London, August 29, 2026: England extended their lead to 357 runs when play was stopped on rain-affected third day of the second Test against Pakistan at Lord’s on Saturday, leaving the visitors facing a daunting task after being bowled out for 110 in their first innings.
England reached 177-7 in their second innings at the end of the second session, with Dan Lawrence unbeaten on 50 and Ollie Robinson on two. Mohammad Abbas led Pakistan’s bowling attack with three wickets.
The opening session was completely washed out due to persistent rain, allowing only the second session to get underway. England resumed their second innings at 81-3, holding an overall lead of 261 runs.
Pakistan made an early breakthrough after play resumed when Abbas dismissed opener Emilio Gay in the second over. The pacer produced a delivery that kept unusually low, leaving the left-hander in discomfort as he departed after scoring 31 from 74 balls.
Harry Brook joined Lawrence and the pair countered the bowling-friendly conditions with a determined 45-run partnership for the fifth wicket.
Abbas eventually broke the stand when he had Brook caught behind by wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan. Brook, the world’s top-ranked Test batter, scored a brisk 34 from 56 deliveries, hitting five boundaries.
Lawrence continued to hold the innings together and added 21 runs with wicketkeeper-batter Jamie Smith. Smith, however, managed only seven before Abbas struck again, reducing England to 149-6.
Gus Atkinson then joined Lawrence at the crease and the pair added 13 runs before another spell of rain forced the umpires to bring the session to an early close, five minutes before the scheduled tea interval.
Abbas was Pakistan’s most successful bowler, returning figures of 3-48 from 18 overs. Khurram Shahzad claimed two wickets, while Mohammad Ali took one.
England’s substantial lead puts Pakistan under considerable pressure heading into the final session, with the hosts looking to build a target that could prove extremely difficult for the visitors to chase on a testing Lord’s surface.
