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England near series win
England surged towards victory at Lord’s in the second Test against Pakistan after Dan Lawrence struck an unbeaten 50 to extend England’s second-innings lead to 357 on a rain-hit third day.
“Dan Lawrence’s unbeaten 50 lifted England to 177-7, extending their second-innings lead to 357”
Lawrence’s 50 came as England reached 177-7 with three second-innings wickets left when play was called off for the day, leaving Pakistan facing an almost impossible chase.
Mohammad Abbas took three wickets to take his match tally to seven, and England had already bowled Pakistan out for 110 in the first innings.
Pakistan’s chase was further damaged when opener Imam-ul-Haq’s calf injury prevented him from taking the field and ruled him out of batting.
With two days left and only 24.5 overs possible on the day, England were positioned to close out a first series win since December 2024.
Abandonment sparks boos
The decision to abandon play an hour before scheduled at Lord’s drew sharp criticism from former England captain Nasser Hussain, who called it "a joke" after persistent showers disrupted the third day.
Hussain said, "That's a joke, honestly a joke," adding that the sky had brightened and "There's blue sky in the distance," as umpires Paul Reiffel and Allahuddien Parker abandoned proceedings at 18:30.
At the time of the abandonment, players left the field at 17:08 BST with prospects of conditions improving seen as remote, and only 24.5 overs of play were possible.
Even so, the match ended with England 177-7 in their second innings, 357 ahead and on course to win the match and series.
Dan Lawrence, who made an unbeaten 50, said it was "nice to have a good sleep" and that "Forty minutes of batting at 6.45pm is never an ideal thing."
What remains at Lord’s
With England holding a 357-run lead at the end of day three, the hosts began Saturday on 81/3 and then lost four wickets before rain returned, leaving them in the ascendancy for day four.
“The hosts who began the day at 81/3 remain in the ascendancy”
The BBC’s account of the day’s end matched the scoreboard reality: England were 177-7 when play was abandoned, and the rain-hit schedule meant spectators would receive a 50% refund because only 24.5 overs were possible.
Pakistan’s bowling had already delivered key breakthroughs earlier in the day, with Mohammad Abbas trapping Emilio Gay lbw and then removing Harry Brook before Lawrence kept England’s total moving.
The ICC’s match description said more than two-thirds of the overs were lost on day three, and England would look to further increase their lead if the weather permits on day four.
The next Test in the three-match series is scheduled for September 9-13 at Edgbaston, after England’s bid to clinch the series at Lord’s.