• Second Test, day two: Pakistan 174; England 302-7
• Bess top-scores with 49 as hosts take complete control
England ended a rain-shortened day in a dominant position on 302 for seven, even if they got there by an unusual route. When the sun finally made an appearance in the last session, the home team’s lead had been extended to 128 runs with three wickets remaining. Yet not a single batsman managed to post a half-century, the highest score being Dom Bess’s 49 in his first role as a nightwatchman.
The highest Test score achieved without a batsman hitting 50 is 315, made by England in Trinidad in 1986 – though on that occasion the extras tally went beyond 50. Here the bowling was not so terrifying as that of the West Indians of that era and, unlike the match at the Queen’s Park Oval, England have a very good chance of winning at Headingley. Pakistan were frustrated on Saturday but only by a sequence of little partnerships.
Written by Vic Marks at Headingley
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/jun/02/cricket-england-pakistan-second-test-match-report under the title “Dom Bess and Jos Buttler impress as England turn screw on Pakistan”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
