Dan Lawrence struck an unbeaten half-century in tough conditions at Lord's to push England into a commanding 357-run lead over Pakistan on Saturday.
Only 24.5 overs were possible between showers before play was abandoned shortly after 6.30pm, but Lawrence helped England advance from their overnight 81 for three to 177 for seven in the second Test.
The middle-order batsman began the match as the player most likely to lose his place when Jacob Bethell returns for the winter tour of South Africa. His counter-attacking innings has now given England selectors pause for thought ahead of that upcoming tour.
With fine weather forecast for Sunday, England remain well placed to secure their first Test series victory since December 2024. Pakistan have scored just 416 runs across three innings so far in the series.
Pitch concerns and early wickets at Lord's
Play resumed at 2.20pm following rain delays, with seam bowling conditions as helpful as possible without umpires intervening. From the tenth delivery of the afternoon, Emilio Gay was pinned leg-before for 31 by Mohammad Abbas with a ball that failed to bounce above shin height.
The dismissal was a disappointing outcome for Gay after his resolute batting on Friday evening. It also created anxiety for Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) officials at Lord's, who had spent the opening two days relieved that pitch quality was not being questioned.
The low delivery recalled an incident in June, when New Zealand bowler Matt Henry dismissed Bethell with a ball that scuttled low at the London venue. International Cricket Council (ICC) pitch inspectors rated the Lord's pitch "unsatisfactory" following that match.
Fortunately for the groundstaff, Gay's low delivery proved an isolated incident. Lawrence responded to the difficult surface by attacking the Pakistan bowling attack immediately.
Counter-attacking half-century from Lawrence
Lawrence scored his first runs by charging at Abbas and thick-edging the ball over the slip cordon. He then whipped Khurram Shahzad through the leg side, pulled him for four, and straight-drove the following delivery for another boundary.
The right-handed batsman produced further attacking strokes against fast bowler Mohammad Ali, carving him over the slips for four before hitting an inside-out stroke over extra cover for six. He later slog-swept off-spinner Ali Usman into the Tavern Stand to complete a 64-ball half-century.
Wickets continued to fall at the other end while Lawrence counter-attacked. Harry Brook was caught behind by wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan off Abbas for 34, before Abbas removed Jamie Smith, who was caught at square leg for seven.
Mohammad Ali then trapped Gus Atkinson leg-before to leave England 162 for seven, with an overall lead of 342 runs at that point.
Lawrence targets permanent England Test place
Lawrence brought a strong record into the match after scoring a half-century in Leeds last week, an innings that left him "gutted" not to reach three figures. His sixth Test fifty at Lord's followed advice from former captain Joe Root for batters to adapt to tough pitch conditions.
The performance helped rebuild Lawrence's international reputation after a difficult stint opening the batting in place of the injured Zak Crawley against Sri Lanka two years ago.
Lawrence said: "I was happy to open last time. I’d bat anywhere for England, but I wasn’t in the best form. Thankfully I’ve come into this series with some good form behind me, and I’m desperate to establish myself in an England shirt."
If Lawrence converts his unbeaten fifty into a maiden Test century on Sunday, England selectors will face a difficult choice when squad selections for South Africa take place.
