England vs Pakistan at The Oval – day two tea-time report
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 have swung the momentum back in their favour in the third Test at the Oval thanks to some defiant batting from their middle order in the second session.
Mohammad Yousuf hit a half century before being dismissed by Graeme Swann for 56, and a quick-fire partnership from Azhar Ali and Umar Akmal towards the end of the session left Pakistan 215-5, 18 runs behind and in a strong position going into the final session of the day.
As always, it was hard to keep Swann out of the action as he picked up his 100th Test wicket in the dismissal of Yousuf, becoming the third-quickest player in history (23 matches) to achieve the feat.
The landmark wicket came at a crucial time for the hosts as a confident Yousuf looked to be cruising to a big score. Ten minutes after celebrating his half-century which included some fabulous cover drives, Yousuf threw his wicket away as he chipped a ball straight back at Swann, who took the catch smartly down to his right.
Akmal (22 not out) and Ali (42 not out) started to attack the England bowlers towards the end of the session and with the new ball available in six overs those runs may prove crucial if the England seamers can continue their consistent bowling from this morning.
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