England face a hard run chase against Pakistan after the tourists ended the third day of the first Test with a lead of 281.
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After losing veteran batsman Mohammad Hafeez (0) early, Shan Masood (20) and Azhar Ali (17) provided stability to the innings by making an unbeaten 38-run stand for the second wicket.
England rallied at the end of a fluctuating third day to leave Pakistan 214 for eight in their second innings, the hosts trailing by 281 runs.
Pakistan’s Yasir Shah appeals for the wicket of England’s Moeen Ali.
England had Pakistan at 60-4 at one point before steadying the ship, add when they came back out after tea at 111-4 wickets fell only irregularly.
All-rounder Stokes and all-time leading wicket-taker James Anderson will be fit for next week’s Old Trafford clash, but Woakes’ stunning Lord’s performance must surely now ink him into the second Test line-up.
Ball sliced a four off Yasir for his first Test runs but he was run out from the first ball of the next over, with Woakes pushing for two to retain the strike.
Woakes was the most threatening and successful bowler as Pakistan, building on a first innings lead of 67, were kept in check.
Pakistan had lost three wickets for 16, and only just managed to hold on until stumps, with Yasir and Mohammed Amir in the middle on 30 and nought respectively.
Earlier in the post lunch session, Misbah followed his first-innings hundred with a duck.
Woakes has so far taken 5-31 – to add to his 6-70 in the first innings as well as 35 not out – and has suddenly become one of the most important names on England’s team sheet. “The seamers did really well”.
“We didn’t feel we batted well as a unit – we were potentially 100 (runs) light”. A few overs later, it was Steven Finn’s turn to be disappointed as the umpire adjudged Younis out lbw, but a review from Pakistan showed it was missing the stumps.
This was Shah’s fifth five-wicket haul in 24 innings, and he still has England’s second innings to come before he’s done at Lord’s.
The energetic Shafiq drove Finn down the ground for an exquisite boundary and looked set for a deserved second half-century of the match until the superb Woakes bowled him with a brilliant delivery which nipped back.
Ahmed should have been out for 36 when Finn took the outside only for wicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow, going to his right, to drop the chance as the ball hit his wrist.
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His figures of 6-72 were the best recorded by a visiting spinner against England at Lord’s since Sid Pegler’s 7-65 for South Africa 104 years ago. Shortly before the close he had Wahab Riaz caught behind for a duck to give England a glimmer of hope on Sunday.
