Thorpe and Hussain put England in control

Graham Thorpe and skipper Nasser Hussain both made half-centuries and came together in a 132-run fourth wicket stand as England took the honours in the rain-hit first Test against Pakistan at Lord's on Friday.

The home team, despite losing the toss, retained the initiative throughout after the first day was washed out by rain, and closed on 254 for four in front of a 30,000-strong capacity crowd.

Pakistan, who had surprisingly opted to play without off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq, looked increasingly frustrated by the end of the second day after failing to take advantage of the seamer-friendly conditions in the morning.

All of England's batsmen made starts but the left-handed Thorpe, who made 80 compared to Hussain's 53 not out, always looked likely to capitalise as he continued his outstanding form of England's winter tours of Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Apart from one leg glance just wide of the wicketkeeper, he scarcely played a false shot during his 190-minute innings until he got tucked up while hooking and was caught at fine leg off Waqar Younis just before the close.

Appropriately, it was the left-handed Thorpe who brought up both his personal half-century and the team's 200 with a classic square cut off all-rounder Azhar Mahmood, who was included at the last minute at the expense of Saqlain.

Another square cut off Mahmood, a sweep off part-time spinner Younis Khan and a textbook back-foot cover drive off Waqar in the final session completed his day.

TEST EXILE

For Pakistan, there was the consolation of seeing Shoaib Akhtar back in the attack after a 15-month Test exile.

Shoaib, however, who has had to remodel his action to counter a string of injuries as well as umpire concerns about the legality of his bowling, failed to take a wicket and also limped off the field for treatment at one stage.

Mahmood was the pick of Pakistan's attack in a match launching the International Cricket Council's (ICC's) long-awaited world Test championship.

He took two for 29 off 18 overs, 10 of them maidens. Both wickets came in an 18-ball spell during which Mahmood, the only man to find appreciable swing all day, did not concede a run.

England, 92 for one at lunch after Marcus Trescothick had been caught in the gully off Abdur Razzaq, suddenly looked vulnerable at 114 for three.

Michael Vaughan, batting at number three after Hussain agreed to move down a spot, glanced a swinging leg-side delivery to wicketkeeper Rashid Latif.

Vaughan, however, had looked the part in his 32, hitting five fours, and a six over mid-wicket off part-time spinner Younis Khan.

FINE BOUNDARIES

Michael Atherton, on 42 and hoping for his first Test century at the ground in his 200th Test innings, soon followed. After a series of fine boundaries off the pace bowlers in the morning, he was bowled by a Mahmood inswinger.

That was the time for Pakistan to press, and crowd Hussain in particular.

The England captain had been forced to demote himself in the batting order after an unconvincing run of scores last year and, after scoring a single, failed to score for the next hour.

But he dug in, survived, and rode his luck as he made his highest Test score on home soil for two years.

Hussain, who averaged 15 in 11 Tests last year as a series of technical weaknesses entered his game, survived two big appeals for lbw from Razzaq when on 23 and also once late-cut in the air just past slip.

But there were fine strokes as well, a swivel-and-pull off Waqar for four perhaps the pick.

Hussain, who has batted almost four hours, saw out the day in the company of nightwatchman Ryan Sidebottom, who was making his debut along with Ian Ward in the first match of a two-Test series.

Mail Cricket Editor