LEEDS – Jos Buttler struck a blistering 80 not out before James Andersontook two wickets as England closed on a series-levelling win againstPakistan in the second Test at Headingley on Sunday.
Pakistan were 48 for three in their second innings at lunch on the thirdday day, still 141 runs behind England´s first-innings 363.
Imam-ul-Haq was 16 not out and Test debutant Usman Salahuddin two not outafter the tourists thrashed England by nine wickets in the first match ofthis two-Test contest at Lord´s.
England resumed on 302 for seven, a lead of 128 runs, with Buttler 44 notout and Sam Curran, unbeaten on 16.
Curran, however, was out for 20 on his 20th birthday when he was wellcaught low down at second slip by Shafiq off Mohammad Abbas.
At this stage, no batsman in the innings had scored a fifty, althoughDominic Bess had made a commendable 49 in his role as nightwatchman.
Buttler, dropped on just four on Saturday when Hasan Ali failed to hold astraightforward chance at midwicket, soon altered that statistic.
He went to fifty in style with two boundaries in as many balls off pacemanMohammad Abbas — an extra-cover driven four followed by a hooked six intothe site where the Football Stand is being rebuilt.
Buttler was missed in the deep by Salahuddin on 66, the ball going for four.
The very next ball saw Buttler drive medium-pacer Faheem Ashraf for sixover long-on.
But with Buttler five runs short of equalling his Test-best 85, made ondebut against India at Southampton in 2014, No 11 Anderson was caught inthe slips off Hasan Ali.
Buttler faced 101 balls, including 11 fours and two sixes.
Azhar Ali struck the first ball of Pakistan´s second innings, fromAnderson, through extra-cover for four.
But Anderson, England´s all-time leading Test wicket-taker, bowled Azharfor 11 when the batsman played round a full and straight delivery thatknocked over his middle stump.
And Pakistan were 30 for two when Haris Sohail (eight) saw a hard-hit driveoff Anderson brilliantly caught one-handed by a diving Bess at extra-cover.
Any hope Asad Shafiq, one of Pakistan´s more experienced batsman, mightsteady the innings ended when he was given out on review for five after athin glove down the legside off Stuart Broad was caught down the legside bywicket-keeper Jonny Bairstow.
Anderson had lunch figures of two for 23 in five overs. – APP/AFP