1845: Pak 291-9 (lead by 112)
Last over of the day, Broad to take it. Umar Gul stern in defence, one popping up off the bat but falling short of gully, and the final delivery lofted away delightfully over midwicket for a piece de resistance. That's our lot - Gul on nine not out, Asif 13. Super rearguard from Pakistan, and they've finally made more of a ding-dong of it. Until the morrow.

1841: Pak 287-9 (lead by 108)
Swann toils, seeking his seventh wicket of the innings. Clip down the ground for one to take the lead to 100, and a mighty mow over long-on for four more. nice work from Asif, and it's hats off to Pakistan - really has been a good fightback today. Four more! laced away through midwicket off bended knee.

1838: Pak 278-9 (lead by 99)
Stuart Broad toils in the late evening light - appeal for lbw coming round the wicket, but that's going down leg. Slower ball next almost gets through, jabbed down on late. Wide leave-aloner; maiden.

From Paul Heyes in Sheffield, TMS inbox: "Re:1820 - no batsman has ever debuted in Test cricket with a golden duck and century, either way round. Apparently three batsmen have recorded a duck and a century in their first Test match - Andrew Hudson of the Windies being one, but I do not have the other two names."

1834: Pak 278-9 (lead by 99)
If England don't take the final wicket in this over, they won't bat again tonight. Swan to Asif. Blocked, almost-slogged but blocked, massive mow that misses. Big turn and bounce to leave him flailing, single steered away.

1831: Pak 276-9 (lead by 97)
Now then - can Umar Gul thrash a few around despite his torn hamstring? There's a start - two timed away through midwicket, one more flick-slogged away off the hip. If you fancy coming along on Monday, it's £20 for adults and free for under-16s. Asif foxed by one across his bows, and then one straight through the gate that just misses the off stump.

1826: Pak 273-9 (lead by 94)
Lovely shot from Mohammad Asif, lofted straight drive, the shot Haider was trying to pull off, and that's gone for four.

1822: WICKET Haider c Strauss b Swann 88 Pakistan 269-9 (lead by 90)
And that's Swann's first six-wicket haul in Tests, Haider going for the straight lofted drive but it skews out to mid-off and Strauss dives forward to take a good catch.

1820: Pak 269-8 (lead by 90)
Haider 13 runs from a ton on debut - has any man ever scored a golden duck and a century on his Test debut? Five overs left after this one, and just one slip in as Broad trudges back to his mark. Single tipped away.

1813: Pak 268-8 (lead by 89)
Nice tumbling catch from Colly, very sharp. Who's this coming in? Yup - Umar Gul will give it a go, hamstrung and with a runner in tow.

1812: WICKET Ajmal c Collingwood b Swann 50, Pak 268-8 (lead by 89)
Slider from Swann - pouched at slip!

1811: Pak 268-7 (lead by 89)
Anderson to continue as long shadows stretch across the Edgbaston outfield. Three men all close in on the leg-side, but somehow Ajmal squeezes the ball through a gap for four more. Leg-side from Anderson again, and that's flicked away too - Ajmal's debut Test half-century. Haider... four more! This time thrashed to the point fence. Partnership to 115. Gutsy old knock, but this is getting ridiculous...

1805: Pak 257-7 (lead by 78)
Swann thinks he's got Haider here - he draws him in with floaty tempter, but the ball falls just shy of leg slip. Nine overs left in this longest of days.

1759: Pak 252-7 (lead by 73)
Haider to 80. Ajmal to 42. 102 runs for the loss of a single wicket in this session. Who saw this coming?

1756: Pak 249-7 (lead by 70)
Ajmal into the 40s with a soft-handed steer off the outside edge for four, followed by two flipped away off his toes. You know this lead, and how good the Pakistan attack can be if the fielders take their chances - you don't think...

1753: Pak 242-7 (lead by 63)
Ajmal has only ever scored more than 50 twice in 177 first-class innings, but he's cruising on 35, completely untroubled by England's attack.

1749: Pak 238-7 (lead by 59)
Glimpse there of a man dressed as the Pink Panther, fast asleep with head on chest. Or maybe he's just looking at a dead ant, dead ant, dead ant etc etc. Dear oh dear.

1746: Pak 237-7 (lead by 58)
Classic back-foot drive from Haider, and we'll have some James Anderson from the other end. 1-39 from him so far.

From Rich at Edgbaston, TMS inbox: "Sat in the Eric hollies and the atmosphere is flat as a pancake.. Having more fun trying to throw a ball of paper into a cup zzzzzzzzzz. Pants."

1742: Pak 233-7 (lead by 54)
Wheels starting to come off for England. Ajmal pulls for four like Robin Smith, drops one at his feet off the right elbow and picks up four overthrows as Morgan shies unsuccessfully at the unprotected timbers at the bowler's end. Sloppy day from start to finish.

1738: Pak 224-7 (lead by 45)
The partnership goes to 71 from 99 balls. Still no news on whether Umar Gul can comes out to bat after his hamstring injury, but at this rate the Pakistan pair will still be here come the 1900 close..

1734: Pak 223-7 (lead by 44)
Finn continues to pepper Ajmal with the short stuff, but it's not really paid dividends so far. Consternation all over English faces.

1734: Pak 223-7 (lead by 44)
Finn continues to pepper Ajmal with the short stuff, but it's not really paid dividends so far. Consternation all over English faces.

1730: Pak 222-7 (lead by 43)
Lovely shot again from Haider, lofting Swann back over his head to move to 69. Skipper Strauss with hands on head at slip, and rightly so. Looks more and more like this game will go into a fourth day...

1725: Pak 217-7 (lead by 38)
Ajmal 28 not out now, and the Pakistani pair are all smiles and punched gloves. No maker's name on Ajmal's bat, but that might have to change if this goes on much longer.

1720: Pak 211-7 (lead by 32)
That's an even better shot - up on tip-toe, creamed dreamily off the back foot between cover and point for the four that takes Haider to 64. Finally something to cheer for the Pakistan supporters.

1714: Pak 206-7 (lead by 27)
Haider enjoying himself out there now - that's an authentic lofted drive for four, followed by a completely inauthentic faked reverse sweep for naught.

1710: Pak 197-7 (lead by 18)
Finn to resume, seemingly fully recovered from that foot problem earlier in the day - nope, too leggish, turned fine off the pads for four by Ajmal. Leggish again, turned away again. Partnership to 44 - where's this next wicket coming from?

From Graham in Douglas, Isle of Man, TMS inbox: "I wondered if you could offer a word of congratulation to the Isle of Man under-17 cricket team who became European champions last week, beating Italy in the final. They also had wins against Austria, Spain, Germany and Switzerland."

1702: Pak 190-7 (lead by 11)
Ajmal nudges and steers, and England are officially vexed by this. Drinks.

1655: Pak 185-7 (lead by 6)
How's about this - Haider stands tall to Finn and drills him off the toes for four to the long-on fence - Test half-century on debut, his team into the lead. And to think he looked gone for a king pair before the referral saved his bacon. They'll run three more here, Ajmal down the ground after a leg bye.

1650: Pak 176-7
Three slips and a gully in as Broad canters in to Haider - maiden, somewhat anti-climactic after the fireworks of previous.

From Gabes in Cambs, TMS inbox: "Sorry Matt in Dubai, I think Mark Twain is dead. Although to be honest, that's just something I read and it may be that the report of his death was an exaggeration."

1650: Pak 176-7
Ajmal has a joust - thwack, four smashed through midwicket. He has another go at the next one and nearly thins through to the stumper, and then wears the next one on the chest. Kaboom! That's a riposte, swivelling on his back peg to crash another four to the midwicket fence. The deficit down to just three...

1645: Pak 168-7
Surely this time... ooh-la, lopped just over anderson's head at cover. Haider plants a foot down the track and smashes Broad through the vacant mid-off slots for more more. Deficit down to 11 - England likely to bat again.

From Matt in Dubai, TMS inbox: "Is it me, or is anyone else disappointed to learn that it wasn't Mark Twain requesting an update on the woman's knitting, but Mark from Taiwan. As the great man would say (Mark T rather than Mark from T, no offence): it's not the size of the dog in the fight, rather the size of the fight in the dog, or something like that."

1639: Pak 159-7
Ajmal cracked on the elbow by a nasty lifter from Anderson, and the physio will come on to smear on some analgesic. If there's no Last Of, don't worry about it - we'll settle down for Pie In The Sky instead. You what?

From Penny in Berkshire, TMS inbox: "That woman had better be careful with her knitting... I tried knitting a baby's jacket one night listening to someone get 100 in a Sydney Ashes test - ended up with both sleeves on same side."

1634: Pak 158-7
Fordyce back again - let's see if we can't polish this off in time for Last of the Summer Wine, shall we? What do you mean it's been cancelled? Since when? Maiden from Broad.

1630: Pak 158-7
Ajmal scampers a single to get off strike, before Anderson suddenly finds big inswing - but he can't find the eighth wicket. Ajmal returns to strike and hits out into the covers for two.

1625: Pak 154-7
Ajmal is the new batsman, a clear indication that the injured Umar Gul may not be batting at all - and in that case England would need just two more wickets.

1622: WICKET Mohammad Amir c Strauss b Broad 16, Pak 153-7
Well thank heavens for that. Just angled across his bows from Broad, and a gentle nick easily snaffled at first slip.

1620: Pak 153-6
By the way, it's Oliver Brett on text duty since tea, though Tom will eventually return to pick up the commentary for the slog. The sun's out and that's not helping England's quest for wickets and swing.

1616: Pak 152-6
Amir pinches a quick single off Broad, leaving a grimly-determined Haider on strike to Broad. There's a bit of Marshall Petain's "Ils ne passeront pas" right now about Pakistan. Paul Collingwood looks on with a bit of approval - done lots of this he has.

1612: Pak 151-6
Apologies, we went a bit too bold for a minute so please refresh if that's not your thing. More importantly it's James Anderson with the new ball - let's see what happens. Well, lots of slips in but there's only a modicum of swing for Jimmy and there's not too much to worry Haider.

1608: Pak 151-6
The fifty partnership comes up between Haider and Amir - that's a great effort of staunch defence, and after some long stands involving Bangladesh batsmen earlier in the summer raises futher questions about England's potency when pitches flatten out.

1605
He's being attended to now - hope it's nothing serious. Swann to continue.

1540: Pak 150-6
Colly with a last gasper. Optimistic lbw shout - sounded like a lot of bat in that - and that's tea. One wicket for 56 runs in 35 overs during that session, and if you're still with me after that you're in line for a chestful of campaign medals.

1537: Pak 150-6
Here we go - some KP twirl before the tea interval. Singles here and there, almost no turn. One more before the tea break?

From Mark in Taiwan, TMS inbox: "Can we have an update on that woman's (1434) knitting?"

1535: Pak 148-6
Woah - Haider clunks a mis-hit back-foot prod back at Colly and avoids a caught and bowled by an arm's length. That's a fine shot up next, stepping back to glide-drive the ball away for four backward of point. Single into the covers; three overs until the new ball, the deficit 31 runs.

1531: Pak 143-6
It's a Swann maiden - utterly devoid of incident.

1529: Pak 143-6
On the balcony, Farhat is clutching an ice-pack to various parts of his head. Remember he was clattered by a Broad bouncer earlier. Great work on the boundary by Finn saves a bye: he is clearly completely recovered from his pre-lunch foot problem.

1525: Pak 139-6
Good Lord, it's runs, two of them as Haider squeezes out a cut to deep point. Pietersen's not bowling, maybe he should have a go? Big appeal for lbw as Swann targets Amir's but umpire Davis shakes his head. Probably pitched just outside leg, so decent decision.

From Ali in an Aberdeen computer lab, TMS inbox: "Re: 1501 Ah yes, Colly wobblers. My gran used to make those for pudding after Sunday lunch. An excellent Swann song for the meal."

1521: Pak 136-6
Sleepy old atmosphere at Edgbaston. Colly on the button, Amir defends, and it's another maiden. Wake up at the back there.

1519: Pak 136-6
Frustration grows for England. Swann tries to vary his pace, tossing one up, firing another through. Prior grimaces behind his helmet, and there's no getting past Haider's resolute defence.

1516: Pak 136-6
Was that a catch? All the in-fielders go up - yup, definite chance off bat-pad, but Cook can't get across from silly mid-off. Ooof - slashing edge off the next one, and Bowler Colly can't quite believe it.

1513: Pak 131-6
Swann round the wicket to leftie Amir again; block follows block follows block. New ball due in 10 overs.

1510: Pak 131-6
Pitch offering nothing for Colly, and the game has drifted into the doldrums. Stout rearguard from the Pakistani pair, to be fair.

1508: Pak 130-6
Haider makes room, stepping away to cut for three. Amir then drives for one through the fielder at cover. "STANDARDS!" shouts an angry Swann.

1504: Pak 126-6
Yup - time for some auburn aggression. A couple keep low, but Amir steps into another and drives crisply for two past cover. England getting a little frustrated.

1501: Pak 124-6
Five men around the bat now. Haider stuck on 22, Amir on five, the deficit 55. Is it time for some Colly wobblers?

1456: Pak 124-6
Broad goes round the wicket to the leftie - run away off the face, four along the ground to the third man fence. Creating some nice footholds for Swanny to work on, Broad. Purely by accident, I'm sure.

1453: Pak 120-6
More trouble with Broad - clear run-out opportunity, Amir miles out of his ground at the non-striker's end, but the throw is a shocker - high over Swann's head. Wasteful.

1451: Pak 119-6
Haider squared up a little by Broad, the ball squirting off the outside edge and just shy of Graeme Swann at second slip - squeaky four. Merest sniff of reverse swing next up, an inside edge onto the pad saving the day. Broad boots the ground in disgust. Did he just lob the ball back at the batsman? Yup - he holds his hand up in apology, but that's naughty.

1446: Pak 115-6
Swann will switch to over the wicket against the leftie Amir, but it's the same result - dead bat, dot balls.

1439: Pak 115-6
Impossible to change the umpire's decision there - not a sniff on Hot Spot, nor replays - England are baffled, but that's their last review down the pan. Drinks.

1437: Pak 115-6
Little flick off the hip from Haider, and Broad does the teapot halfway down the track. He's celebrating now though - he's certain there was an edge there - Umpire Erasmus turns it down, and they'll appeal it...

1434: Pak 111-6
Flatter, quicker one from Swann, but Amir remains watchful. Of the 57 overs in this innings, over half have been maidens. A woman in the crowd does some knitting.

1432: Pak 111-6
Haider starting to enjoy himself here. Three slips and a fourth slip-ish gully, and he's refusing to be drawn. Three overs on the bounce, and we've only had 15 runs in the 52 minutes since lunch.

1429: Pak 111-6
Another maiden from Swann - 15 overs, 14 runs conceded, four wickets. Shot there of an old dear asleep in the crowd. We've all been there. Asleep, I mean. Careful Fordyce.

1426: Pak 111-6
Change of bowling here - Broad to step in for Jim, and Haider welcomes him back by running a short one away past gully for a well-controlled four. Another little march down the track as Broad comes in again, and that's got Broad's goat - right old hump. Defended with exaggerated care.

1423: Pak 107-6
Lordy - what happened there? Huge turn again, and I think the ball took Amir's edge, then the top of the webbing on Prior's Venus Fly-Traps and then on to Colly at slip. where the ginger marauder did well to lay a finger on it as he fell the other way.

1420: Pak 107-6
Amir wearing a sleeveless pullover out there, a number so baggy it could equally be a pullunder or a pulloff. Although you wouldn't want to pop into your local gentlemen's outfitter and ask for the latter. Haider angles Jim away; his side trail by 72.

1416: Pak 105-6
Three men in short on the off, one to leg, and Swann is making the ball talk here. Amir survives by dint of nervy thrust and dab.

1414: Pak 105-6
Haider takes a stroll down the track to Anderson, KP-style, and defends with eccentric elan. Little dabber to a short one, and that will run away past second slip for a streaky four. To answer Andrew in Nuneaton, in the 1981 Ashes Test at Edgbaston, England won an exciting low-scoring game that did not feature even a half-century by anyone in the entire match. Australia finished 30 runs short of a victory target of 151.

1411: Pak 101-6
"CATCH ITTTTT!" screams Prior, as Amir thrusts a pad forward and balloons the ball over the tight-in sentries. Maiden follows maiden, the pressure growing heavier on Pakistani shoulders.

1408: Pak 101-6
Absolute ripper from Jim, shaping in and holding its own to leave batsman Haider fencing at fresh summer air. Four maidens in a row for Anderson. Pressure. NB Swanny - if you let me down here, you're coming too.

1405: Pak 101-6
Men all round the bat, poor old Amir being eyeballed by so many pairs it's a surprise he doesn't fall on his own sword. Maiden from Swann, and if he doesn't pick up a five-for here I'll go back to Finland next year and knock off the 10,000m swim to boot.

From Andrew in Nuneaton, TMS inbox: "In the TMS commentary, it was raised that a 100 had not been scored in the game by a single player, so the question is when was the last time England won a Test at Edgbaston without a single hundred being made?"

1402: Pak 101-6
The deficit still 78, the wickets running out rapidly. Jimmy keeps it tight, the first faint echoes of boozy sing-song audible to the ears.

1357: Pak 101-6
Swanny's figures for today? Nine overs, 4-16. Two slips in now, and he almost bags another - the ball sliding just past Amir's outside edge and off-peg.

1354: WICKET Umar Amin st Prior b Swann 14, Pak 101-6
Tossed up, tempted, twirls away - smashing work behind the timbers by Prior, and Swann is tearing this Pakistan batting order apart.

1352: Pak 100-5
Interesting test for Jimmy, this - none of the atmospheric assistance of earlier in the series, and he'll have to find something else - accuracy, nag, maybe a hint of reverse. His bowling average in overseas Tests getting close to twice that of at home.

1348: Pak 100-5
Swann from the other end, as it had to be, and Haider will chase this one - good decision too, crunching drive out past cover for the first four of the afternoon session. Cook in at short leg, Colly slip, and that's patience defence, waiting for the ball to come onto the bat rather than pushing out with stiff wrists.

1344: Pak 96-5
Here we go again - Jimmy Anderson to Umar Amin, two men in short on the off side - hmm, short, pulled away for the first two runs of the afternoon session. Probably about half full now, Edgbaston, or half full of the stands that remain.

1336:
So five more wickets in this session will give England their sixth Test win in succession. Do Pakistan have the stomach to take this one beyond tea?

1301: Pak 94-5
Time for one more from Swannage before lunch. Four men in close for the catch, the ball being tossed up temptingly. Doughty defence. Shout for ell bee (turning too far down leg), and that's the session done. Emphatically England's - Pakistan still 85 runs in arrears with just five wickets in and Umar Gul incapacitated with a hamstring injury.

1259: Pak 94-5
Jimmy Anderson to return in place of limper Finn. A few of you have been asking this: if England win by an innings whether they will have scored the lowest total to have won by an innings? The answer is no: in Melbourne in 1932, Australia bowled South Africa out for 36 and 45, scoring just 153 in between. Maiden.

1255: Pak 94-5
Four men around the bat as Haider waits, an inviting gap in the off side to tempt the airy drive. Good discipline from the goateed batsman - time for two more before lunch?

From Jonny in Leeds, TMS inbox: "As comebacks go this is far more East17 than Take That."

1252: Pak 94-5
Finn over-pitches a fraction and Umar Amin will clip that away delightfully for four through midwicket. Hoopla - full toss, four more, and Finn is in trouble here - he's injured his left foot here, and limps back to his mark with a Fraseresque grimace. Two more, turned with a flick through midwicket.

1245: Pak 83-5
Gagh - missing down leg, and the hapless stumper is reprieved. He'll turn the next one away for one, and that's the first run scored by a Pakistan wicketkeeper in the entire series. Hour of madness.

1244: Pak 82-5
Swann again, in to Zulqarnain Haider who's on a king pair - tossed up, no shot.. out! He's given it out! Hold up though - they'll refer this one too...

1241: WICKET Akmal lbw Swann 20, Pak 82-5
Three for Swanny now is this morning session, and England are rampant...

1240: Pak 82-4
Swann... Akmal - no shot, he's bang in front - refer all you want, you're surely a goner...

1239: Pak 82-4
That delivery just clipped Malik's right thumb as he tried to get out of the way of a ball that angled into him and bounced a bit extra. Good ball, of the sort Finn will want to bowl on flat Australian wickets. Akmal gets an outside edge along the ground for four, he's been joined by the left-handed Umar Amin by the way.

1233: WICKET Malik c Prior b Finn 3 Pak 76-4
Finn has a stud replaced as Broad pere et soeur look on from the stands, each in shades. A quick single from Umar Akmal - it would be great for this series if he could play a big innings today - brings the slightly taller Malik on strike and there's a wicket! - Malik caught behind as he tried to leave one.

1231: Pak 72-3
"The best spinner in the world," says Michael Vaughan on TMS, as Swanny skips in. Pushed rather uncertainly into the covers by Akmal, and this is a nice little combo from England at the mo.

1228: Pak 72-3
Finn, long of fringe, does Malik like a saucy kipper outside off. Another nasty one, jabbing back into the batsmen and fended off awkwardly into the gully, and another on top - spitting up past the gloves from a good length. Splendid maiden over.

1225: Pak 72-3
Swann turning it square here, and the batsmen aren't the only ones struggling - Matt Prior's chasing shadows and whispers behind the timbers. Four byes as Akmal aims a sweep that misses, followed by four more as he drives through the covers against the spin.

1220: Pak 62-3
Fractionally leggish from Finn, and that will be flicked fine past the toiling Trott trundling round the fine leg fence. Quick single scampered by new-man Malik, three slips in, and the deficit is 117 with 40 minutes to go until luncheon.

1216: Pak 57-3
Swann, sleeves buttoned down, shades anchored on nose - oof, was there a little edge onto the pad there? The ball falls short of Colly at slip, but every ball from the offie is a danger at the mo.

1213: Pak 57-3
Akmal turned absolutely sideways by Finn's straightener. He's having a dash at everything - death or glory before lunch in the weak Midlands sunshine.

1208: Pak 55-3
Another old-fashioned doozeroo, that one - tossed up, luring the drive, turning back through the opened gate to ping back the top of leg. Umar Akmal is nearly gone the following ball, dancing down the track and out of his ground by a mile as Prior in turn is beaten by the twirl.

1206: WICKET Azhar Ali b Swann 19, Pak 54-3
Three men around the bat for Swann - it's another!

1202: Pak 53-2
We'll have a double change here - Steve Finn replacing Broad - and the pitch is still a little two-paced, one sizzling through and two more keeping low. Good stop from Prior, sprawling down the leg side, and that's a maiden to start. Pressure.

1155: Pak 53-2
Absolute ripper from England's offie - drifting in to the leftie, gripping and ripping to ping back the top off the off-stump. Sensational delivery, and that's the 20th time Swann's taken a Test wicket in the first over of a spell.

1154: WICKET Farhat b Swann 29, Pak 53-2
Is it ever...

1152: Pak 53-1
Only Pakistan's second half-century partnership of the series, this. Remarkable. Broad will serve up some more musique du chin to Farhat, but that's too obvious - pulled away to deep backward square leg for one, repeated twice more. Is it time for Swanny?

1147: Pak 50-1
Long old delay, but Farhat will fight on. Wide from Jimmy, and Azhar clouts that through point with minimal fuss. Two more driven straight - mid-off is up very short - and that's the 50 up for the tourists. Who said 'fight-back'?

1140: Pak 44-1
Pakistan's deficit now 135 runs, and - ouch! Farhat gets absolutely clobbered by a Broad bouncer, caught flush on the grille. He's up quickly, but it's really rattled his teeth. Physio on, and he'll have a glug of water. Take your time, son. Think he'll be okay.

1135: Pak 44-1
Anderson to Azhar, and the batsman wants nothing to do with that - maiden devoid of dramas. Still no change of bowling from Strauss, and you'd have to think the moment is ripe.

1131: Pak 44-1
Dreamy shot from Farhat, crashing Broad back down the ground with wristy relish. Ole! Four more, this time flashed backward of gully. Disappointing first half-hour from England.

1127: Pak 36-1
Anderson going round the wicket to Farhat. Touch too leggish, and that will be flicked off the pads for runs. Sun now bright at Edgbaston, and a chap in the stands seeks shade under a large handkerchief draped over his head like a veil.

1124: Pak 33-1
Full and straight from Broad, Farhat staying stern and resolute. Re the World Saunas, there seems to be some doubt that the temperatures were actually 110 C rather than 110 F. According to Dirs, he had to deal with 130 C. Bloke in his heat was barred from entry by steward on account of having gel in his hair. "It will melt in the heat, roll into your eye and cook your eyeball," he was told. Shudder.

1121: Pak 32-1
Muted atmos in Brum so far, at least at Edgbaston. Might all be kicking off in Moseley for all I know. Tight from Anderson, although the movement has been limited for him this morning. Could be a long day for Swanny, you'd think.

1118: Pak 31-1
Three slips in for Broad as Azhar waits - oh, super delivery, leaving the blade late and arcing through to Prior. Re Finland, did find myself taking part in the Finnish open-water swimming championships. Massive error. 5,000 metres of river-based pain. Thought it would never end. Still so hungry I could eat my keyboard.

1113: Pak 31-1
Anderson... Farhat drives with feet anchored... dropped! Low down to Colly at third slip, and it was in and out in a flash. Whooda thunk it. Clare in Hobart (see below) - nope, although Dirsy was of course knocked out in the heats of that competition a few years back, as detailed in the book I can't mention because it's not a BBC product.

From Clare in Hobart, TMS inbox: "Were you text commentating on the ill-fated world sauna championships?"

1108: Pak 27-1
Stuart Broad from the other end, hair short, arms long - dear oh dear, they're not appealing for that, are they? Azhar Ali was miles away from that, but Broad has cantered through to celebrate as if the stumps were splayed. Nothing doing, says Umpo. Three driven clunkily into the covers, with Farhat picking up a single to the mirror spot a moment later. Oh that's nice - authentic off-drive from Azhar back down the ground for the first boundary of the day.

1102: Pak 19-1
98.5 overs to be bowled today, which is great news for anyone who got up at 4am this morning to fly back from Finland and watch. Jimmy Anderson to Farhat, two slips and a gully in, the building site behind Stumper Prior a giant white skeleton. Touch of in-swing to the leftie, and Skipper Strauss likes that opener.

1056:Decent weather up overhead - a milky Brum sunshine, none of that seamy grey stuff that scuppered the tourists on Friday. Limited numbers in the stands, although there is a man dressed as a rather limp banana.

1052: I do beg your pardon. Birmingham, of course, and day three of the Second Test. Pakistan deep in the mire, 179 behind with nine second innings wickets in hand. Who's got cash on it all ending in tears today?

1045: Good morning, and welcome to Barcelona's Estadio Olympico for the final of the men's 4x400m rela... what's that?