Cricket Test Match: A second day was truncated by the weather at the Oval yesterday and it was another one of toil for England. Careless with the bat and profligate in the field on the opening day, they were made to pay for it heavily as Pakistan, belatedly resurgent with the series already lost but with a point to prove, forged into a position from which, if the rain holds off, they should take a consolation win into the one-day series.
The magnitude of the clanger dropped at first slip on Thursday by Marcus Trescothick, and the one that followed by Alastair Cook in the gully, became horribly apparent yesterday.
Mohammad Yousuf, dropped on five and on nine, was the beneficiary then, and no team can give a player of his calibre a second, never mind a third, chance. Sure enough yesterday, just past five o'clock, with the crowd restless at England's lack of spark and the second new ball imminent, Yousuf successively drilled half-volleys from Paul Collingwood to the extra-cover boundary to reach his 19th Test century.
This was the sixth century he has made against England and the fourth in five Tests.
He was not alone here, however. Imran Farhat, the left-handed half of the latest Pakistan opening pair, despatched with gusto anything short and with width, getting to within nine of his third Test century before edging low to first slip as he attempted to force Matthew Hoggard off the back foot.
But that dismissal merely brought back Mohammad Hafeez. That he lost little in comparison with his celebrated partner tells much of the technique and temperament that brought him 95 before he clipped the persevering and most deserving Hoggard's pre-new-ball loosener to midwicket to end a partnership of 177, four more runs than England had managed collectively.
No stroke in this match or indeed this summer has been played with such a minimum of effort and maximum of effect as that with which Hafeez picked up a flighted ball from Monty Panesar and deposited it over long-off for six.
By the time he was out Pakistan's lead was already 152, and Inzamam-ul-Haq arrived at the crease to play what may yet prove to be his last Test innings in England. When they went off for bad light at 5.50pm Pakistan were 336 for three, with Yousuf on 115, Inzamam on two and the new ball in its third over.
England have been mediocre in this match. Yesterday, Hoggard bowled with greater conviction than he has had managed for a week or two, and he alone has suffered not just from the missed chances - to those of Thursday add one of only moderate difficulty dropped by Panesar at long leg when Hafeez, on 79, lost control of a hook at a rare bouncer.
Nor was Hoggard, or the other bowlers, backed by the fielders: aside from catches, the way in which a side goes about its ground fielding can tell much about the mood. Ian Bell's indecisive fumble at cover and Cook's howler on the boundary, which provided the second of three successive boundaries plundered by Hafeez off Sajid Mahmood, were particularly revealing.
In fact Mahmood, as with his colleagues, needed all the help he could get. Panesar still looks threatening, and neither of the right-handers, Yousuf or Hafeez, ever seemed too comfortable against him when forced to come onto the front foot and defend.
The worry, however, is Steve Harmison, whose action, at times, appears close to collapse. He was not called upon to bowl yesterday until shortly before lunch, and even then he appeared caught between the need to throttle back in the interest of accuracy and holding the position, and letting rip.
Guardian Service
Overnight: England 173 (Umar Gul 4-46, Mohammad Asif 4-56). Pakistan 96-1 (Imran Farhat 56 no).
PAKISTAN FIRST INNINGS CLOSE
M Hafeez c Strauss b Hoggard 95
I Farhat c Trescothick b Hoggard 91
M Yousuf not out 115
I ul-Haq not out 2
Extras lb7 w11 nb6 pens 0 24
Total 3 wkts (82 overs) 336
Fall of wickets: 1-70 2-148 3-325 T
To Bat: Faisal Iqbal, Kamran Akmal, Shahid Nazir, Mohammad Asif, Umar Gul, Danish Kaneria.
Bowling: Hoggard 22 2 79 2; Harmison 15 2 78 0; Mahmood 18 2 74 1; Panesar 19 3 60 0; Collingwood 6 0 29 0; Pietersen 2 0 9 0
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