Robinson strikes again as England close in on series win at Lord’s

Ollie Robinson tormented Pakistan for the second time in the match as England moved closer to a series clinching victory in the second Test at Lord’s on Sunday, with the tourists slumping to 121 for 5 in their chase of an improbable 389 to win.

Robinson took two wickets in four balls early in Pakistan’s second innings before express pace bowler Jofra Archer removed captain Babar Azam, leaving the visitors reeling at 14 for 3. Pakistan clawed back to 53 for 3 at lunch on the fourth day, but that still left them needing 336 more runs to reach the victory target, a total no side has ever chased down at Lord’s.

Robinson finished the session with figures of 2 for 13 from seven overs, following an even more devastating spell of 4 for 11 in 13 overs that helped bowl Pakistan out for just 110 in their first innings.

With Imam ul Haq unable to bat in the first innings due to a calf strain and again absent from the opening pair on Sunday, Pakistan turned to Shan Masood and Azan Awais to face the new ball on a pitch still offering plenty of seam movement. Awais fell lbw to Robinson early on, and three balls later Abdullah Shafique was bowled for a duck by a near unplayable delivery from the Sussex captain that angled in before moving away late to clip the top of off stump.

Archer, who plays alongside Robinson at Sussex, then produced a fierce bouncer that Azam attempted to pull, only to glove the ball high into the air for Jordan Cox to complete a simple catch at second slip.

Pakistan’s hopes of levelling the three match series had already looked slim following their first innings collapse. The highest successful fourth innings chase in a Test at Lord’s remains the West Indies’ 344 for 1 in 1984, built around an unbeaten double century from Gordon Greenidge.

Pakistan pace bowler Mohammad Ali said after Saturday’s play, with England already 357 runs ahead, that miracles do happen in cricket and that while the task ahead would be difficult, it was not impossible. That task looked close to insurmountable by Sunday lunch, with Masood unbeaten on 15 and Saud Shakeel not out on 23 at the break.

Earlier in the match, veteran Pakistan seamer Mohammad Abbas finally secured his place on the Lord’s honours boards, finishing with figures of 5 for 57 as England were bowled out for 208. Players who take at least five wickets in an innings, ten in a match, or score a century in a Test at Lord’s have their achievements recorded on the honours boards displayed in both dressing rooms at the venue, often referred to as the home of cricket.

Abbas, 36, had come close to the milestone on previous occasions, having taken three separate four wicket hauls in his career, including figures of 4 for 73 during England’s first innings total of 290 earlier in this match. Resuming Sunday after ending a rain and bad light shortened third day with figures of 3 for 48, Abbas needed little time to complete his five wicket haul.

Dan Lawrence had added just four runs to his overnight score of 50 not out before Abbas bowled him. England slipped from 186 for 8 to 187 for 9 when a sharp 79 mph delivery from Abbas darted back into Robinson, with wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, standing up to the stumps, taking a smart catch off the outside edge to complete Abbas’s five wicket return, sparking a celebratory reaction from his teammates.

England’s innings ended in unusual fashion when Babar Azam, defying Pakistan’s reputation for weak fielding, ran out last man Josh Tongue with a direct hit from the covers.