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.

England send Craig White home

London, May 17: England's Craig White will play no part in the first Test against Pakistan after coach Duncan Fletcher sent the all-rounder back to Yorkshire to recover from a back strain after rain washed out the first day's play here Thursday.

The Yorkshire all-rounder, described by captain Nasser Hussain as a "key player" was always doubtful for this match and England were not going to make a decision on his fitness until Thursday morning.

However, the fact that no toss took place at Lord's meant neither captain had to name his side and gave the England management more time to make a judgment on White's fitness.

He had not bowled extensively during practice and Fletcher was reluctant, with seven Tests here this season, to take a risk at this stage with the Australian-educated White.

"We've released Craig White to give him a bit of a rest," Fletcher explained.

"There was a 'warm spot' on his back when it was X-rayed and that means he can't complete the final tenth of his action. It does not affect his batting or fielding. It just means he can only bowl at 85 percent.

"Injuries like this can sometimes take between five to ten weeks to heal but he's not completely ruled out of the next Test (at Old Trafford on May 31)."

Fletcher is hoping Yorkshire will play White as a batsman only on Sunday in their National League match against Gloucestershire at Bristol in order to give him some match practice although he ruled out the possibility of White playing solely as a batsman for England.

But former Zimbabwe captain Fletcher admitted that White's absence would be a blow to England's run-scoring efforts.

"It does weaken the batting without White. But Dominic Cork's played some important innings for England coming in at No.9 and he'll move up now."

White's departure meant England's original squad of 13 had been reduced to 12, Fletcher having already dispensed with the services of Glamorgan off-spinner Robert Croft.

Centrally contracted Yorkshire quick Matthew Hoggard is already here at Lord's and Fletcher revealed that Surrey and England fast bowler Alex Tudor had been placed on stand-by.

Now it seems likely that White's county colleague, Ryan Sidebottom, will make his Test debut on Friday.

The son of Yorkshire and England paceman Arnie, whose only Test cap came against Australia in 1985, Sidebottom is a deceptively sharp left-arm quick and was the leading English bowler in last season's first-class averages.

"He had a good A tour to the West Indies and he has the potential to be an effective Test bowler. You can never be 100 percent sure until they play but he was looking pretty relaxed."

Another player who will face a slightly nervous night is Surrey batsman Ian Ward. The left-handed opener has yet to make his Test debut but now seems certain to play given that England must field a replacement batsmen for White.

Rain was falling even before the scheduled start of play at 1000GMT, forcing an immediate delay.

Umpires Peter Willey of England and Australia's Darrell Hair held one early inspection before going out again shortly after lunch.

But with rain still falling the day's play was called off at 1245GMT.

However, the umpires' decision meant the crowd could claim a full refund for their tickets.

This was the first time in four years a whole day's Test play at Lord's had been completely washed out. Australia were the visitors when the first day of the second Test here on June 19 1997 was abandoned without a ball being bowled.