HARRY BROOK and Ben Duckett made half-centuries as England strengthened their position on another action-packed day in the amazing Test series in Pakistan.
Ben Stokes’ team extended their lead to 281 as 13 wickets fell on day two of the Second Test in Multan.
In the morning session, Pakistan collapsed dramatically to 202 all out, losing their last eight wickets for just 60 runs.
England built on their first innings advantage of 79 runs and, by the close, had reached 202-5 with Brook 74 not out after opener Duckett made 79.
But it could have been better for England if they had not tossed away two wickets with run outs and debutant Abrar Ahmed added three more victims to his first innings haul of 7-114.
Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope were guilty of surrendering themselves with daft attempts at singles.
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By their current standards, England second innings total of 202-5 in 49 overs was scored at the moderately normal rate of 4.12.
Stokes and his players will certainly fancy their chances of going 2-0 up in the series after their dramatic victory in the First Test in Rawalpindi.
Crawley was run out by Abrar’s direct hit from mid-on and Will Jacks, promoted to No3 to give Pope a breather after his wicketkeeping duties, missed an attempted heave to the legside.
Joe Root was brilliantly caught at short leg and Duckett, badly dropped on 69 Babar Azam at mid-wicket, was bowled aiming a pull shot to Abrar to a delivery that kept low after scoring his second half-century of the match.
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Pope eventually appeared at No6 but was run out by a couple of yards after he called for a suicidal single and was sent back by Brook.
Brook looked imposing again and Stokes will be with him when play resumes on day three.
Ollie Robinson did not bowl at all on day one but his second delivery of the match nipped through the gate and bowled star batsman Babar for 75. That prompted Pakistan’s collapse.
Jimmy Anderson took a running catch at mid-on to remove Saud Shakeel for 60 and give Jack Leach his 100th Test wicket.
Leach then produced a ripper that pitched on leg stump and hit off to remove Mohammad Rizwan.
Leach collected another when Mohammad Nawaz charitably donated his wicket by clipping straight to Robinson at mid-off.
There was something of a repeat when Agha Salman flicked a catch to Ben Stokes to mid-on. Another soft dismissal.
Later in the same over, Mohammad Ali was caught at slip off Root via the edge of his bat and the flap of his back pad.
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Pakistan had lost three wickets for no runs in six balls.
England’s fastest bowler Mark Wood snared the final two wickets – one lbw and the other caught by Duckett at deep square leg.
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