Live Test Match Blogging / Ed Hawkins / 21 August 2010 /

England are in trouble on day four of The Oval Test with Pakistan hoping to pull one back with one to play in the four-match series. Ed Hawkins is on hand with all the trends, tips and titters.

CLOSE 15.00 Pk 148-6 Pakistan win by four wickets
Well this young Pakistan side did have a proper wobble in attempting to chase down England's trifling target. But the visitors avoided an England-style collapse and thus secure their first win of the series. The score stands at 2-1 and the visitors will be much buoyed by this result as they head to Lord's in search of a series-levelling win. How things have changed since the first test. I'm looking forward to a potentially exciting clash and hope you'll join me again then.

14.51 Pk 138-6
David Gower just used a good word, 'becalmed'. There was a sense that things were stalling but a boundary relives the tension. Just 10 to win.

14.45 Pk 134-6
The runs have dried up. Nervy times, surely Pakistan can't lose it from here? There is a little bit of reverse swing and we are dealing with lower order batsmen, sure. But just just 14 runs required.

WICKET 14.25 Pk 132-6
Kamran Akmal lbw b Swann 0

WICKET 14.14 Pk 131-5
Mohammad Yousuf b Anderson 33

14.05 Pk 128-4
MoYo hits back immediately with a four off Swann. England have looked pretty resigned to defeat since lunch - that run out aside. They've switched off in the field with Andrew Strauss getting caught with three men behind the legside and some half-hearted appeals. They have been given a rude-awakening here and they must turn up for the next match with better plans to counter Aamer, Asif and Ajmal (the A team) - something they have so far failed to do. Pakistan, on the other hand, are buoyant. Can they pull off a remarkable Great Escape? England are [1.16] to win the series with the draw [4.60]. The final game begins at Lord's on Thursday. Please join us for more fun.

WICKET 14.01 Pk 124-4
Azhar Ali run out 5

13.56 Pk 124-3
I just want to spend a few moments to go back to the row about Graeme Swann's exclusion-inclusion in the ICC Cricketer of the Year nominees. I have a theory you see. It's in two parts. The first is that Clive Lloyd, Ravi Shastri and Angus Fraser, who were on the judging panel, didn't bother to do their research and just picked players on reputation. The second is that Duncan Fletcher and Matthew Hayden, who completed the line-up, don't like Graeme Swann. Fletcher picked Swann for the squad to tour South Africa in 1999 and at the end of that trip, said he was not good enough to play Test cricket, nor did he have the character. Swann, in those days, was something of a wally, admittedly. Fletcher was hardly going to recommend him for top honours when he would have been damning his own judgement by doing so. As for Hayden, he may have seen too much of the 'wally' when they were at teammates at Northants in 1999.

13.48 Pk 118-3
Top Five England Ashes problems to solve
No 5 Australians
An irritating race at the best of times. But before a ball has been bowled their newspapers will be writing ridiculous articles about what a wonderful team they have and how 'this is the worst England side to ever leave the island'. They use that last line quite a bit. It is extremely tiresome. Those of a rational persuasion may lose the will to live and God forbid the poor punter who takes it all in. The danger for England is that they could be riled. 'Right, I'll show them. I'll blast a ton in 50 balls and bowl at 100mph'. That is probably what they what England to think. Admittedly that is a revelation because in the past, they just thought England were crap.

13.41 Pk 115-3
Pakistan are unbackable. England are [120.00]. Just waiting for the inevitable now. Coming up, the final Top Five England Ashes problems to solve.

LUNCH 13.01 Pk 115-3
Pakistan need just 33 after lunch to reduce the deficit to 2-1. They should stroll home from here. Their run rate has been a superb 4.79 which suggests their mindset is spot on. Defeat has not even been contemplated.

12.49 Pk 103-3
Salman Butt c Collingwood b Swann 48

12.38 Pk 86-2
Top Five England Ashes problems to solve
No 4 History
There's nothing they can do about this, save for employing some sort of psychological boffin to help era the pain of the 5-0 hammering last time. Okay, so only Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood and James Anderson remain from that squad, but the whole nation knows the history. Plus, what will the mindset be if England lose the toss and field at a baking Gabba?

12.17 Pk 73-2
Steven Finn has been banished from the attack because he is unable to do the job Andrew Strauss asked. Strauss wants one end tied up so he can attack from the other with Graeme Swann. Finn went for 18 off three overs and he has had a disappointing game. The most expensive England bowler in the first-innings, Finn's struggles are a classic example of too much, too young. The Oval wicket is one which exposes inexperience and when the ball is not moving from the straight, variations or deadeye accuracy are needed. Finn will learn, for sure. But aren't there going to be a lot of wickets like this one in Australia?

12.06 Pk 57-2
The wicket of Farhat brings Mohammad Yousuf to the crease. This is England's last chance. They have to get him cheaply. If they don't they're beaten. However, if they do, imagine what will be going on in the Pakistan dressing room? Panic. England are [12.00] If you take that price, it is likely you'll be able to lay off at about five points shorter if MoYo makes like a YoYo.

WICKET 12.03 Pk 57-2
Imran Farhat lbw b Swann 33

11.50 Pk 50-1
Great going from Pakistan. Only eight overs down. The market is shutting up shop now, Pakistan [1.05]. I've got another couple of Top Five England Ashes Problems to Solve to give you this morning after yesterday's early finish. They are more pertinent than ever. Stay tuned.

11.38 Pk 36-1
Pakistan have gone off like Sputnik. They are scoring at 7.44 an over. That's the spirit. Any betting bias put away in the cupboard for a second, it would be great to see Pakistan win this Test. It would be a huge boost to their country, which is not having the best of times, and the world game in general. It will also serve to put England, and their cheerleaders, in their box. They're not as good as they thought they were.

11.20 Pk 11-1
Here are the averages for Pakistan's remaining key men in third-innings in Tests in the last decade.
Butt 38.72
Yousuf 49.85
Umar 49.66
Kamran 28.27

11.17 Pk 9-1
That's how we roll. England into [5.50] to lay. There's profit in that. The perfect start for England and us. It was a juggling catch from Swann. As the ball was hopping between his hands, no doubt Pakistani stomachs were doing the same. They'll be nervy now.

WICKET 11.16 Pk 5-1
Yasir Hameed c Swann b Anderson 0

11.10 Pk 4-0
Well, that didn't take long. Pakistan need 148 to win after England lost seven wickets for 28 runs. It is a challenging total because, essentially, Pakistan have only one batsman that England will fret about: Mohammad Yousuf. They will expect to get to him quickly, and if they can remove MoYo cheaply, then England will expect to go close. Despite the pitch looking pretty good, the evidence is overwhelmingly in favour of the opposite. England will attack with the new ball and then turn to Graeme Swann, who should get plenty of spit and bounce. As for your punting options, they are limited. You have to hope for an England comeback. Back them at [7.40] in the hope of early success.

WICKET 11.02 Eng 222
S Broad c Asif b Aamer 6

11.00 Eng 222-9, lead by 147 runs
England are a bit like a teenage boy who has taken his dad's pride and joy out for a spin without permission, only to have a nasty prang. In a world of trouble. Their descent into the bad books last night was rapid. Quick enough that punters hoping to trade England's price with a back-to-lay will be in a deficit that they need a Pakistan collapse, when it is their turn to bat, on a par with England's. The hosts need Steven Finn and Stuart Broad to put on at least another 20 to give Graeme Swann something to work with. Here are the prices: England [5.70], Pakistan [1.21] and the draw, for the final time we mention it, [300.00]

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