England strengthened their position against Pakistan at Lord’s on a frustrating third day, with Dan Lawrence’s unbeaten half-century helping the hosts extend their second-innings lead to 357 runs. Persistent rain restricted play to fewer than 25 overs, but England still added 96 runs while losing four wickets to reach 177 for 7.
Dan Lawrence stands tall amid stop-start cricket
Play finally got underway more than four hours after the scheduled start, with rain and a wet outfield delaying proceedings. England resumed with Emilio Gay and Lawrence at the crease, but Gay’s promising innings came to an end early. Mohammad Abbas produced a delivery that stayed unusually low after pitching, trapping Gay leg before wicket for 31. The dismissal gave Pakistan an early opening, although their bowlers had to contend with another interruption shortly afterwards.
Harry Brook briefly provided England with momentum by striking two boundaries before rain returned. Following a 15-minute delay, Brook and Lawrence resumed their efforts, but the repeated stoppages made it difficult for either batter to settle.
Abbas then delivered another important blow, getting Brook to edge behind after the ball jagged away from the right-hander. The Pakistan seamer continued to be the standout threat for his side, repeatedly testing England’s batters with movement and disciplined lines.
Lawrence takes the attack to Pakistan
Despite wickets falling around him, Lawrence remained positive. He took the attack to Mohammad Ali, producing consecutive scoring shots that included a boundary and a six. However, Pakistan continued to chip away at England’s lower middle order. Jamie Smith, who had played an important role in England’s first innings, was caught at square leg, bringing another spell of rain and an early Tea interval.
Pakistan’s bowlers found another breakthrough almost immediately after play resumed. Gus Atkinson was trapped leg before wicket by Ali with just the third delivery of the final session, leaving England seven wickets down.
Lawrence, though, refused to retreat into a defensive shell. He repeatedly looked for scoring opportunities and showed plenty of intent against Ali Usman, stepping down the pitch and hitting him over deep midwicket for a boundary before clearing the same region for six.
The aggressive approach took Lawrence to a valuable half-century. He remained unbeaten on 50 when another bout of rain brought an early end to the day.
England in command despite lost time
With only a limited number of overs completed, England will nevertheless be pleased with the progress made. Their lead has moved beyond 350, leaving Pakistan facing a daunting task whenever the match resumes. Abbas was once again Pakistan’s most effective bowler, finishing the day with three wickets for 48 runs in England’s second innings. His efforts kept Pakistan in the contest, although England remain firmly in control.
Earlier, England had posted 290 in their first innings, with Jamie Smith making 61 and Jordan Cox contributing 55. Pakistan were then dismissed for just 110, with Ollie Robinson claiming four wickets and Jofra Archer taking three. Lawrence’s unbeaten effort has now placed England in an imposing position, but the weather remains the biggest obstacle to a decisive finish. With more play required, both sides will be hoping for clearer skies when the fourth day begins.
