STUMPS
OVER 15: PAK 42/0 Hafeez 22* Taufiq 18* Four men on the fence for Swann, which is just baffling. Hafeez pushes a simple single into the off side and gets a single. The field then comes in for Taufiq. Were England giving Hafeez a single just so Swann could bowl at the left-hander? Well, it didn't work. Grotesquely overpitched from Swann, and Taufiq simply flicks it off his toes for four. He blocks the rest of the over, an immaculate straight face of the bat every time, and England's first ever day of Test cricket in Dubai comes to a close. They've been rubbish.
OVER 14: PAK 37/0 Hafeez 21* Taufiq 14* Taufiq nudges Broad off his hips for two runs. Broad responds with a 140kph bouncer - that's about 87mph in old money - that bounces about as much as any ball we've seen all day, and Taufiq ducks well under it. Broad switches to round the wicket, and gets his first little frisson of excitement all spell, just getting the ball to threaten to move away from Taufiq and drawing a play and a miss. Was that another one off the last ball of the over? That was more Taufiq dragging the bat away from the line. Last over of the day, Swann to bowl. The light is becoming almost Stygian.
OVER 13: PAK 35/0 Hafeez 21* Taufiq 12* Swann's task is quite, quite simple. He needs to get one ball to turn. Just one ball. Doesn't have to turn much, doesn't have to turn quickly, it just has to turn. That single delivery will set him up for the entire innings. Ajmal barely spun one off the straight all innings, but he put enough doubt in the batsman's mind to have them fumbling and groping and second-guessing and eventually getting out. Swann's ploughing a healthy enough line outside off-stump, but so far Hafeez is confident enough to play him off the pitch, and blocks out another maiden over.
OVER 12: PAK 35/0 Hafeez 21* Taufiq 12* Taufiq may have been the sixth highest scorer in Test cricket in 2011, but get him onto a Chester-le-Street greentop in April and he wouldn't last until the first commercial break. His bat's six shades of askew as he defends a Broad lifter uncertainly. He gratefully ducks under the next, a bouncer, defends the next, and then leaves the one after that. Nice and steady from Broad. A maiden.
OVER 11: PAK 35/0 Hafeez 21* Taufiq 12* Cook under the lid at short leg. Anderson at slip. Strauss at short mid-wicket. Hafeez blocks the first, but that's all the sighter he needs. He lifts Swann's second ball back over his head for four! That won't dishearten Swann a great deal, as that was a shot fraught with risk, and Hafeez didn't quite get all of that. There's half - perhaps a quarter - of a shout of 'catch' as Hafeez gets himself into a bit of a tangle with a ball that turns a little, but after momentarily disappearing into his amidships area, it drops harmlessly to the ground. Not a bad start from Swann.
OVER 10: PAK 31/0 Hafeez 17* Taufiq 12* I'd mark Broad down on my betting slip as the England paceman most likely to make a breakthrough in these conditions. He's thinking hard here, chucking in a yorker, varying his pace just a little, hanging the odd one just outside off stump in an attempt to draw Hafeez into a shot. Hafeez gets a little bat on the yorker and gets a single into the leg side. One run and not a hint of a chance for Broad that over, but he's playing the long game here. Five overs to go, and it's going to be Graeme Swann to try and tease out one of these two.
OVER 9: PAK 30/0 Hafeez 16* Taufiq 12* The Barmy Army trumpeter ran out of recognisable songs long ago. We've had all the old favourites. He's now treating us to a track-by-track rendition of side two of The Flowers of Romance by Public Image Limited. Taufiq tries to smear another of those no-feet off-drives - like a no-bread sandwich, but more likely to get you caught at first slip - but smashes it straight to Broad. He does connect very nicely with that late cut, though, sending it between slips and gully and away for four.
OVER 8: PAK 26/0 Hafeez 16* Taufiq 8* Bit of nip from Broad first up, the ball darting in off the seam and keeping a little low, and Hafeez had to be alert to keep that one out. We've finally got a little noise in the stadium, the Pakistanis countering the Barmy Army trumpeter with their own chants of 'ZINDABAD'. The rest of the over is wide of off stump, and Hafeez not tempted to dabble with any of it. What's that, you say? You want a Hawkeye representation of Jimmy Anderson's line-perfect first over? Well, let me see what I can do...
OVER 7: PAK 26/0 Hafeez 16* Taufiq 8* Now Taufiq opens his shoulders again, driving pleasantly through the covers for three. Broad scrambles down to the rope and does well to save a run. Hafeez then gets on his toes and forces a decent delivery from Anderson off the back foot, through the covers for three more. These two are showing how to play on this surface - anything full can be swung through the line, anything short can be ridden. England's batsmen should take notes - they're going to have to bat a good deal better in the second innings if they want to save this game. Anderson finds a little late movement with his last delivery and almost cuts Taufiq in two. The left-hander had left it alone, and then watched in alarm as it veered in towards him, only just clearing the bails. Broad to replace Tremlett.
OVER 6: PAK 20/0 Hafeez 13* Taufiq 5* Taufeeq fences a short, straight one from Tremlett into the gully, where it's well fielded by Morgan. The way Taufiq's playing Tremlett suggests he doesn't play the quick bouncer too well. All England need, then, is to pick a battery of nasty fast bowlers and then get the series moved to South Africa. Taufiq then helps himself to one off his legs as Tremlett loses his line a fraction. Two more for Hafeez with an edge through third man. And then four through mid-on! Fuller from Tremlett, and all Hafeez has to do is balance the weight on his toes, lean on the ball, and then adjust his jockstrap as the ball careers over the lush outfield. RIGHT IT'S NOT WORKING BRING ON SWANN.
OVER 5: PAK 13/0 Hafeez 7* Taufiq 4* Hafeez edges the ball with soft hands in between slips and gully, and in one moment of uncertainty wipes another four runs off England's total. Already Anderson seems to have lost his hoop. We are now, to all intents and purposes, playing with an old ball.
OVER 4: PAK 9/0 Hafeez 3* Taufiq 4* It's another decent over from Tremlett - possibly a touch short given the conditions - and Taufiq plays it with the utmost respect. With the exception of the last ball, where he takes a little shimmy down the pitch and cracks the ball on the up through mid-off. It disappears for four before you can say 'desert Hayden'. Tremlett wears an expression like that of a Dubai hotel concierge who's just been asked to stick some Kajagoogoo on the jukebox.
"Happy New Year to everyone," writes live-blog muse Peter Rowntree. "That was bad from England - without Matt Prior it would have been an absolute disaster!" Happy new year to everyone. How did everyone spend their December 31s? I stayed in with a mate and played Xbox. At midnight we had a cigar each. It was low-key, I'll tell you that much.
OVER 3: PAK 5/0 Hafeez 3* Taufiq 0* More delightful swing from Anderson, drawing Hafeez forward and coming within a flea's miniskirt of catching his edge. He then gets one to bounce a little on Hafeez, who rides it well and knocks it through the covers for two. The light is fading fast. Hafeez had a little word with the umpires at the end of the first over, but it's still perfectly good for the time being. We can also put the floodlights on if it gets dim enough.
OVER 2: PAK 3/0 Hafeez 1* Taufiq 0* So, you'll know all about Mohammed Hafeez. What about Taufiq? Well, you may remember him from the 2006 series against England, where he came in for the Headingley Test - not the best place to step in if you've been brought up in Lahore - made two low scores and wasn't seen again until November 2010 for the South Africa series. Since then, he's nailed down his slot in the side, hitting a double century against Sri Lanka and giving Pakistan their most settled opening partnership since Saeed Anwar and Aamir Sohail. Those of you familiar with Pakistani cricket will be aware that over the last couple of decades, the opening partnership has rather been occupied on a rotational basis, much like the EU presidency. Hafeez and Taufiq have finally given them some stability. Anyway, he gets off the strike with a leg bye, Hafeez knocks the ball past short leg for the first run off the bat, and then Tremlett chucks in a no-ball. It's a good over from Tremlett - good line, good bounce, and a touch of movement, and he certainly had Taufiq hopping around a bit.
OVER 1: PAK 0/0 Hafeez 0* Taufiq 0* Swing for Anderson! Honestly, he could get a ball of string to swing on the Moon. Hafeez plays and misses at a couple, defends a couple more rather uncertainly and then is again comprehensively beaten off the last. Crucial little period this for England. If Pakistan get to the close unharmed, they've got a lovely sunny day tomorrow to show England how to bat on a dead pitch in front of an empty crowd.
12.22 Jimmy Anderson's got the new nut in his hand. Fifteen overs for Pakistan to negotiate this evening.
12.15 Glass half-full or glass half-empty? Whatever your outlook, England have made a habit in the last couple of years of filling the glass completely, leaving no room for aspirational ambiguity. Here, they've completely and utterly failed to fill the glass. Still, at least there is something in the glass. That nagging feeling at the back of your head is, I'm afraid, correct. You've just wasted the last few moments of your life reading these six sentences. Pakistan reply coming up in a couple of ticks.
WICKET! Anderson lbw b Ajmal 12 (15) ENG 192 all out
Another one goes straight on, another one raps the pad and another one bites the dust! Ajmal finishes with seven wickets, and five of them have been leg-before! Prior takes the single early in the over; Anderson leaves the first uneasily, gets his pad in line second ball expecting the turn and cops one dead in front. England are all out for an appalling 192. Prior finishes on 70 not out - top knock - while Saeed Ajmal finishes with 7/55. Those are his best figures in first-class cricket, and they've come against the world's number one team.
OVER 72: ENG 191/9 Prior 69* Anderson 12* Mohammed Hafeez replaces Rehman, and Anderson manages to carve his second ball through backward point for one to bring Prior back on strike. The field scatters. Prior misses with a little nudge to leg, then comes down the pitch but can only defend off the front foot. Prior's not keen to trifle with Hafeez here, and contents himself with another little nudge through square leg that gets him a single. One ball for Anderson to face, and Hafeez decides to toss it up with relish, hoping to coax Anderson into reaching for it. Anderson waits for it, times his lunge perfectly and kills it stone dead with a block.
OVER 71: ENG 189/9 Prior 68* Anderson 11* In contrast to Anderson's new-found derring-do, Prior's curled up in a little ball of circumspection. He blocks four balls, thinks about coming down to the fifth but decides against it and defends, and then tries to paddle the last around the corner and finds the man at short fine-leg. That's a maiden over.
OVER 70: ENG 189/9 Prior 68* Anderson 11* Crash! Prior bludgeons Rehman over cover, and is that going to make it all the way to the rope? Umar Gul clearly couldn't give tuppence ha'penny whether it goes over the rope, but he does manage to jog over and stop the ball with his boot, safe in the knowledge that Prior's not running more than two in any case. Prior then takes a single to mid-wicket, but can't come back for the second, leaving Anderson on strike for four balls. What happens next is this: Anderson hits the first two of them for four. The first one is tickled delightfully off his pads, down to fine leg, and the second is swept, high and hard, over square leg. Incredible opportunism from Anderson, who then blocks the last two. Told you this would be fun, didn't I?
OVER 69: ENG 178/9 Prior 65* Anderson 3* Well, this should be fun. Ajmal to continue, and Prior tries to slog sweep his first ball into the Gulf! That's a bottom edge, into the ground, or possibly his thigh, and back up into his visor. Prior takes his helmet off, blinks a couple of times, and resumes. Prior backs away to the third ball, Ajmal slings it wide of off-stump and Prior can only just reach that, cutting it through the off-side for two. Another big sweep - hint of bottom edge in that - and Prior scampers another two as it scuttles through square leg. Prior takes a single off the fifth ball, turning it into the yawning mid-wicket gap. Ajmal will have one ball to Anderson. It's the doosra, and Anderson can play it safely off the pitch. England, remember were 43 for five. This is quite a comeback.
OVER 68: ENG 173/9 Prior 60* Anderson 3* Prior turns the first ball of the over to mid-wicket, absolutely murders the first run, but even so decides to turn down the second with a scream of "NO!" to Anderson, who was already a third of the way down the track. Anderson is at least looking more positive in defence than Tremlett, and as the extra cover fielder comes out, Anderson drives very pleasantly indeed into the gap vacated, picking up three runs. Rehman's last ball is a stinker down the leg side, and Matt Prior could scarcely have helped himself more easily to a run if Mervyn Westfield had been bowling.
OVER 67: ENG 168/9 Prior 58* Anderson 0* Anderson safely keeps out the last two balls of Ajmal's over. Will Prior regret leaving Tremlett four balls to face? Will he now turn down the single? Let's find out. Rehman to continue.
WICKET! Tremlett lbw b Ajmal 1 (18) ENG 168/9
Tremlett doesn't like it, but there's nothing he can do about it now! England are nine down, and it's Saeed Ajmal's marvellous straight-on delivery that does it. Tremlett completely fooled, playing for the turn, the ball skids on and catches him just above the knee-roll on the back pad - just in line with off-stump or possibly just outside. Hawkeye shows it was comfortably crashing into ash. Right. One wicket left. Prior and Anderson at the crease. This could be quite, quite fun. Or it could be over quite, quite quickly. One of the two.
OVER 66: ENG 167/8 Prior 57* Tremlett 1* Prior edges to slip, but it bounces inches in front of Hafeez! Goodness gracious, Pakistan. Hafeez was awfully deep at slip, and the ball's never going to make it all the way unless it's a full-throated slash. That was simply a prod from Prior, and the ball managed to bite in the pitch just a little. Pakistan may rue that missed opportunity to snare Prior, especially if he can get them to 200. Prior sweeps fine for one run, leaving Tremlett two balls to face from Rehman. Block. Block. Over bowled.
OVER 65: ENG 166/8 Prior 56* Tremlett 1* Tremlett doesn't like the look of Ajmal very much at all. He just about manages to jab the bat down on the second ball of the over, which sears off the pitch and skids on. The fifth hits him on boot and bat simultaneously, and he blocks the last. Maiden over.
OVER 64: ENG 166/8 Prior 56* Tremlett 1* Rehman continues as Prior tries to work the ball around for a two. But he plays out four balls with impeccable technique before finally taking a couple of steps down the pitch, and launching the ball over cover for four! He probably meant to hit that one straight, but as the ball just drifted away from him, he adjusted the trajectory of his swing. The pitch is slow enough for you to do that. He can't get a single off the last, though, so Ajmal will get a decent crack at Tremlett.
OVER 63: ENG 162/8 Prior 52* Tremlett 1* Bounce from Ajmal, and Prior is startled! Not sure whether he got a faint edge on that, but the ball rears up, passes directly over the stumps, and is too hot even for Akmal to handle. Prior takes the single off the third ball of the over, Tremlett keeps the rest out, and England are edging towards respectability here.
OVER 62: ENG 161/8 Prior 51* Tremlett 1* Phwoar! That's a very meaty sweep indeed by Prior, swiping it well in front of square, into the huge leg-side expanse for four. Prior then goes back, flicks one fine off his pads, and dashes back for the second to reach his fifty. Now, that's a good innings. It's his 19th Test fifty, and he's developing a habit for scoring crucial runs when England are in trouble. It's a trick MS Dhoni used to have mastered. A single down the ground off the last ball of the over to keep the strike. Pakistan didn't even think about bringing men in to keep Prior at that end. That's nutty.
OVER 61: ENG 154/8 Prior 44* Tremlett 1* Prior with another of those bottom-handed slaps through the covers. It's half-stopped by Misbah, who keeps it down to a single. Tremlett's off the mark with a little inside edge down to square leg. Prior then knocks one through point for another single. Another big appeal for leg before now as Ajmal gets one to go - yes, you've guessed it - straight on. It hits Tremlett in line, but probably didn't pitch in line, was probably missing off stump and might well have been going over as well. None of which stopped Adnan Akmal leaping up and down and hollering as if he'd just caught his first ever fish, and it had the head of an antelope on it. Three off the over.
OVER 60: ENG 151/8 Prior 42* Tremlett 0* Well, a real peach from Rehman has shaken Pakistan out of their funk. Might the field come in now, with Tremlett - not Anderson - the new man? Yep, a couple of guys around the bat.
WICKET! Swann b Rehman 34 (65) ENG 151/8
Beeeautifully bowled! That's a wonderful delivery from Rehman to break this dangerous England partnership! Rehman's not got one to turn one all day, but this one just bites, spins and bounces, beating the edge of Swann's perfectly straight bat and clipping the top of off stump! Rehman won't bowl a better delivery in his life unless he takes up fast bowling!
OVER 59: ENG 150/7 Prior 41* Swann 34* If you'd offered England 150 about two hours ago, they'd have eyed you suspiciously before narrowing their eyes and asking: "What's the catch?" But there they are, as Ajmal darts it in at leg stump and Prior turns it away for another single. The partnership is 56, and it's come at a decent rate as well: 101 balls. Rehman continues, with Pakistan really rather rattling through their overs here.
OVER 58: ENG 149/7 Prior 40* Swann 34* Rehman traps Swann on the back foot, and it's a big appeal! Not out, says Bruce Oxenford, and as both teams have burned their reviews, Pakstain are unable to contest the issue. Hawkeye shows the ball was clipping leg-stump, so it would have stayed with the on-field decision. Just a Prior single off that over.
OVER 57: ENG 148/7 Prior 39* Swann 34* Ajmal bowling round the wicket to the right-handers, and Prior again gets to the pitch and tips him to mid-wicket for a single. I am refusing to discuss any of Ajmal's variations until he manages to turn a single one of them off the straight. Once England realise that every single one is simply a straight ball delivered with a subtly different facial expression, they'll manage to score very freely indeed. Swann turns the last ball very fine for two runs. Three off the over; the 50 partnership came up in the last over, by the way.
OVER 56: ENG 145/7 Prior 38* Swann 32* Rehman continues, and Swann turns him into the leg-side for one. The field is still spread deep - which in itself is incredible, but whatever - and Prior helps himself to another single down to long-on. Swann then tucks into the final ball of the over, crunching it through cover with that wonderful is-it-in-the-air-well-who-cares attitude that Swann often exudes. These two are making scoring look easy; as easy as it was hard in the first one and a bit sessions.
11.07 Right, on we go. Seven minutes late - does Test cricket actually want to die, or has it simply lost the will to live? - but on we go.
"Can't understand why they started the Test today," writes Oliver Hogg. "The weekend is Friday and Saturday here in Dubai. Why risk no play on days four and five, as may be case, and have to refund accordingly? Not as though it's a full house today... but I personally am going in a group of about 50 on Friday and Saturday - full fancy dress etc - and everyone I speak to here, be it my colleagues, friends or friendly taxi drivers have similar plans, especially as tickets are priced for all budgets. Friday in particular will be a raucous crowd - at least in the alcohol-allowed premium section. But if the cricket is all over by then, it will all be a bit of a-let down."
Fancy dress? What are you going as, a woman? Ahahahaha.
TEA
OVER 55: ENG 139/7 Prior 37* Swann 27* The field drops out a little, and Prior helps himself to a single out to deep mid-wicket. This is turning into a handy partnership, but it's still 290 short of the England's highest 8th-wicket partnership against Pakistan. Now, Umar Gul going round the wicket to Swann, clatters him on the pad, and for some reason launches a humongous appeal for LBW! What are you doing, you crazy little man? That ball clearly pitched about 18 inches outside leg stump. But Gul's not letting this one go. He wants Misbah to call for a review. Misbah, as a human being with eyes, is reluctant to do so. "Need an answer, guys," chirps Bruce Oxenford, and Umar practically forces Misbah's arms into the T-shape. We have a review. This is ridiculous. The ball... pitched about 18 inches outside leg stump. It didn't even hit Swann in line, and he was on the back foot. Umar Gul, you crazy little diamond. That is the single worst review anywhere in cricket since, well, the Morgan Review. Anyway, we continue. Swann bunts the ball out to deep cover, Prior top edges a pull but sees it lands safe, and that's tea. England's session?
OVER 54: ENG 135/7 Prior 34* Swann 26* Clearly everyone's quite determined for this to be the last over before tea. The fielders are all dawdling round to their positions, the batsmen are having a prolonged chat in the middle -
Swann: Got a book out yet, mate?
Prior: Nah. You?
Swann: Yeah. You?
Prior: We did me.
- and eventually, the over starts. When it does, Prior clips Rehman off his toes through mid-wicket for three runs. Both batsmen have now realised, I think, that Rehman couldn't turn a lathe, and are just using the angle to work the ball into the leg side. And there goes Swann! Over mid-on for four! Ker-thwack! Seven off the over, and the partnership - at 41 - is now the highest of the series so far. Billy Bowden decides these lazy cricketers are going to have to play another over after all.
OVER 53: ENG 128/7 Prior 31* Swann 22* Gul slings down a bouncer, Swann instinctively ducks, and then remembers how slow the pitch is. The ball barely clears Swann's back. I definitely fancy I saw him glancing up at it as it looped over him. That's a shot, though! Bit of width, Swann goes hard at the ball and he finds the gap between point and cover. Four runs! If England can reach tea unscathed, you might well argue it's been their session.
OVER 52: ENG 124/7 Prior 31* Swann 18* They're all up for that one, a catch at silly point as Swann the straight-onner thuds off Swann's pads! Unfortunately, it was the pad, the whole pad, and nothing but the pad, so no, that wasn't out. Swann then uses the angle from Rehman to turn the ball very fine off his pads for three runs. Asad Shafiq runs round and saves one run on the slide, leaving a sizeable divot in the turf.
OVER 51: ENG 120/7 Prior 30* Swann 15* "It shows the strength of the England batting," says Ramiz Raja. Eh? Anyway, do go on, Ramiz. "Any other team would have been struggling at this point." Is Ramiz Raja watching the same game as us? He's actually making a point about the potency of England's lower order, but as usual he's expressed it only slightly less ham-fistedly than a six-year-old child attempting to define positivism. A fine yorker from Gul, and Swann does well to keep that out, given he's approaching full-on hitting mode. There's then a short delay as Swann spies movement behind the huge sightscreen. After a break of a couple of minutes, Gul reasons that Swann won't have remembered the previous yorker, and throws in another one. Swann has remembered the previous yorker, and digs it out once more. Maidenova.
OVER 50: ENG 120/7 Prior 30* Swann 15* Bounce from Rehman! Prior was well forward, but this nipped straight on, reared up and ended up hitting Prior in the helmet. Prior tries to slap a wider one in front of square, but again finds the man at cover. Rehman's eighth over, and that's his fifth maiden. Probably five overs to go until tea if we're lucky, and Umar Gul is back in the UAE.
OVER 49: ENG 120/7 Prior 30* Swann 15* Thanks Alan (like how we're pretending this is an actual commentary box), and it's Ajmal to continue. And drilled through the covers for four by Swann! Very full from Ajmal, pitching a matter of inches in front of Swann, and virtually no risk in simply swinging through the line. Swann makes contact with a couple more, a carve off the back foot and a straighter drive off the front, but finds fielders both times. Time for Abdur Rehman.
OVER 48: ENG 116/7 (Prior 30* Swann 11*) Nice slower ball from Cheema, but Swann is on top of it, and doffs his cap (metaphorically, like, we're not in the pre-helmet era) to the bowler. Prior crashes the last ball of the over away square for four, and I am going to hand over to Jonathan Liew.
OVER 47: ENG 111/7 (Prior 26* Swann 10*) A better over for England, they manage to keep out two doosras from the mighty Saeed Ajmal and score five runs in ones and twos.
OVER 46: ENG 106/7 (Prior 22* Swann 9*) A couple off the Cheema over.
OVER 45: ENG 104/7 (Prior 21* Swann 8*) Single from Prior and then a couple of rare moments for England to cheer: he drives a half-volley along the ground for four to long-off and then belts another four, more uppish this time again through the offside. But Swann arguably gets a let-off from ball six, when Akmal drops what looks like an inside edge. Hard to say really. Hotspot suggests it was an inside edge, so I guess we'll have that down as a drop.
OVER 44: ENG 95/7 (Prior 20* Swann 0*) Super ball from Cheema nips away from Prior leaving him grapsing at thin air. Just a single off an impressive over. He's given excellent support to the spinners, has Cheema.
OVER 43: ENG 94/7 (Prior 19* Swann 0*) Ajmal gives Swann the doosra first up, and finds his edge, but the England man played with soft hands and it lands safe. Survives the rest of the over, including a thwack on the pad from another doosra, which is given not out. Pakistan decline to review it.
WICKET! Broad lbw b Ajmal 8 (14) First ball after drinks, Broad hit in front. Broad's going to review this. Obviously he's going to review this. He's Stuart Broad. Stuart Broad is never out, unless he's actually out, which unfortunately... he is here. He went down on the sweep to a straight-un, failed to hit it and was hit bang in front. ENG 94/7 and that is five-fer for Saeed Ajmal.
Ajmal has taken four wickets by attacking the stumps
OVER 42: ENG 94/6 (Prior 19* Broad 8*) Couple of singles of Cheema's over and that's drinks.
OVER 41: ENG 92/6 (Prior 18* Broad 7*) A very rare display of aggression from England, like being headbutted by a vicar, as Broad strides forward to smite the tormentor Ajmal over the infield and down to the long-on boundary for four. One ball in the over is round-arm, bit slingy, quick. Is that the teesra? He puts, erm, plenty of elbow grease into it.
OVER 40: ENG 87/6 (Prior 17* Broad 3*) Good shot from Broad to open his account, a crisp bunt down the ground for three. What's more, Prior works a couple of singles off Cheema. Anyone care to speculate as to England's total? I reckon 176.
OVER 39: ENG 82/6 (Prior 15* Broad 0*) And Stuart Broad was very nearly on his bike first ball. He's hit on the pad, given not out and Pakistan review. The decision is upheld: it looks like it would have just about have gone over the top of leg, so Pakistan burn a review but they won't mind that too much. A wicket maiden from Ajmal and England are reeling once again.
WICKET! Morgan lbw Saeed Ajmal 24 Oh cripes, England's mini recovery is deader than fried chicken. Morgan sweeps and is hit on the back leg. Umpire Oxenford gives him out, Morgan reviews - more in hope than in expectation - and that is hitting middle halfway up. Decision upheld. He's gone. England lose a review and they are 82/6
OVER 38: ENG 82/5 (Morgan 24* Prior 15*) Cheema replaces Gul and it's a decent over. A nicely driven two from Prior through cover.
OVER 37: ENG 80/5 (Morgan 24* Prior 13*) Prior goes for the big one against Ajmal but misses and the keeper whips the bails off. Fortunately for MP, his back foot was well grounded so no bones broken. Couple of singles off the over.
OVER 36: ENG 78/5 (Morgan 23* Prior 12*) That, ladies and gentlemen, is your classic Umar Gul delivery: great line, just enough bounce, seams away and, if it had been 24 inches fuller, it would have taken the outside edge and sent Prior back to the hutch rather than, as it did, beating the batsman and causing everyone to inhale sharply. Three well-worked and well-run singles in the over.
Andrew Holgate's got a little bit of politics: "We should have known that spin would feature, so why didn't we put the last Labour Government at the top of the order? Best players of spin I've seen."
OVER 35: ENG 75/5 (Morgan 21* Prior 11*) Two off the Ajmal over, no dramas.
OVER 34: ENG 73/5 (Morgan 20* Prior 10*) Foolish boy, Eoin! He tries to hook a short-ish ball from Umar and gets a top edge... and is most relieved to see it land safely away from the two men out there. That would have been a proper "throw a shoe at the telly moment". Also in that over, a misfield gives Morgan a couple and Prior also chips in with a brace of singles. Whisper it quietly DON'T JINX IT YOU FOOL but England look broadly alright since lunch.
OVER 33: ENG 68/5 (Morgan 17* Prior 8*) For any English top order batsmen reading, that's how you pick the length against spin. Ajmal drops a fraction short, Morgan rocks back, and cuts that away behind square for four.
OVER 32: ENG 64/5 (Morgan 13* Prior 8*) Okay, not to jinx it, but things looking a tiny bit more promising now. Morgan gets his first boundary with a nice square drive off Gul, and Prior is starting to get his feet moving: a firm drive through the covers for a couple.
OVER 31: ENG 57/5 (Morgan 8* Prior 6*) Some minor signs of encouragement for England as Prior gets a stride in to drive down the ground for a couple, plus a leg-bye and a single, and the scoreboard is at least moving. But Prior's heart is in his mouth as he plops forward and sees his edge squirt past short leg...
OVER 30: ENG 53/5 (Morgan 7* Prior 4*) Misbah decides to give Umar Gul a go and is nearly rewarded as Umar slides the ball across Morgan. That's the way to get Eoin. No run off the over.
Maz Saleem likes what he sees: "Just a quick comment on the depth of Pakistan's bowling attack - probably the most talented in the world. Even now they're missing 2 of their most talented bowlers to a ban, no sign of Afridi (another lethal spinner) and that's aside from the likes of Sami and Riaz."
OVER 29: ENG 53/5 (Morgan 7* Prior 4*) Morgan gets the second session underway right away, a single off the first ball. Prior is beaten prodding forward by a doosra, scrambled seam ball bustling past his outside edge. That's the first of five dot balls to the England keeper-batsman.
13.38 We're ready to get underway. Sensibly enough, Misbah is continuing with Saeed Ajmal.
And meanwhile, here is Jonathan Liew on the 2,000 calore diet that Stuart Broad has been following.
13.25 Pre-recorded Andy Flower interview on Sky TV. His opening line: "First and most obvious challenge is showing we can play spin." Um.
13.20 England were pretty poor, but serious credit to the Pakistan spinners. The way they bowled on a non-turning pitch was beautiful to behold, lovely variations of length and pace. Too good for our lads this morning. Ajmal's figures make nice reading for OCD number-types 5-3-5-3.
"England's goal has to be to get more runs than supporters in the stadium.. 263 I think will do it," tweets Michael Vaughan.
Nimish Varadkar writes: "I don't know whether you might call it odd or even shocking, but somehow this is making me happy--in spite of being an Indian.Don't get me wrong, I don't hate England or anything and Pakistan are still our biggest rivals.But after the absolute spanking that we got last year in England, this just makes me...how do I put it....''Profoundly Happy'."
LUNCH England 52/5 (Morgan 6* Prior 4*) A sensational start to the Test match. England won the toss and then quickly set about handing their wickets over to Pakistan. The seamers looked pretty unthreatening, but the impressive Misbah made an early bowling change and Cook gave his wicket away trying to cut a Hafeez delivery that was too close to him. Trott, who was looking decent, got himself out to a leg-side strangle, and then England began one of their all-too-familiar nightmare collapses against spin.
They looked completely freaked out by Rehman and Ajmal, who sent down 12 overs between them for ten runs. Ian Bell got a beauty, but KP played across the line and Andrew Strauss tried to pull a ball that was too full. Once again, England are unable to pick the length of spinners - on a pitch that is hardly doing much - and are totally unable to score. Or even stay in. Morgan and Prior have a huge task after lunch to try and keep England in this game. I'll be back shortly to talk you through it.
Kevin Pietersen was trapped in front by Ajmal
OVER 28: ENG 52/5 (Morgan 6* Prior 4*) Mohammad Hafeez keeps it tight with an over that attacks the stumps, no turn to speak of, but impossible to get away without serious risk. Morgan gets a single and that will be lunch.
OVER 27: ENG 51/5 (Morgan 5* Prior 4*) Ajmal. England turn the screw as Morgan hammers another single and Pakistan are now on the ropes, clinging on for the lunch bell. It looks like Hafeez will have a quick dart before lunch, next over.
OVER 26: ENG 50/5 (Morgan 4* Prior 4*) England limp past 50 as Morgan pre-meditates a sweep for a single off Rehman.
Jack G says: "Would it have mattered if we went with 5 bowlers now? If anything we need Monty!"
OVER 25: ENG 49/5 (Morgan 3* Prior 4*) Another maiden. Did you know department: did you know that Pakistan have only lost one Test match since Lord's 2010?
"You know it is a bad day when a close up of England batting coach Graham Gooch is shown on the big screen," says Nick Hoult.
OVER 24: ENG 49/5 (Morgan 3* Prior 4*) Take that, Pakistan! Here come the mighty E. We've got a run. In fact, three of them, as Prior gets a thick edge down to third man. Rehman's figures are now a profligate six overs for four runs.
OVER 23: ENG 46/5 (Morgan 3* Prior 1*) Yet another maiden. Morgan looks all at sea against Ajmal and stumbles out of his ground, giving Akmal a (very) hard stumping chance that he can't effect. England are totally stuck in a rut and I think they need to counterattack; frankly it looks only a matter of time before another one bites the dust.
OVER 22: ENG 46/5 (Morgan 3* Prior 1*) Rehman continues the torture. Prior is lucky when he plays back to a ball he should have been forward to and is saved only by an inside edge. Aside from the fact that England are, erm, getting out all the time, they seem quite unable to score any runs against these spinners. That's a maiden. England cannot pick the length properly. Gooch has some work to do with these batsmen, over and beyond attacking them with his dog-ball-throwing device.
OVER 21: ENG 46/5 (Morgan 3* Prior 1*) A sensational two-wicket over from Saeed Ajmal and England are all over the shop. Bell got a snorter, but KP just played across the line.
WICKET! Pietersen lbw Ajmal 2 The procession continues. KP prods forward to a straight ball, plays across the line and is struck on the back pad. Umpire Oxenford says not out, but Misbah has a think and says to himself "that pitched in line, was very straight" and asks for the review. It only needs the briefest look at the replay to tell you that's plumb out, the decision is overturned and England are 43/5
WICKET! Bell b Ajmal 0 And England's horrible morning gets even worse as Ian Bell fails to pick Saeed Ajmal's doosra and gets the thin outside edge. No mistake again from the keeper Akmal and that's a first-ball duck for Ian Bell. That was an absolute beauty. ENG 42/4
OVER 20: ENG 42/3 (Pietersen 2* Bell 0*) England, not for the first time, look rather sickly against spin. Abdur Rehman tightens the noose with another maiden, and KP gets in a pickle when he fails to pick an arm ball. Maiden.
OVER 19: ENG 42/3 (Pietersen 2*) That was an excellent over, and England are in some trouble here. Dr Ian Bell comes to the crease.
WICKET! Strauss b Ajmal 19 The Pakistan off-spinner has backed up his pre-match talk with action and sent the England captain back to the hutch in his first over. Off ball five of the over, Strauss tried to sweep, missed and was struck on the pad. Hit outside the line. Maybe he was rattled by that, but off the next ball, Strauss tried to pull a ball that was simply the wrong length for the shot. It was too full, the ball skidded on - it looked like it dipped a bit in the flight to me - and Strauss pulled thin air over the top of it as the ball rattled into his leg stump. ENG 42/3
Trott was out chasing a wide ball (white) down the leg side
OVER 18: ENG 42/2 (Strauss 19* Pietersen 2*) KP is very cautious against the SLA, getting the pad down the pitch and the bat a fair way out in front. Off ball six, he uses his feet for the first time. No change either way though: six dot balls. Looks like that man Saeed Ajmal is coming on for a bowl.
Writes Dan Lucas: "I just got a text from my girlfriend describing herself as a 'cricket widow'." Ha. That's the beauty of getting out of bed this early: you can have a really good argument before the sun's even up.
OVER 17: ENG 42/2 (Strauss 19* Pietersen 2*) Quiet over as both batsmen take a single off Cheema. There's a car insurance add on UK TV that makes me want to kill. And it's not even the opera singer man.
OVER 16: ENG 40/2 (Strauss 18* Pietersen 1*) Strauss looks to use his feet to the left-armer Abdur Rehman, but finds the fielders. He tucks a single and then KP defends a ball, before looking to punch one away through off. Timing's not there yet though.
OVER 15: ENG 39/2 (Strauss 17* Pietersen 1*) Strauss, who needs some runs, has his first boundary. It's a not-altogether-composed squirt through gully for four, but the captain will certainly take it. Now Cheema overpitches and Strauss tucks him away for a couple through midwicket. Cheema comes a bit wider on the crease for ball five, and that comes back in with the angle to smack Strauss on the pads as he plays back. Would have gone over the top, and another good decision from the umpire - and from Misbah not to burn a review.
OVER 14: ENG 32/2 (Strauss 10* Pietersen 1*) Ha, excellent. KP in, Misbah throws the ball to his left-armer Abdur Rehman. Forward short leg in, and as KP gets the front pad a long way down and pokes the bat, that man under the lid might be in business sooner or later. Maiden.
OVER 13: ENG 32/2 (Strauss 10* Pietersen 1*) Trott was caught down the legside in the warm up like that. Kp gets off the mark with a single and then Cheema gives Strauss the bouncer. Easy to duck; that looks like hard yakka on this pitch.
"KP in. Left armer on?," tweets Nick Hoult.
WICKET! Trott c Akmal b Cheema 17 Oh goodness me, Trotty. That is awful. Leg-side ball from Cheema and Trott tries to turn it off his hip, is perhaps surprised by the bounce and ends up getting a touch that Adnan Akmal gathers with a neat tumbling catch. Strangled down the leg side and Trott looks physically sick as he walks off. The second donation England have made to the Pakistan cause this morning, and it is 31/2. That was the third ball of the over, and we'll have drinks.
"Pakistan have an akmal who can catch," notes Derek Pringle.
OVER 12: ENG 31/1 (Strauss 10* Trott 17*) Strauss and Trott ruin Hafeez's figures with a single each.
OVER 11: ENG 29/1 (Strauss 9* Trott 16*) Cheema's back on, he replaces Umar Gul. 68 first class matches, 243 wickets at 22 for Cheema. Nothing wrong with that at all. Interesting to see Pakistan going for experienced campaigners rather than their usual "brilliant if unpredictable youngsters". Getting a good ball to just hold its line outside off, he provokes an edge from Trott that I would say the batsman just about managed to control. It rattles away for four through gully. And there's no doubt about the moral victor from the next ball: thumping inside edge from Trott off an inswinger, and that whistles past his stumps for another four. Lucky boy. Bowler deserved better.
OVER 10: ENG 20/1 (Strauss 8* Trott 8*) Another maiden for Hafeez, who has the rather tidy figures of 3-3-0-1 so far. Trott remains calm. He looks in good nick.
OVER 9: ENG 20/1 (Strauss 8* Trott 8*) England have their first boundary of the day as Trott clips Gul away nicely for four off his pads. Couple of singles, and then Trott drives for three into the covers and that's England's best over of the morning so far.
Dubai's 25,000-seater cricket stadium. Roomy...
OVER 8: ENG 11/1 (Strauss 7* Trott 0*) A second maiden for Hafeez as he bowls to Strauss. It's a tight line, no major turn, but sliding on rather threateningly and Strauss has seen what can happen when a left-handed opener tries to take liberties with the part-time off-spinner. He gets the ball to straighten just enough on a couple of occasions to keep the England skipper thinking.
OVER 7: ENG 11/1 (Strauss 7* Trott 0*) Single for Strauss and then Umar Gul welcomes Trott with an excellent ball. Trott is watchful, risk-free for his first four balls. I expect he'll be watchful for the next however many as well.
OVER 6: ENG 10/1 (Strauss 6* Trott 0*) That's the sort of bowling change captains dream about. Cook didn't look comfortable at all: he got a bit of a leading edge off ball one as he tried to work it away, was a bit sluggish in his defensive prod on ball two and then calamity on ball three. He's something of a golden arm against the left-handers is the boy Hafeez. Excellent start for Pakistan and a big wicket. Cook will be, and should be, angry with himself: it was just a skiddy ball, no big turn, far too close to cut. And tipped by Scyld Berry, too:
"A one-trick bowler, but one who might nip in for a big early wicket."
WICKET! Cook c Akmal b Hafeez 3 And it's a dream bit of captaincy for Misbah! Cook tries to cut a ball that is far too close to him, feathers behind and an Akmal makes no mistake behind the stumps with a regulation catch.
OVER 5: ENG 10/0 (Strauss 6* Cook 3*) No sign of any swing but the first ball of Umar's over keeps distinctly low. Hmm. Interesting. After a leg bye, he beats Strauss with an excellent delivery outside off, and then gets the ball good and full to rap Strauss on the pad. Medium-to-large shout, but it pitched just outside leg and Misbah correctly decides against a review. Good over. Misbah fancies an early bit of spin and he's turning, not to Ajmal, but to the part-timer Mohammad Hafeez for the next over.
OVER 4: ENG 9/0 (Strauss 6* Cook 3*) First appeal of the day, and it's utterly ridiculous, as Cheema hits Cook on the pad with a ball that pitched a mile outside leg. We are using UDRS in this series, by the way, but Misbah won't be wasting his reviews on that. His slightly baffled smile and head-shake at first slip suggests he thought the bowler's shout was as daft as the rest of us. Strauss helps himself to three off the legs.
OVER 3: ENG 5/0 (Strauss 3* Cook 2*) Umar's over to Cook is too short of a length and the recently married gentleman farmer is able to leave that all without much alarm.
OVER 2: ENG 5/0 (Strauss 3* Cook 2*) So something of a surprise to see 32-year-old Aizaz Cheema in favour of the left armers Junaid Khan and Wahab Riaz. This is his fifth Test, he made his debut last September and has so far taken 19 wickets at the eye-catching strike rate of 46. He's a right-armer, shortish fellow, quite skiddy and bustling and he gets it down there are fast-medium pace. It's a good opening over. Yorker first up to Cook that he does well to dig out. He then draws the Essex man into a leading edge that squirts safe for one; then a nice ball across Strauss' bows. The England skipper tow-ends a cut away for a couple and that's quite an encouraging start for the bowler.
OVER 1: ENG 2/0 (Strauss 1* Cook 1*) Encouraging, not just for Umar Gul, but for the cricket match: there is a reasonable amount of carry. There is some grass on the pitch, but it looks pretty gentle, and both batsmen are off the mark with singles. Decent tight over. Aizaz Cheema will bowl from the other end.
05.58 Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss are out on the paddock. The might Umar Gul has the new ball in his hand and we are about to get underway. Billy Bowden and Bruce Oxenford are the umps.
05.55 I must say I am looking forward to seeing Saeed Ajmal and his "Teesra", if such a creature actually exists. Scyld Berry says that his battle with KP will be crucial. Ajmal's, not Scyld's.
Michael Vaughan warns England that they won't have things all their own way against Pakistan.
"If we want an England-Pakistan series to be smooth sailing and without talking points, then we are asking for the wrong thing. Pakistan bring passion and controversy to cricket. England are the best in the world. It is a clash we should be looking forward to seeing."
George Dobell tweets: "Security confiscating water from spectators." Nice.
05.50 "We want to play cricket in good spirit and build good relations," says Misbah-ul-Haq. He's not lost a Test series as captain, and has won six out of his 12 Tests in the hot-seat.
Our own Nick Hoult tweets: "Built like the MCG, populated by championship audience."
05.45 The ground is practically empty. Like, Derbyshire home County game on a rainy September morning empty. David Lloyd, however, has a little cheering news about the pitch: he says it is very dry and that there might be some cracks, while Jimmy Anderson swung it in practice yesterday. So maybe there might be a tiny bit of something in the conditions? It could be a long five days otherwise...
05.40: Let's just run down those teams. For Pakistan, Cheema takes Pakistan's third seamer spot ahead of Junaid Khan.
Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez, Taufeeq Umar, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq*, Asad Shafiq, Adnan Akmal†, Abdur Rehman, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Aizaz Cheema.
England: AJ Strauss*, AN Cook, IJL Trott, KP Pietersen, IR Bell, EJG Morgan, MJ Prior†, SCJ Broad, GP Swann, JM Anderson, CT Tremlett
05.35 Smart work at the toss by Straussy, England now have a pretty simple gameplan, I should imagine: bat once, and bat massive. I suppose it would have been nice to see two spinners, but England's success has been built on a solid method and the Andys are not men given to wild flights of imagination. Before all that, though, it's over to the batsmen.
05.30 Good morning and welcome to our live over-by-over coverage of the first Test. England's preparation for the match was been marred by a couple of self-inflicted wounds, with Jimmy Anderson clattering Stuart Broad on the ankle with an inswinging yorker and Graham Gooch whanging a ball at Ian Bell that hit him on the wrist. Both are okay now, though.
England's rise to the top of the world rankings has been based on a policy of Graeme Swann plus three from an increasingly formidable battery of seamers. The next question to answer is whether they can do it in subcontinent-type conditions. Their record has been famously poor in such and it will be intriguing to see if they can put it right.
Pakistan, meanwhile, have been putting together an uncharacteristically quiet and efficient run of results without too much drama. The impressive Misbah-ul-Haq is showing early signs of forging this fascinating, talented group of players into something resembling a team. From the point of view of world cricket, a Pakistan win would be a great result.
One other point to note is that England have been very keen to stress that there will be no needle as a remnant from the match-fixing horrors.
TEAM NEWS without further delay: England stick with their tried-and-tested format of three seamers. Chris Tremlett comes in. Andrew Strauss has won the toss and will bat
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario