Pakistan add insult to England injury
Pakistan add insult to England injury
England bowlers found their bearings to dislodge Pakistan centurion Mohammad Yousuf on the rain-affected third day.

London: England's pace bowlers found their bearings to dislodge Pakistan century-maker Mohammad Yousuf on the rain-affected third day of the fourth and final Test on Saturday.

The touring side, though, chasing a consolation win after going 2-0 down in the series, remained in total control on 444 for seven at tea, giving them a first-innings lead of 271 despite losing three wickets in quick succession.

Faisal Iqbal, the last recognised batsman, was on 25 not out.

Shahid Nazir went for 17 off the final ball before the break, slogging out at fast bowler Sajid Mahmood and holing out to mid-on.

Pakistan, having reached 379 for three on a soggy, stop-start day, lost Inzamam-ul-Haq (31) and Yousuf (128) within six balls and two runs of each other shortly after an afternoon rain break.

Harmison got rid of Inzamam with a lifter which flew off the shoulder of the bat to Andrew Strauss at second slip and Hoggard then accounted for Yousuf, who pushed forward and feathered a catch behind.

Shortly afterwards wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal, having clattered 15 off 13 balls, also fell to Harmison off an edge to third slip.

Hoggard, England's most successful bowler, had three for 119 at the break.

The final passage of play before tea was an extraordinary turnaround, for Harmison in particular.

He had spent most of Friday and all of Saturday morning looking isolated and unsettled, pitching short and spraying the ball wide on both sides of the wicket.

Suddenly something seemed to click. He picked up his pace, targeted off stump and Inzamam and Akmal quickly paid the price.

Yousuf, who made 202 in the first Test and 192 in the third, currently averages 90.14 for the series, yet the frequent rain breaks clearly deprived him of his fluency.

He produced just six scoring shots from 45 balls on Saturday after resuming on 115 not out. In all, he batted for five hours and 44 minutes, hitting 18 fours.

The right-hander has scored 1,123 runs in the calendar year, making him the top-scorer in Test cricket.

It was left to Inzamam to produce the day's few flourishes. His team resumed on 336 for three and he soon contributed two sumptuous back-foot boundaries in the five overs available before the first downpour.

Returning, he rapidly added three more off Harmison. The paceman, though, headed for tea with a spring in his step at last.

His sudden change in fortune during the afternoon had given him two wickets for one run in 15 balls.

Before getting Inzamam's wicket, he had bowled just over 46 overs, at The Oval and at Headingley, without a single success.

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