Yousuf was in exemplary form on a beautiful day at Lord's

Mohammad Yousuf moved within 15 of his fourth double century as Pakistan closed day three of the first Test on 409-7, 119 behind England.

Yousuf shared 173 in 41 overs with Inzamam-ul-Haq after Mohammad Sami departed for nought in the second over.

Inzamam hit 10 fours in his 69, the eighth successive time he has scored fifty or more against England.

Yousuf shared 59 with Abdul Razzaq and 99 with Kamran Akmal, who fell to Kevin Pietersen three overs before the close.

Interview: England's Liam Plunkett

When the imposing figure of Inzamam arrived at the crease in the second over of the most glorious morning at a resplendent Lord's, his team were in trouble at 68-4, 450 runs behind.

TMS VIEW We urgently need to remove the thorn in England's side, Yousuf! Why can we never get him out? LN TMS: Have your say

Matthew Hoggard had seen Sami edge fractionally short of Andrew Strauss at second slip with the previous ball when another in the right area allowed keeper Geraint Jones to pouch a neat catch.

England made a double change after 55 minutes when Plunkett and Monty Panesar came into the attack and almost had a breakthrough with the score on 110-4 when Inzamam flashed at Plunkett's second delivery when 17.

Trescothick, at full stretch at first slip, got a strong right hand on the ball but could not cling on and it fizzed away for four.

Yousuf had scored 69 by the time he played his first false stroke, an inside edge past the stumps for four off Harmison.

Plunkett's first ball of a new spell almost removed the imperious 31-year-old, who has now made 954 runs in 14 innings against England, but the clip when he was 82 finished short of Paul Collingwood who took the ball on the half-volley diving forward at mid-wicket.

Inzamam looked perfectly balanced until a strange dismissal

Yousuf had a brief period of uncertainty when he played and missed at successive Plunkett deliveries, but it did not last and he was soon kissing the turf in triumph for his 17th Test century having driven Collingwood's first ball for four, which also recorded the 150 partnership.

The captain, though not quite as accomplished in this innings as his partner, did not look like getting out, but was squared up by one from Collingwood.

Having completed his 43rd Test fifty from 89 balls it was a major surprise when Plunkett angled one in and Inzamam, who had been perfectly balanced for the vast majority of his 115-ball innings, containing 10 fours, produced an ungainly leap and saw his leg-stump clipped.

Panesar, lofted over long-on for six by Yousuf, tried from both sides of the wicket but produced a disappointing lack of spin.

We'll have to get stuck in and get Yousuf out, one or two kept low so hopefully we can get a few wickets Liam Plunkett Day three reaction

Hoggard took the new ball as soon as it became available in the second over after tea, but it was Harmison who provided the most threat with some hostile rearing deliveries.

He squared up Razzaq to give Jones his second catch and had Akmal backing away repeatedly.

Akmal, who made 154 against England in Lahore last December, edged Hoggard through where third slip should have been and was dropped low at short cover by Pietersen on 26, but completed his third Test fifty from 69 balls in another valuable contribution.

Occasional glimpses of uneven bounce were evident, Plunkett getting one to climb off a length and rap Yousuf on the glove, but the master batsman was not affected and drove his 23rd four in the same over.