lastair Cook and Ian Bell hit centuries as England took a huge first innings lead over Pakistan on day two of the second Test at Old Trafford.

Cook made a career-best 127 and Bell finished 106 not out as England declared on 461-9, with a lead of 342.

Cook and Paul Collingwood (48) added 119 and Bell put on 73 with Steve Harmison, who made 26.

But Harmison left the field after bowling a single over, with pain in his side, as Pakistan reached 12-0.

By Jamie Lillywhite

CLOSE: Pakistan 12-0

1817: Jones winces as he takes one high above his head, another sub-plot in England's catalogue of injury concerns, but Pakistan survive four overs that did not as it transpired unduly threaten them.

"If England discover Harmison can't bowl tomorrow someone is going to have to bowl a lot of overs, Panesar is going to have sore fingers,"
TMS summariser Vic Marks

1813: Mahmood bowls the final over of the day to Akmal with three slips and two gullys in place.

"I don't think he can have done something major otherwise he wouldn't have been able to complete that over, but adrenalin takes the pain away"
TMS summariser Vic Marks

1811: Farhat clips Hoggard off his pads in front of middle stump for four and at the end of the over a forlorn Harmison leaves the arena.

1807: The final ball is timed at 83mph and renowned substitute fielder Gary Pratt is sent out to the boundary edge, but Harmison insists he is fit to stay on and does so, with the physio applying some treatment to his upper torso in between deliveries.

1805: England physios on the balcony urge Harmison to leave the field but he is determined to continue, well under 80mph and struggling for line.

1802: Harmison has three slips and two gullys and begins with the widest of wides that Strauss takes at second slip, but more alarmingly he clutches at his side, although after a pause he continues.

1759: There are plenty of gaps for Akmal, the only man in the ground with a sleeveless sweater on, and he drives through mid-on for two.

1758: Hoggard is roared to the crease fo the opening ball with four slips in place, but rarely for him sends it way down the leg-side.

1755: Strauss leads a sprightly England team down the steps and out into the sunshine, Geraint Jones fit to keep wicket despite the blows to his fingers, and a rather more uncertain Pakistan opening pair of Farhat and Akmal follow.

INNINGS BREAK: England 461-9dec

1748: A shrewd declaration from Strauss allows his bowlers four overs and the hope of a wicket against the beleagured Pakistan batsmen, who will begin 342 behind.

1747: A full-blooded drive from Panesar is not properly timed, but it clears mid-on and brings him two.

1744: Panesar, regarded almost like some form of simpleton by the crowd, receives the heartiest of cheers as he opens his account with a thick edge along the ground through gully for a single.

"Pakistan will be dreading the prospect of batting tonight,"
Jonathan Agnew on TMS

1741: Perhaps the loudest cheer of the day as Panesar skips down the steps and out to the centre.

1740: WICKET England 457-9 (Harmison 24) Having made a mess of one attempted reverse sweep, Harmison tries another and the ball loops up for keeper Akmal to run to short-leg to take the catch and give Kaneria his first success of the innings.

1739: Harmison utilises the slog sweep again to the vacant deep mid-wicket area and picks up four more to reach 24, with some weary figures in the Pakistan side.

1735: Bell records a century full of class from only 127 balls with his 13th four, delicately cut backward of square, and his superb innings is warmly appreciated by the crowd and his colleagues on the balcony.

"England have been patient with Bell, now he looks the genuine article,"
Christopher Martin-Jenkins on TMS

1733: A paddle sweep from Bell brings him one, and despite encouragement from the crowd, he keeps it at one, aware of the 99 factor that led to his unfortunate run-out when his captain faltered at Lord's.

1728: Afridi bowls round the wicket to Bell, who is calmness personified in turning one away to mid-wicket for a single to reach 98, quadruple Nelson for England.

"Total domination, that last shot was full of artistic majestry,"
Rameez Raja on TMS

1725: Kaneria returns and Bell is surprised by the height of the full toss, which he flips from waist height to safety over mid-wicket like a pitching wedge to collect two, before driving in more orthodox fashion for two more.

1720: Another picture perfect lofted drive soars over the infield and to the cover boundary, recording the fifty stand in 56 balls and taking Bell into the 90's once again.

1716: Harmison sweeps Afridi and not one but two fielders fail to cut it off, the boundary delighting the crowd in the late afternoon sunshine.

1714: Afridi flights one outside the off-stump and Bell drives it gloriously over cover for his 11th four.

"Pakistan just seem to be going through the motions,"
Rameez Raja on TMS

1712: Harmison plays a true tail-end swipe at Sami and makes excellent contact, the ball whistling through mid-wicket for four and the lead extending beyond 300.

1711: Bell moves to 81, perfectly happy to hand the strike to Harmison, who is now in double figures.

"It's been another hard day for Pakistan but this is how you learn to be a better team, I hope they can take a leaf out of England's book,"
Rameez Raja on TMS.

1704: Sami gives Bell a memento of his innings, catching him nastily just below the armpit with a spitting short one, but the England batsman remains in pursuit of another century and can have a drink to numb the pain.

1657: Bell is perfectly positioned to drive an over-pitched ball from Afridi through the covers for four more to move to 75.

1655: An enticing full toss is driven just over the head of mid-off by Harmison for four.

1653: Harmison tries to hook Gul but although all eyes turn to the fine-leg boundary he makes no contact and the ball thuds into the England badge on his helmet.

1651: Bell continues to display his increased array of strokes as he launches a magnificent lofted drive against Afridi that sails over the ropes for six, a taste of his own powerful medicine.

1647: A cavalier drive on the up from Bell bisects the field and rockets to the boundary, England's Jimmy Saville/Rod Stewart/Bonnie Tyler look-a-like travelling fan in St George's flag t-shirt might well have enjoyed it, but he was looking the other way at the time trying to cajole the crowd into a chant.

1641: WICKET England 384-8 (Hoggard 6) After another interminable wait for a decision, Bucknor decides that every possible box has been ticked and sends Hoggard on his way, lbw playing no shot to one that came in from Afridi.

1640: Afridi, mindful of his misdemeanours in the winter series that led to a suspension, tiptoes theatrically into the danger zone to retrieve a ball.

1637: Hoggard swishes at fresh air as he attempts to cut an exasperated Gul and England's lead remains at 264.

1631: For once Bell is not properly in control of his drive at Gul, but it flashes off a thick edge and brings four welcome runs.

1627: Former England seamer Angus Fraser unwittingly causes a delay when he is forced to close a press box window and after grudgingly consenting he aims a gesture towards the playing area which is captured by the cameras. Whether umpire Taufel was aware which digit was raised or not is unclear but he responds with a cheerful raised thumb.

1623: Kaneria, in his 32nd over, is unlucky again, producing a sharply-spinning leg-spinner that fizzes past the outside edge of Bell's bat and high and wide of the off-stump.

1618: Gul is brought back and begins with a short one, but Bell is seeing the ball nicely and he pulls it away easily into the space at mid-wicket, ambling through for two to retain the strike.

"He hit an early on-drive, a difficult shot to play for someone who stays inside the line, it was Ponting-esque,"
Mike Selvey, TMS summariser.

1608: He completes an excellent eighth Test fifty from 61 balls with a quick single.

1606: Bell moves to 49 with a back-foot stroke square of the wicket reminiscent of Mike Atherton at his best.

1604: Taufel continues his crusade against short-pitched bouncers and calls Razzaq for a wide, the bowler's misery compounded as another short one offers width and is cut away firmly by Bell for four, Gul's failure to cut the ball off delighting the youngsters in the crowd.

1602: Akmal spills another chance as Hoggard lunges forward and gets a routine outside edge straight in and straight out of the keeper's gloves.

1601: With his first ball Hoggard picks up a boundary, sweeping Kaneria off the top edge, before he is beaten for pace by a full length one that Bucknor decides is heading down the leg-side.

1558: Hoggard aims a cut shot at a cameraman on the outfield, an authoritative-looking stroke the crowd would be delighted to see out in the centre, as Kaneria resumes to Bell.

TEA: England 357-7 (Bell 40)

1539: WICKET England 357-7 (Mahmood 12) Mahmood succumbs in sorry fashion, getting into a tangle with some sort of attempted hook and spooning a return catch to Razzaq which signals tea, and the Pakistan players assemble in a huddle to thank a higher power for the dismissal.

1536: The ball slips out of Razzaq's hand and loops towards second slip, but Bell does not run out of his crease and thump it as some unscrupulous characters may have done, he is content with the wide.

1527: Bell reaches 35 with his fifth four, another textbrook stroke, past the bowler on the leg-side.

"You seem to spot these white cabbages, Johnny Dennis had a painted lady trapped in his box this morning,"
Bill Frindall on TMS, the subject definitely butterflies and nothing else

1521: Kaneria returns for a pre-tea burst, with England in a strong position 224 runs ahead and with four wickets intact to add a few more.

1511: Sami tries round the wicket to Mahmood who plays a wild hoik and is not in the same postal district as the ball, but he then makes solid contact with a straight drive that runs away for four.

1507: Mahmood tries an expansive drive but the bat is angled and the ball passes through the gate - next man Hoggard should not go too far away.

1502: Bell's delightful touch continues as he caresses another back-foot boundary through the covers off Sami.

1501: Gary Neville is spotted next to Sheffield Wednesday fan and one-time England captain Michael Vaughan. Are they friends or have they never met and been forced to sit next to each other by sponsors?

1458: Opening his account a little streakily, Mahmood slices a cut wide of second slip for four, and Gul's sepulchral expression shows no signs of lightening.

1455: Mahmood, not the most accomplished number eight ever to play for England, receives a short one to start with from Sami, who follows through down the pitch and if there are exchanges they are not pleasant ones.

1452: WICKET England 321-6 (Jones 8) But having been hit again by another one that jagged back in, Jones is pinned on the crease and Taufel decides it is not too high.

1450: Jones might have taken some spinach on board a la Popeye as well as the magic spray ,as he valiantly hooks Sami over fine-leg for six.

1446: England physio Kirk Russell inspects the fingers of Jones, following the keeper's first delivery that rapped him on the glove.

1443: The Pakistan bowlers realise that Bell likes the ball on his pads and not in Geoffrey Boycott's corridor of uncertainty outside off-stump, and a fine delivery beats the bat, giving him something to think about over drinks.

1441: Despite his urgent need for runs, Jones is not afraid to take on the short ball and sends a hook skyward, but it falls comfortably short of the long-leg fielder and he collects a second single.

"Bell really does look in good touch, and has an opportunity to add to the selectors' batting conundrum"
Mike Selvey, TMS summariser

1439: Bell moves to 19 with his third four, another beautifully-timed turn off his pads off Gul.

1436: Under-fire keeper Jones gets off the mark with a single, gloving an awkward short one into the leg-side, giving the strike to Bell who plays an imperious clip through mid-wicket for four, as Shoaib Akhtar is spotted limbering up in the nets.

1433: WICKET England 304-5 (Cook 127) One of the longest waits for a decision in Test history but umpire Bucknor eventually decides to send Cook on his way after another excellent innings, the ball pitching in line but appearing to seam past off-stump.

1431: Gul gets one to rear up from short of a length into the ribs of Cook, who fends it away safely behind square for a single, but England supporters will want to see Harmison do similar.

1425: Cook leans on a wide delivery from Sami to guide through gully for four more, bringing up England's 300.

1424: A wild throw from Sami is also needless as Bell would have been home, so he can collect an overthrow, retaining strike to punch a fluent on-drive back past Gul to the boundary.

"It seems as though it has flattened on one side of the seam - they should try and land it on that,"
Mike Selvey, TMS summariser.

1418: Bell is off the mark with an elegant push through extra cover for two, with Inzamam and Razzaq entering the ball row and Bucknor signalling the official with the box of replacements onto the field.

1416: Sami makes an early protest about the state of the ball, only 14 deliveries old, but after Taufel consults Bucknor, it is returned to the bowler, who duly beats the outside edge of Cook's defensive prod.

1408: WICKET England 288-4 (Collingwood 48) Collingwood succumbs in rather tame fashion, helping one round high on the bat straight to square-leg as Gul claims his second wicket of the day.

1405: Collingwood is trapped on the crease by Sami on 48 but Taufel correctly deems that it was going over the top. Ironically, had it been the old ball it might not have bounced as much.

1403: A very brief moment, one delivery in fact, before the new cherry is displayed to the crowd by Taufel and, gleaming in the summer sun, it is handed to Sami.

1402: Sami returns to the attack, still with the old ball for the moment.

"No Pietersen for the crowd today, Flintoff's not here...the prospect of Ian Bell is not quite so exciting,"
Vic Marks, TMS summariser

1354: Collingwood slams a long hop from Kaneria into the midriff of Younis Khan taking cover at short-leg, but it appears to miss all the vital areas and Younis is up on his feet, only rubbing the afflicted area when he thinks no-one is looking.

1348: Surely Cook didn't overdo the lunchtime fayre, but he lives dangerously twice in successive balls, inside edging via the pad short of the close fielder then beaten by one that spins in sharply as he tries to cut and just misses the timbers.

1345: The first boundary of the afternoon is a tidy, almost pretty, clip off his pads by Collingwood, in search of his fourth Test fifty.

"There's something Steve Waugh-ish about Collingwood, he's not pretty,"
Vic Marks, TMS summariser

1343: The new ball is due but Inzamam persists with the old one and the spin of Afridi.

1341: Kaneria begins the afternoon session from round the wicket to the right-handed Collingwood with a short fine-leg in place and a few patches of rough outside leg-stump to spin in to.

LUNCH: England 272-3 (Cook 114, Collingwood 40)

1302: The final ball of the session is a beauty from Afridi that spins past the edge but Cook survives and England lead by 153 at the interval.

1300: Umpire Bucknor is never quick to make his way to square-leg, but he is in place in time for one more over, and Cook is a shade fortunate when slicing a cut off Afridi that races past slip for four to record the century partnership.

1256: Younis Khan gives Collingwood a reprieve on 39 when he fails to cling on low with his right hand at short-leg off Afridi, who runs his hand rigorously through his luxuriant mane.

1250: Cook's 16th boundary is hit into the pitch a few yards in front of him and it bounces over the bowler straight down the ground.

1248: A no-ball is guided past gully for two to give Cook his third hundred, and he acknowledges the applause, before driving the next ball like a millionaire through the covers for four.

1247: Afridi beats Cook's defensive push three times in succession.

1244: Cook pushes a quick single to move to 99, running well with Collingwood, and his teammates are all gathered on the balcony in expectation.

1240: Afridi gets his wish and begins round the wicket to Cook, who pushes his first ball calmly away a single.

"I was hit for six there once in a Test match."
Jonathan Agnew on TMS

1237: Collingwood lofts Kaneria down to long-on for a beautifully struck six, prompting Inzy to put a man on the boundary, but if they are hit as cleanly as that there will be no point.

1235: The young left-hander will hope to reach three figures quickly and reaches for a wide one to drive another boundary from the final ball of an expensive Razzaq over, Afridi loosening up as if to offer his view of the bowling.

1233: Another fluent stroke from Cook, this time an extra-cover drive, brings him two more and takes him into the 90s, which had a strange effect on captain Strauss last time, as Ian Bell knows to his cost.

1232: A short one from Razzaq offers width to Cook, who cuts it wristily away to the boundary to move within 11 of another century.

1229: A step down the wicket from Collingwood to Kaneria and an effortless clip over long-on clears the ropes for six, recording the fifty stand, the next ball pitches in line and strikes the pad but is given not out and then Collingwood tries to accelerate again but mis-times into the leg-side for two.

1225: Collingwood scores the first runs for three-and-a-half overs with a neat push for two off Razzaq, who incurs Taufel's wrath again when he sends down a bouncer that the efficient Australian calls wide.

"This pitch seems to have quietened down a bit, partly because of the bowling and also the sun on it,"
Rameez Raja, TMS summariser

1220: Collingwood is hit in the solar plexus by a difficult delivery from Razzaq that angles in - but it could have been much worse.

"There is someone in a terracotta shirt with a tray of drinks, I'm not sure if it's a he or a she,"
Henry Blofeld on TMS

1210: Razzaq makes his way wearily back to his long run after being driven gloriously through extra cover to the boundary by Collingwood, the shot of the morning.

1209: Cook collects four with a thickish edge that squirts past slip and leaves Kaneria rueing his luck.

1206: The drinks break prompts a change as Kaneria comes in to Cook with a short-leg and a slip, and the imposing figure of Inzamam looming into the batsman's view at short cover.

1200: Razzaq returns for Sami, still no sign of spin this morning as Inzamam persists with his seamers against England's two most patient batsmen, who shared 233 in the first Test at Lord's.

1155: The England 200 comes up as Cook pulls confidently in front of square for two to reach 80, Razzaq just keeping it in from the rope, despite the majority of the crowd willing the ball over.

1147: Cook calls for a quick single which takes the lead to 75, a shy at the stumps from Mohammad Yousuf looks good but he doesn't have the ball in his hands.

1141: Having been an observer for so long, Cook takes guard again and then does well to keep out another well-directed yorker from Gul.

1139: Collingwood's first boundary makes a pleasing sound, an authoritative cut off Gul and then picks up a single allowing Cook the strike for the first time in 17 balls.

1136: A firm Collingwood defensive push is mis-fielded off his own bowling by Sami (First rule: always field well off your own bowling) and allows England a single, prompting a look of disgust from General Inzamam at slip.

1132: Gul persists with a tempting line outside the off-stump, Collingwood refuses to be drawn into some juicy looking deliveries but then prods at one which beats the edge, no doubt wary of the fact that the England batting cupboard is on the bare side.

1127: Sami tries his luck from round the wicket but Cook helps a short delivery to the fine-leg boundary for four more.

1125: Cook finds his touch with a pleasing straight drive past the bowler Sami to the boundary, taking him to 72 and the lead past 60.

"No-one has really timed the ball yet apart from Pietersen, and that was the shot he got out to,"
Christopher Martin-Jenkins on TMS

1122: Cook mis-times an attempted pull off a no-ball from Gul, resulting in a single, and the next one Collingwood leaves, unaware it is angling in sharply and it misses the off-stump by the narrowest of margins.

"Bob Woolmer said of Akmal: 'he's not the best keeper/batsman in his family!'",
TMS summariser Mike Selvey

1118: Sami into the attack and keeper Akmal twice fails to take the ball, allowing England a bye in school cricket fashion.

1115: Collingwood squeezes a bat down at the last moment to keep out a Gul yorker, Pakistan making a purposeful start having presumably had some stern words from somewhere about their performance on day one.

"I don't think Collingwood's feet are moving well,"
TMS summariser Mike Selvey

1111: Collingwood opens his account in typical fashion with a neat turn off his pads for a single off Razzaq, who earlier sent down the second wide of the morning with a bouncer that umpire Taufel deemed too high.

"There was no sign he injured it taking the catch, he must have dislocated his finger in the celebrations,"
TMS summariser Mike Selvey

1107: News filters through that Farhat has dislocated his finger, little consolation to Pietersen, who will have to watch the rest of the innings in his vest from the balcony.

1101: WICKET: England 169-3 (Pietersen 38) Pietersen tries to take the cover off another wide one from Gul but it slices into the hands of Imran Farhat, who has dropped a series of catches in the series, but holds on to perhaps the most difficult of all, away to his left at gully.

1100: Gul's second delivery is the sort of loosener that is seen from an elderly retired bank manager on a village green and it is called wide by umpire Bucknor, smeared in his customary sun cream.

1058: Not often that Manchester can claim to have the ideal conditions but Old Trafford is bathed in sunshine and the temperatures are ideal, in the mid-20's as Pietersen and Cook rush down the steps with a purpose to face the opening over from Umar Gul.

1048: "I don't think the pitch has changed much, there was more grass at the start, which is now brown. There are cracks - bigger than you would expect - but the soil around those cracks doesn't look like it will disintigrate. I suspect that today will be the best for batting in this match."
Vic Marks is today's pitch reporter for Test Match Special

1035: "Cook is very assured and mature for a young man; Pietersen is unorthodox and went after Kaneria last night. If he stays in long, the crowd are going to have a good day."
Graham Gooch on Five Live

1014: "I think that England can get a big score on this ground - they did it against Australia last year. They need to start kicking opposition when they are down"
Robert 32 - TMS messageboard