Jordan Cox put his hand up for England as they battled with a resurgent Pakistan on day one of the second Rothesay Test at Lord’s.
The hosts scrapped to 248 for nine in bowler-friendly conditions at the home of cricket but could have found themselves in an even trickier position had it not been for an impressive showing from their new number three.
Cox, filling in for the injured Jacob Bethell, made a bright 73 during last week’s innings victory at Headingley and impressed once again as he knuckled down for 55 in difficult circumstances.
open image in galleryComing to the crease after just five overs under gloomy skies, he brought stability over the course of 105 deliveries as his more experienced team-mates continued to be picked off under pressure.
It took a sensational one-handed catch from Salman Ali Agha – last week’s captain now reduced to the role of substitute fielder – to end his mature knock, and Cox already looks like he has no intention of making way when Bethell returns.
He was later outscored by Jamie Smith, who was reprieved on 15 by an error from fellow wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan and cashed in with a breezy 61, but for large periods Pakistan had the whip hand. Mohammad Abbas took three wickets in his opening spell, and later returned to add another, while Mohammad Ali hit the stumps three times as he took out Harry Brook, Smith and Ollie Robinson in style.
Heavy morning rain meant play was delayed until 12.20pm, with the returning Babar Azam calling correctly at the toss to get first use of the overhead conditions.
He was fortunate to have the expert Abbas at his disposal, with the 36-year-old taking three for 34 in an exacting new ball spell. Emilio Gay was first to fall, looking crestfallen as he brushed Abbas down the leg side and into the gloves of the diving Rizwan. Gay’s score of eight lowered his Test average to 22.50 after eight innings, and he may need a score soon to firm up his spot.
Abbas picked off Ben Duckett (17) in more conventional fashion, lbw on the back foot as the ball shaped back in, and shifted Pakistan’s focus to Joe Root, who had already been given a life on one when Imam-ul-Haq grassed a low chance at slip.
Had he been a couple of steps further forward it might have been a more comfortable chance, but the error did not prove costly as Abbas continued to probe away. The now familiar tactic of a wicketkeeper stepping up to the stumps was swiftly deployed, followed by the equally familiar sight of Root succumbing.
Penned in to his crease he was struck on the knee-roll by a seaming delivery and sent on his way for four by umpire Paul Reiffel, his fourth dismissal this summer with the keeper up.
Cox rode a difficult period admirably as he and Brook put up 41 for the fourth wicket before England’s vice-captain was bested by a cracker from Ali, who jagged one sharply between bat and pad to make it 80 for four at lunch.
The afternoon was a game of cat and mouse – England adding exactly 100 for the loss of one wicket despite never looking in control. Dan Lawrence was badly dropped by Shan Masood at midwicket before a miscommunication in the middle saw him run out by a yard for 17, while both Cox and Smith edged short of the cordon as Pakistan’s reluctance to move up continued to cost them.
Smith was also lucky to survive when Rizwan failed to pick up an edge of Ali Usman, as Pakistan’s lack of killer instinct came to bear. Smith made the most of it, rushing towards his half-century with a flurry of boundaries.
He dominated a 67-run partnership with Cox, who then fell victim to Agha’s acrobatic catch after being squared up by Khurram Shahzad. Smith’s hopes of putting England ahead of the game late on ended when Ali produced another cracker to clean him up, then added Robinson for good measure.
Jofra Archer clubbed one big six into the pavilion before joining Abbas’ collection, but England’s chances of causing some of their own damage were extinguished when bad light stopped play with only 56 overs possible.