Very interesting naming a 14-man squad - does this mean they may play 2 spinners or drop Moeen Heres my team: Cook Hales Root Vince Stokes Bairstow Woakes Moeen Rashid Broad Anderson Stokes' inclusion means we have 4 seamers as well as 2 spinners
Nearly right on selection - they went for Balance instead of Rashid - a mistake in my opinion, but time will tell!!
England are 314 for 4 at the end of the 1st Day of the 2nd Test against Pakistan at Old Trafford England 314 for 4 (Root 141*, Cook 105) Cook's 29th Test century and Root's 10th - this was top top batting
Pakistan with 6 1st innings wickets left trail England by 532 runs at the end od Day 2 at Old Trafford Pakistan 57 for 4 (Masood 30*, Woakes 3-18) - England 589 for 8 dec (Root 264, Cook 105) Joe Root - what an amazing innings Will the rain stop England taking 16 more wickets?
England lead Pakistan by 489 runs at the end of Day 3 in the 2nd Test at Old Trafford England 589 for 8 dec and 98 for 1 (Cook 49*) - Pakistan 198 (Misbah 52, Woakes 4-67) Interesting decision to bat again rather than enforce the follow-on. Now that's been done I imagine they will bat for about an hour in the morning
Pakistan's Mohammad Hafeez is set to undergo re-testing on his bowling action. Hafeez's ICC ban for an illegal action expired earlier this month, meaning he is eligible for reassessment. He was suspended for 12 months after twice being found to be over the limit for elbow extension by independent assessors within a two-year period.
England beat Pakistan by 330 runs in the 2nd Test at Old Trafford England 589 for 8 dec and 173 for 1 dec (Cook 76*, Root 71*) - Pakistan 198 and 234 (Hafeez 41, Anderson 3-41, Woakes 3-41) 4 Match series level at 1-1
Ben Stokes was forced out of the England attack with a calf injury during the afternoon session at Old Trafford and may well have played his last Test cricket of the summer. Stokes was two deliveries into his sixth over when he pulled up sharply having delivered the ball and was unable to stop a gentle push back past him from Younis Khan. He was unable to complete his over and limped off the pitch.
England all-rounder Ben Stokes has been ruled out of next week's third Test against Pakistan with a calf injury. Seamer Jake Ball is included in the 13-man squad alongside paceman Steven Finn and leg-spinner Adil Rashid. England's 13-man squad for the third Test against Pakistan: Alastair Cook, Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Gary Ballance, Jake Ball, Stuart Broad, Steven Finn, Alex Hales, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, James Vince, Chris Woakes
Forgot to post on here for a while...... Root is class. Top, top class - the best English batsman for as long as I can remember Rashid must play in the Third Test. England bat so deep, but the spin bowling is weak. Moeen buys wickets by bowling dross 50% of the time. If the wicket offers some turn, England need a proper bowler to exploit the conditions. Rashid is still a work in progress, but he can bowl wicket taking balls and he gives Cook options. He can bat too so the loss of Stokes would be off set to some degree. Even the loss of Vince or Ballance is manageable.
Worcestershire youngsters Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Joe Clarke both made half-centuries as the two-day tour game with Pakistan ended in a draw at New Road. Pakistan fast bowler Rahat Ali took two of the wickets to fall as Worcestershire reached 260-6 before declaring, in reply to the tourists' 261-3 declared on Friday.
England were bowled out for 297 on the 1st Day of the 3rd test at Edgbaston against Pakistan England 297 (Ballance 70, Moeen 63, Sohail 5-96)
Pakistan with 7 1st innings wickets standing only trail England by 40 runs at the end of Day 2 in Birmingham Pakistan 257 for 3 (Azhar Ali 139, Aslam 82) - England 297 (Ballance 70, Moeen 63, Sohail 5-96)
England with all 2nd Innings wickets standing lead Pakistan by 17 runs at the end of the 3rd Day of the 3rd test at Edgbaston England 297 and 120 for 0 (Cook 61*, Hales 50*) - Pakistan 400 (Azhar 139, Aslam 82, Misbah 56) Crucial 1st session on Saturday
England with 5 wickets still standing lead Pakistan by 311 runs going into the final day at Edgbaston England 297 (Ballance 70, Moeen 63, Sohail 5-96) and 414 for 5 (Bairstow 82*, Cook 66, Root 62, Moeen 60*) - Pakistan 400 (Azhar 139, Aslam 82, Misbah 56) Bat on for half an hour?
Good story this - England opener Alex Hales has refunded a fan 10% of his ticket price, after only 81 overs were bowled on day three of the third Test against Pakistan at Edgbaston. Alexis Fuller tweeted members of the England team, asking for the refund. Hales obliged, asking Fuller for his bank details, and the fan posted a picture showing a transfer of £4.10. Mr Fuller later posted a tweet showing that he had donated the money to the Lord's Taverners charity, which works to involve young people in cricket Good work all round (well apart from the England team's over rate!)
England beat Pakistan by 141 runs to win the 3rd test at Edgbaston England 297 (Ballance 70, Moeen 63, Sohail 5-96) and 445 for 6 dec (Moeen 86*, Bairstow 83, Cook 66, Root 62, Hales 54) - Pakistan 400 (Azhar 139, Aslam 82, Misbah 56) and 201 (Aslam 70) England lead 4 match series 2-1
