England claim narrow lead

Andrew Strauss

Published: 7:17am, 4th February 2012
Updated: 1:10pm, 4th February 2012

Andrew Strauss' defiance earned England a lead of just 42 over Pakistan after Abdur Rehman's second successive five-wicket Test match haul.

England's captain and opener was ninth out, for a determined and admirable 56, in a total of 141 all out 50 minutes into the second day of the final Test at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

The tourists, 2-0 down and with this series already lost, need to beat Pakistan here to be sure of keeping their world number one status for the International Cricket Council cut-off date at the start of April.

Strauss lost nightwatchman James Anderson to the last ball of the first over of the day, bowled through the gate trying to push-drive Rehman's orthodox left-arm spin.

Stuart Broad soon went at the other end, lbw on DRS pushing well forward to a Saeed Ajmal doosra which struck him just in line with off-stump.

Strauss' concentration did not dip, though, and he was rewarded with an invaluable 141-ball half-century - only his second in the past 12 months - when he went up the wicket to Rehman (five for 40) and got a thick edge past slip for his fifth four.

The opener had used the same tactic throughout, using his feet to Rehman in particular, but eventually fell doing just that - stumped after missing a mow to leg - and Graeme Swann was last out, sweeping Ajmal (three for 59) to deep backward-square.

England were back in the wickets themselves after seven overs with the new ball, Anderson finding Taufeeq Umar's outside edge on the front-foot defence for a regulation slip catch.

Then Mohammad Hafeez, having already hit Monty Panesar for a straight six and a cut for four in the same over, missed a sweep and was hit on the back thigh - enough for Steve Davis to judge him lbw.