England takes command in first test against Pakistan

London, May 18: A stand of 132 between captain Nasser Hussain and Graham Thorpe left England in a strong position after the second day of the first Test against Pakistan here at Lord's on Friday.

At the close England were 254 for four with Hussain 53 not out from 156 balls including six fours.

The skipper justified his decision to drop down the batting order from three to four with his highest score in England since his 61 here in the first innings against New Zealand in 1991.

Nightwatchman and debutant Ryan Sidebottom was four not out.

Disappointingly for England, Thorpe went shortly before the close, falling into a hooking trap when he miscued Pakistan captain Waqar Younis to Abdur Razzaq at long leg for 80, five overs after the new ball had been taken.

The Surrey left-hander had faced 145 balls including 12 fours and was dominating the bowling. It was a reckless shot and signalled the entrance of Yorkshire left-armer Sidebottom in fading light against a fired-up Waqar.

The son of Yorkshire and England seamer Arnie, the Sidebottoms became the 10th English father and son pairing to play Test cricket.

It took Sidebottom junior nine balls to get off the mark but he did so with a confident straight drive off Wasim Akram.

Earlier Hussain brought up his fifty with a clipped two runs off Waqar having faced 146 balls and struck six fours.

But he battled hard for his runs. Initially he was tied down to such an extent that it took him 33 balls to move off one run before he loosened the shackles with a cover-driven four off Azhar Mahmood from his 39th delivery.

The medium-pacer took two wickets for no runs in 18 deliveries during the second session but failed to make any further impact after reducing England to 114 for three.

Pakistan have strength in depth when it comes to quick bowling but the decision not to play a specialist slow man in either Surrey off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq or Somerset leg-break bowler Mushtaq Ahmed backfired.

Younis Khan is a part-time leg break bowler at best but Waqar, who won the toss, had little alternative as England's experienced pair blunted his seam quartet.

At tea England were 146 for three, Hussain 15 off 52 balls, Thorpe 18 off 50.

Hussain on 23 survived two lbw appeals in the space of three balls from medium-fast man Razzaq, Australian umpire Darrell Hair unimpressed on both occasions, although the Essex batsman appeared to be hiding his bat behind his pad rather than playing a stroke.

Meanwhile when Pakistan initially baited the hooking trap for Thorpe he responded by pulling Waqar for four between the two fielders behind square.

At lunch England were 92 for one but soon lost the dashing Michael Vaughan for 23 when he glanced an Azhar delivery down the leg side where wicket-keeper Rashid Latif took a good low catch.

Refreshingly, Vaughan walked immediately absolving Hair from making a decision. He had faced 55 balls, including one slogged six and five elegant fours.

England were now 105 for two as Hussain walked out to join Michael Atherton.

The former captain, who had never made a century in 13 previous Tests here, was going along in typically steady fashion until on 42 an Azhar delivery beat his tentative push forward, then before going between bat and hitting off and middle stumps.

Atherton, who had been fortunate to play a delivery from Lancashire teammate Wasim down into the ground and up just over his stumps before lunch, had faced 122 balls and struck five fours in his 200th Test innings.

England's 100th Test at Lord's also marked the return to Test cricket of Shoaib, playing his first Test since his March 2000 appearance against Sri Lanka.

The 'Rawalpindi Express' came on as first change for his captain Waqar Younis. He soon settled into a decent line but failed to test either batsman and was soon replaced by Waqar.

However, his pace improved markedly after lunch, the pin-up boy of Pakistan cricket sending down deliveries as quick as 87 mph.

The tourists' only wicket in the morning came when opener Marcus Trescothick, on 36, edged Razzaq to the gully where Azhar held the catch.

The Somerset left-hander had faced 52 balls and struck three fours, one straight drive off Razzaq a textbook stroke, in his first Test innings at Lord's.

Earlier he and Atherton had posted a brisk 50 partnership in 93 balls.

New batsman Vaughan, promoted to three, ahead of Hussain, made an excellent start. He got off the mark with an-off driven four off Razzaq that just beat the chasing Waqar to the boundary rope.

Vaughan later played a classic backfoot cover drive off Razzaq for four before smashing Younis Khan for the only six so far into the Tavern Stand.

But the day was Hussain's, who having witnessed Thursday's total washout, made his mark on the first match in the new World Test Championship.