ABU DHABI (Reuters) – All-rounder Stuart Broad, who showed with the bat on Friday how quickly runs could be scored, said England will be patient on the fourth day as the tourists try to restrict Pakistan’s lead in the second test in Abu Dhabi.

Pakistan will resume their second innings on 125 for four on Saturday, 55 runs ahead of England who are looking to avenge their 10-wicket defeat in last week’s first of three tests.

The hosts had looked in disarray after slumping to 54 for four, but Asad Shafiq and Azhar Ali put on an unbeaten partnership of 71.

Broad said England would not be reckless in trying to dismiss the duo.

“In test cricket you expect partnerships – the important thing was we didn’t start chasing wickets, trying magical deliveries, we just stayed patient,” Broad told reporters on Friday.

“With 19 overs to the new ball, we’re delighted with our position – the new ball has quite a big effect on this wicket and it was important we didn’t chase wickets when the ball stopped spinning as much.

“Tomorrow, the first hour will be a holding hour. Both teams will try to get into the day, then the new ball will be massive.”

ABU DHABI, Jan 27 (Reuters) – All-rounder Stuart Broad, who showed with the bat on Friday how quickly runs could be scored, said England will be patient on the fourth day as the tourists try to restrict Pakistan’s lead in the second test in Abu Dhabi.

Pakistan will resume their second innings on 125 for four on Saturday, 55 runs ahead of England who are looking to avenge their 10-wicket defeat in last week’s first of three tests.

The hosts had looked in disarray after slumping to 54 for four, but Asad Shafiq and Azhar Ali put on an unbeaten partnership of 71.

Broad said England would not be reckless in trying to dismiss the duo.

“In test cricket you expect partnerships – the important thing was we didn’t start chasing wickets, trying magical deliveries, we just stayed patient,” Broad told reporters on Friday.

“With 19 overs to the new ball, we’re delighted with our position – the new ball has quite a big effect on this wicket and it was important we didn’t chase wickets when the ball stopped spinning as much.

“Tomorrow, the first hour will be a holding hour. Both teams will try to get into the day, then the new ball will be massive.”

ABU DHABI (Reuters) – England were all out for 327 after losing their final two wickets in the first over after lunch on Friday, giving the tourists a first innings lead of 70 against Pakistan in the second test in Abu Dhabi.

Mohammad Hafeez bowled Anderson (13) with the fourth ball of the afternoon session, clipping off-stump as Anderson tried to cut it away.

The Pakistan all-rounder then trapped Monty Panesar lbw (0) two balls later with a slider that trapped the batsmen in front of the wicket.

Panesar indicated he had got an edge first, but England had already used up their reviews and so he had to walk, leaving Stuart Broad stranded on 58.

Hafeez ended on figures of 3-54. Saeed Ajmal, who claimed the wicket of Matt Prior in the morning session, finished with 4-108.

England will bat last on a deteriorating pitch in Abu Dhabi, so needed to build a healthy first innings lead in their bid to square the three-match series.

The tourists had resumed play on Friday on 207-5, 50 runs behind Pakistan, and they started aggressively, with Ian Bell and Matt Prior both enjoying early escapes after they were dropped in the field.

ABU DHABI, Jan 27 (Reuters) – England were all out for 327 after losing their final two wickets in the first over after lunch on Friday, giving the tourists a first innings lead of 70 against Pakistan in the second test in Abu Dhabi.

Mohammad Hafeez bowled Anderson (13) with the fourth ball of the afternoon session, clipping off-stump as Anderson tried to cut it away.

The Pakistan all-rounder then trapped Monty Panesar lbw (0) two balls later with a slider that trapped the batsmen in front of the wicket.

Panesar indicated he had got an edge first, but England had already used up their reviews and so he had to walk, leaving Stuart Broad stranded on 58.

Hafeez ended on figures of 3-54. Saeed Ajmal, who claimed the wicket of Matt Prior in the morning session, finished with 4-108.

England will bat last on a deteriorating pitch in Abu Dhabi, so needed to build a healthy first innings lead in their bid to square the three-match series.

The tourists had resumed play on Friday on 207-5, 50 runs behind Pakistan, and they started aggressively, with Ian Bell and Matt Prior both enjoying early escapes after they were dropped in the field.

ABU DHABI, Jan 27 (Reuters) – Stuart Broad hit an unbeaten 58 as England reached 323 for eight at lunch on the third day of the second test against Pakistan on Friday, but the hosts may be the happier side despite trailing by 66 after picking up three wickets in the morning session.

England will bat last on a deteriorating pitch in Abu Dhabi so need to build a healthy first innings lead in their bid to square the three-match series and Broad was rampant, recording his 10th test half-century off just 52 balls.

The tourists resumed on 207-5, 50 runs behind Pakistan, with Ian Bell on four and Matt Prior yet to face a delivery after Eoin Morgan was dismissed with the last ball of Thursday’s play.

The England pair started aggressively but the approach proved to be their undoing as they tried to dominate Pakistan spin duo Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman.

Ajmal had taken three late wickets on Thursday to put Pakistan back in contention and he soon continued where he left off the previous evening.

Wicketkeeper Prior, on 2, lofted a sweep shot against Ajmal’s doosra to Junaid Khan at deep backward square but the Pakistan paceman fumbled an easy catch with England on 213-5.

In the next over, it was Bell’s turn to escape as Abdur Rehman missed a caught and bowled chance, letting a fierce drive slip through this fingers and the ball bounced through for four runs to add to Pakistan’s anguish.

ABU DHABI (Reuters) – Alastair Cook was philosophical after falling six runs short of making his 20th test century on Thursday, a feat that would have put him level with compatriots Graham Gooch and Ken Barrington and joint fourth on England’s all-time list.

Cook’s 94 helped England reach 207 for five against Pakistan in the second test in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, 50 runs behind the hosts.

Cook and Jonathan Trott shared a second-wicket partnership of 139, before the Essex opener was trapped lbw by Saaed Ajmal six short of his century.

“When you are in the 90s you are thinking about the 100, but when that ball was coming down I was just trying to watch the ball,” Cook told reporters.

“It’s obviously disappointing when you get so close to a landmark, it took five hours to get there and it would have been good to finish it off.”

He has taken just 74 tests to record 19 test hundreds – Gooch made his 20 over 118 matches – so the 27-year-old’s time will surely come, but he faces a race with team mates Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Strauss who are also on 19 centuries.

“It’s always frustrating to work so hard to get a milestone and then fall short of it, but it beats last week when I got three and five,” said Cook.

ABU DHABI, Jan 26 (Reuters) – Alastair Cook was philosophical after falling six runs short of making his 20th test century on Thursday, a feat that would have put him level with compatriots Graham Gooch and Ken Barrington and joint fourth on England’s all-time list.

Cook’s 94 helped England reach 207 for five against Pakistan in the second test in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, 50 runs behind the hosts.

Cook and Jonathan Trott shared a second-wicket partnership of 139, before the Essex opener was trapped lbw by Saaed Ajmal six short of his century.

“When you are in the 90s you are thinking about the 100, but when that ball was coming down I was just trying to watch the ball,” Cook told reporters.

“It’s obviously disappointing when you get so close to a landmark, it took five hours to get there and it would have been good to finish it off.”

He has taken just 74 tests to record 19 test hundreds - Gooch made his 20 over 118 matches – so the 27-year-old’s time will surely come, but he faces a race with team mates Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Strauss who are also on 19 centuries.

“It’s always frustrating to work so hard to get a milestone and then fall short of it, but it beats last week when I got three and five,” said Cook.

ABU DHABI, Jan 26 (Reuters) – Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal took three late wickets to thrust his team back into contention at the close of the second day of the second test against England on Thursday.

Ajmal, Pakistan’s match-winner in the first match of the three-test series, reduced England to 207 for five after his side had collapsed to 257 all out in their first innings.

After taking the final three Pakistan wickets for only one run, England took control with a second-wicket partnership of 139 between Alastair Cook (94) and Jonathan Trott (74).

England captain Andrew Strauss, who has reached 50 only once in his last 13 innings, had fallen to off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez for 11, pushing a thick inside edge on to his pad that looped up for Asad Shafiq to take an easy catch at short-leg.

Trott should have departed for 22, but escaped when Pakistan failed to ask for a review that would have confirmed he was lbw.

Pakistan, who play their home matches in the Gulf due to security problems in the country, finally dispatched Trott when the England right-hander was deceived by a delivery from left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman that spun past his outside edge and clipped the off stump.

Cook seemed poised to join compatriots Graham Gooch and Ken Barrington by completing his 20th test century but he was trapped lbw on 94 by Ajmal after 25 wicketless overs.

ABU DHABI (Reuters) – Jonathan Trott and Alastair Cook put on an unbeaten century partnership as England shrugged off the early loss of captain Andrew Strauss to reach 132 for one at tea in the second test against Pakistan on Thursday.

Pakistan, who lead 1-0 in the three-test series, were dismissed for 257 in the morning session after adding only one run to their overnight total for the loss of three wickets.

Strauss fell to off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez for 11, pushing a thick inside edge on to his pad that looped up for Asad Shafiq to take an easy catch at short-leg. Strauss has reached 50 only once in his last 13 inning.

Trott should have departed for 22, but escaped when Pakistan failed to ask for a review that would have confirmed he was lbw. He went on to record his 14th half-century, reaching 57 at tea, while Cook was on 58.

The sparse crowd grew as the day wore on, Pakistan fans in their traditional shalwar kameez white trousers and knee-length shirt lolling on the grass banks that divide Sheikh Zayed’s two stands.

Most were low-paid security guards, labourers or drivers enjoying free entry and a special day off outside their usual 70-hour working week.

But their team gave them little cheer in the afternoon session as Pakistan wasted their two permitted reviews on lbw decisions against Trott that were outside the line.

ABU DHABI, Jan 26 (Reuters) – Jonathan Trott and Alastair Cook put on an unbeaten century partnership as England shrugged off the early loss of captain Andrew Strauss to reach 132 for one at tea in the second test against Pakistan on Thursday.

Pakistan, who lead 1-0 in the three-test series, were dismissed for 257 in the morning session after adding only one run to their overnight total for the loss of three wickets.

Strauss fell to off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez for 11, pushing a thick inside edge on to his pad that looped up for Asad Shafiq to take an easy catch at short-leg. Strauss has reached 50 only once in his last 13 inning.

Trott should have departed for 22, but escaped when Pakistan failed to ask for a review that would have confirmed he was lbw. He went on to record his 14th half-century, reaching 57 at tea, while Cook was on 58.

The sparse crowd grew as the day wore on, Pakistan fans in their traditional shalwar kameez white trousers and knee-length shirt lolling on the grass banks that divide Sheikh Zayed’s two stands.

Most were low-paid security guards, labourers or drivers enjoying free entry and a special day off outside their usual 70-hour working week.

But their team gave them little cheer in the afternoon session as Pakistan wasted their two permitted reviews on lbw decisions against Trott that were outside the line.