been so empathetic…” deadpans Mike Atherton to his co-commentator, Nasser Hussain.

24th over: Pakistan 90-2 (Azan 43, Masood 40) Gus Atkinson replaces Ollie Robinson. He’s been the ghost at the feast, with one wicket for 172 runs in the series, even though he hasn’t bowled badly. Masood takes two and then a single to move into the forties. Pakistan’s batters look as secure as at any stage in the series.

23rd over: Pakistan 87-2 (Azan 43, Masood 37) Lovvvvvvvely batting from Azan Awais, who clips and drives Tongue for back-to-back boundaries. He’s had a tough series, with four single-figure scores in six, but there’s plenty to like. For a 21-year-old he is very organised and composed, and his cover drive is a thing of beauty. Pakistan should invest in him as they try to build a more competitive Test team.

22nd over: Pakistan 77-2 (Azan 33, Masood 37) Azan scrambles to make his ground after taking a tight single to mid-on. The substitute Taz Ali’s throw missed the stumps, though I think Azan would have been home. Pakistan are pottering along quite comfortably.

‘90s throwback’ is the subject of Eddy Nason’s email.

Coventry City in the Premier League, Warwickshire CC challenging for the county championship, England’s Test team with threatening 80mph bowlers. I’m starting to worry my dream about taking my GCSEs as an adult was actually a premonition.

Why do you think I’m wearing a purple shell suit?

21st over: Pakistan 76-2 (Azan 32, Masood 37) Time for England’s bulldozer, Josh Tongue, who has replaced Jofra Archer. Joe Root moves Ben Duckett from third slip to leg slip; moments later, Masood edges through third slip at catchable height. The ball runs away for four, and Masood gets another boundary with a crisp flick through square leg.

“One can’t help but wonder whether Joe Root has an LBW problem or a captaincy issue,” writes John Coutts. “The last time he was captain his batting deteriorated badly and it looks to be happening again.

“As far as the keeper standing up for fast-medium pacers is concerned, it seems to me there are two options in facing the good/full length ball: either get forward and risk a stumping or don’t get far enough forward and risk LBW or being bowled. The chance of a stumping is the lesser of the risks, therefore get forward. Joe Root and do that effectively therefore he should.”

His batting deteriorated for a while, but he also had the best year of his career in 2021. I think it’s too early to say that it’s affecting his batting, even though it’s a legitimate concern.

20th over: Pakistan 67-2 (Azan 32, Masood 29) Robinson bowls to Masood for the first time this morning. He starts over the wicket with the keeper standing back; Masood defends a series of straight deliveries. Robinson’s figures are delicious: 10-6-12-2.

19th over: Pakistan 67-2 (Azan 32, Masood 29) The sun is out at Edgbaston, so there are runs to be made as the ball gets older and the bowlers wearier.

In other news, Olly Stone has bulldozed Hampshire at Trent Bridge.

18th over: Pakistan 66-2 (Azan 32, Masood 28) Azan pulls Robinson crisply in front of square for two. Robinson reverts to a good length and goes past the edge with successive deliveries before having an LBW appeal turned down on height. Beautiful bowling.

17th over: Pakistan 64-2 (Azan 30, Masood 28) Masood pushes Archer pleasantly through mid-off for a couple. There’s a lot to like about him as a batter; it’s hard to reconcile the eye test with an average of 30 from 50 Tests.

Lunch is at 1.15pm today, with tea at 4.10pm. That’s to make up some of the time that was lost yesterday.

16th over: Pakistan 60-2 (Azan 29, Masood 25) Robinson stays around the wicket to Azan, who has to play more because of the angle. After a few defensive strokes, Azan misses an attempted pull at a ball that bounces down the leg side for four byes. Jordan Cox, standing up to the stumps, didn’t have much chance with that. As Ian Ward points out on Sky Sports, those byes will go against Jamie Smith’s name rather than Cox’s.

The over ends with a spiteful delivery that lifts from a length to hit Azan in the chest. Sheesh.

“I know this is heresy, but should we be worried about Joe Root?” writes Chris Goater. “I know his record is amazing, and he has solved technical problems before, but he is surely getting towards the end of his time now. How much patience should the selectors show, if his run of low scores continues?”

One word, two syllables: WOW. A pattern of dismissals is always a bit of a concern, but the keeper won’t be up to the stumps as regularly when England play South Africa and Australia.

15th over: Pakistan 56-2 (Azan 29, Masood 25) An eventful over from Archer to Masood: two plays and misses, a lovely drive for four and an inside-edged pull onto the body that lands short of Archer.

“A whole three-match played with the same XI; no injured bowlers, no messing around by the selectors,” says Stephen Nichols. “More of this please!”

14th over: Pakistan 52-2 (Azan 29, Masood 21) Ollie Robinson starts over the wicket to Azan Awais, who is beaten by his second, third and fifth deliveries. Robinson moves around the wicket for the final ball of an excellent maiden. His grandkids are going to hear a helluva lot about the summer of 2026.

“Wow, the royalties from Kaiser have really added up!” banters Matt Dony. “When you’re sunning yourself on your private island, enjoying your millions, I hope you remember all the little people who got you there. Maybe we can invoice you on a per-email basis?”

Maybe. Maybe not. [Insert you own Departed reference here.]

13th over: Pakistan 52-2 (Azan 29, Masood 21) Archer’s second ball of the last day is a seaming lifter that beats Shan Masood’s defensive grope.

Time for the action Jofra Archer, whose fourth over was rudely interrupted by the dustmen rain last night, will open the bowling.

We don’t usually start the day’s play by directing you towards the Guardian’s country diary, but this is well worth your time.

“I know you have spent a lot of time and money trying to get your overdue payment,” writes Pastor J B Norble. “I am very sorry for this trouble and the inconvenience it has caused you. We have reviewed your payment file, and your payment of [$30,800,000] is now actively processed.”

That’s me done then. Have a nice life! (Some actual emails, please.)

State-school cricket has had its day at Lord’s, at last. On a ground that has this summer hosted men’s and women’s international Tests, the Women’s T20 World Cup final and the Hundred finals, on Thursday four school teams played in front of the Pavilion and Father Time for the Knight-Stokes Cup, named after two state-educated cricketers who have captained England’s Test teams.

Heather Knight and Ben Stokes recorded video messages for pupils from Altrincham grammar school, John Hampden grammar school, Penistone grammar school and Chelmsford County high school before they competed in the boys’ and girls’ finals. The privileges did not stop there – full use of the Pavilion dressing rooms, lunch and media duties made this a day to remember and inspire.

It’s a big day in the race for the County Championship. The peerless Tanya Aldred is your guide.

A few hours after his yelp of frustration echoed around Edgbaston, an innings of 65 and the growing conviction that “I was going to make a really big score” ended when he chased a wide delivery and played on, Dan Lawrence’s emotions had settled into something approaching contentment. England had taken a firm grip on the game, Pakistan ending the second day still 268 away from making them bat again with eight wickets remaining, and Lawrence, having posted three half-centuries in four Test innings this summer, is finally delivering on his obvious potential in an England shirt.

“I’m obviously gutted I didn’t kick on,” he said. “I felt like I was playing really nicely and it was a really good surface to bat on against a tiring attack at that stage. I thought I was going to make a really big score, but it wasn’t meant to be. But I’m really happy with how I’ve played [this summer].

The lack of Ashes cricket in the north of England next summer is the result of a legal dispute that followed the allocation of venues for the 2023 series against Australia, which also involved the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) paying about £1m in damages to Hampshire.

The Guardian can reveal that Hampshire brought a legal challenge against the ECB after missing out on hosting the Ashes in 2023 to Yorkshire, who staged the third Test – which England won by three wickets – at Headingley.

Hampshire are understood to have challenged the 2023 allocation on the grounds the club said they were promised their first Ashes Test at the Rose Bowl that year at a meeting of the 18 first-class counties in 2018.

“Good morning Rob,” writes Krishnamoorthy V. “If only Pakistan had a VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid in their midst...”

Quite.

There was a Pakistan fan walking around Edgbaston carrying a small blackboard on the second day. “Free Imran Khan …” he’d written on it, “and get him in the team.” He stopped to talk about it with a couple of the police officers standing guard around the back of the pavilion. “I’d like to report a crime,” he told them, “by the 11 players out there on the field.” The officers chuckled. “Not much I can do about that for you, sorry.” Even their supporters seemed to have reached the point where they just want this tour to be over.

With dismal inevitability, the weather had turned by the time Pakistan actually got out to bat in their second innings and the bright sunshine that lit up England’s batting through the afternoon had been occluded by a bank of heavy grey cloud that had blown up from the south-west. They turned the floodlights on just in time for Saim Ayub and Azan Awais to go out and face up to another new-ball burst from Ollie Robinson and Jofra Archer. The lights didn’t help anyone, if anything they only made it easier to see what was coming.

Pakistan are averaging 15.90 runs per wicket in this series. That’s the lowest against England, in a series of three matches or more, since New Zealand were spun into oblivion by Tony Lock and Jim Laker in 1958.

Weather watch The sun is out at Edgbaston and play should start on time. The forecast is pretty good all day, so England should have plenty of time to get the job done and begin their end-of-series celebrations. Lime cordials all round.

Day two report

Friday is the only sold-out day of this third Test but whether that translates into a full house remains to be seen. Much like the series itself, the contest is long since over, set in motion by Pakistan’s howling collapse on the first day and then compounded by England’s ruthlessness on the second.

Although for all that England’s march to a 3-0 clean sweep appears a formality, there should in theory be a decent chunk of cricket to enjoy. Joe Root’s side are still eight wickets away from enjoying a weekend at leisure, with Pakistan, set to resume on 52 for two, 268 runs away from making them bat again.

It follows a dominant outing with the bat from England that turned 156 for four in the morning into 453 all out by tea. That said, three men still trudged off despondently. Harry Brook needlessly ran himself out on 75, Dan Lawrence chopped on for 65, while Jamie Smith fell for 69 after batting through the pain of a suspected broken finger. In all three cases, a Test century went begging.