Former England captain Michael Vaughan on Test Match Special: "Steven Davies is my man of the match for the way he batted. In the field we weren't at our best - we dropped a couple of catches - but the bowlers were good and varied their pace. England know they have been in a contest and they would have wanted that. There were fears after the Twenty20 that the series wouldn't be a contest. Good on Pakistan for making a show of it."

41st over: Pkn 250-9
It's the big unit, Irfan, the bat like a twig in his enormous hands. Swing and a miss; swing and a single. One more driven straight by Ajmal, Irfan misses with a poke and then inside-edges a single. 26 needed off the final ball... single. All over.

40th over: Pkn 246-9
29 needed off the final over. Whaddya think?

39th over: WICKET Umar Gul c Morgan b Anderson 18, Pkn 244-9
Slogged into the deep, easily taken. Get your coats.

38th over: WICKET Afridi c Swann b Anderson 19, Pkn 233-7
Jimmy, Gul... drilled hard and flat over the long-off boundary for the first six of the innings. 45 needed from 22 balls. Bouncer follows - left alone, and that's a precious dotter. Skied - Trott plodding in too late, and that should have been taken. Another foxer of a slower bouncer, and that's little trick is working sweetly for Anderson. Lofted... Swann... bagged!

37th over: Pkn 224-6
Umar Gul strides in, and the run-rate required climbs to 12 an over. Three good full deliveries, and then one a tad wider - slashed away, Morgan haring in... nope, just short, and they'll get two. Single squeezed away, but they need more than this.

36th over: WICKET Shafiq b Yardy 19, Pkn 218-6
Now - what can Afridi do? Slam - four blasted high over extra cover. He'll only get one here though, and Shaffers is back in the crosshairs. Leg-bye, single... bowled!

35th over: Pkn 211-5
Shafiq waits for Bresnan - four, clattered off the splice through midwicket for four. Encore en fois! 74 runs needed off 40 balls. CATCH IIITTTT..... no, just over Broad's fingertips at mid-off for four more. 13 runs from six balls from Shaffers. Four more! Four fours! Full bunger on leg stump, crashed backward of square. Boo - just a brace of singles off the final two.

34th over: Pkn 193-5
Anderson again, Asad Shafiq the new man - Lord alive, if Afridi puts any more effort into these airy slashes, his arms will come off and sail over the main stand, still holding on to his Boom-Boom blade. Power play over...

33rd over: WICKET Akmal c Davies b Broad 43, Pkn 191-5
Broad again, and that's cleverly flicked away by Akmal past the man up inside the circle at short third man. Short again, pulled round the corner for four more. Full bunger, and they want two off this - no chance. Full, slower... smash! Four more to Akmal, stepping away and battering it on the up way over backward point. What's happened now? With the over in his pocket, Akmal steps miles to off and top-edges a strange off-balance sweep straight up in the air and into the stumper's gloves.

32nd over: Pkn 176-4
It's James Anderson, and it's a wide. Singles only off the remainder as Afridi slashes and misses too often. Up in the crowd, a man dressed as Bertie Bassett leads a 14-man conga. All sorts in that line-up. Ahem.

31st over: Pkn 167-4
Broad now, and that's the mightiest of mows from Boom-Boom. Marginal bouncer - Umpire Doctrove thinks about calling it wide before keeping arms down - before Afridi slaps a slower one away for a single. Tense. Ish.

30th over: Pkn 164-4
Four-over batting power play still to come - this ship hasn't sailed quite yet. Afridi lofts one away off the Yard-Arm. 111 needed from 66 balls, a pair of numbers which may well herald some dreadful curse. Charlie (below) - but what of my existing partnership with Dirsaldo?

From Charlie Parry, TMS inbox: "Surely Fordyce and Mitch would be the unsuccessful spinoff from the hugely popular Heartbeat based crime drama of 'Dirs and Soneji'?"

29th over: Pkn 160-4
Miserable one-handed end for Fawad/ perfect first-ball start for Bresnan. Boom-Boom to the fore, and he guides one down to third man for a single. Slower one from Burly Bres, missed by Akmal, before a single is clunked down the ground.

29th over: WICKET Fawad Alam c sub (Wright) b Bresnan 39, Pkn 158-4
Change of bowling, Brezza coming bac... gone!

Former England coach Duncan Fletcher on Test Match Special: "Yardy has come on a lot. He's a clever cricketer. I think the captaincy at Sussex has helped him develop his game."

28th over: Pkn 158-3
A woman in the crowd who looks a little like Christine Hamilton waves a small St George's flag as Yardy keeps the batsmen down to singles driven down to longs off and on. Another cut away, and that's better from England. Partnership to 35.

27th over: Pkn 153-3
Acceleration needed, and this will help - Umar Akmal steps back in a flash to lash Swann for consecutive fours through the motionless leg-side. Could still be on, this, you know...

From Paul in Lancs, TMS inbox: "Ok, here's the first scene. A dark winter's morning in BBC towers. A shot of a TV monitor. England close on 324-4 against a South Asian tour match. Fordyce types the final words of the 7 hour live text day, stretches, pushes his wheelie chair back and stands. Mitch hands him a welcome cuppa. Fordyce reaches for the hip flask, pours a shot into the coffee, takes a gulp. A long silence. Finally, Mitch breaks the silence 'No Carole in Maidehead again, tonight', acknowledging the concern they have both carried for days now. Fordyce grunts. Mitch: "You don't think, do you?". Fordyce: "Ok, ok, we'll get down there and investigate. Let me finish my coffee. He reaches for the hip flask."

26th over: Pkn 141-3
Two runs off the returning Yard-Arm, two more cut away, before - is that a no-ball? Yup - eyebrows raised, free hit. Snagged in the deep, doesn't matter.

25th over: Pkn 131-3
Steady stuff from Swann, whose third ball causes Fawad Alam a few alarms - he chops the twirler away for an unconvincing single. Umar Akmal nurdles another single. Tidy over.

24th over: Pkn 129-3
Sunshine overhead now. This country. Umar Akmal beaten by a fullish slider before dabbing away a single, and then a slight mis-field from The Big Bopper dashing in from square leg turns a one into a two. Wide up next - no arguing with that - and it's 146 needed from 102 balls.

23rd over - WICKET Akmal c Broad b Swann 53, Pkn 123-3
Paul (see below) - I'd like to be the straight funny one, if that leaves Mitch enough room for manoeuvre. Fury from Swann as a tight single is turned into five as the throw hits the batsman and races away to the fence, bu he's beaming now - slogger down the ground, straight into the waiting pouch of Broad at long-off.

From Paul in Lancs, TMS inbox: Fordyce and Mitch does strike me as quite a good name for a top TV series about two mild-mannered text commentators who lead double lives as crimebusters. A bit like the one with Felicity Kendal and the other one, but with added cricket. To whom at the BBC should I send the synopsis of the first six programmes, and would you like to be the straight one or the funny one?

22nd over - Pkn 114-2
The rain seems to be easing, and as it does, Stuart Broad gets the nod to replace Yard-Arm. Leg bye, making it 165 needed from 116 balls - two tucked away, with a wide called as a Broad bouncer balloons harmlessly over the batsman. 8.47 runs per over needed for the victory.

21st over - Pkn 108-2
Fawad goes for the Stretch Armstrong sweep again and connects this time, the ball fizzing away fine for four. Is that rain in the air? I fear it is - coats and blankets are grabbed in the stands. Tossed up by Swann, and Fawad will clear the leg away to flay that through mid-on for four more. Will they play on? I think they will.

20th over - Pkn 99-2
Yardy drags one down leg and Akmal flays him through square leg for four. Single slightly straighter, and that's his half-century - 56 balls, seven fours.

From Peter Green, Sewards End, TMS inbox: "I had a friend at University who was studying sports science and he wrote a paper on dropped catches - which was published in a journal - and it concluded that the average amount of times the fielder replays the moment in his head is 42 times."

19th over - Pkn 92-2
Fawad almost dislocates his shoulders trying to sweep The Swannage, picking up a single as his arms tangle like Mr Tickle's. Just three from the over, and England turn the vice.

18th over - Pkn 89-2
Fawad Alam the new man, and if you could manually refresh for me you'll lose a Mitch and gain a Fordyce. Don't have to, of course. It's not the law.

18.1 overs - WICKET - Yousuf lbw b Yardy 8 - Pkn 82-2
Yousuf tries to turn Yardy to leg, is trapped in front by the Sussex skipper and that's out... having made the breakthrough, it's over to Tom for the rest of the innings.

17th over - Pkn 82-1
Still smarting from that dropped catch in his last over, Swann tosses it up to Yousuf, who is working the ball around well, while Kamran again pierces the covers and only a diving stop by Morgan prevents his seventh boundary.

16th over - Pkn 78-1
And still the runs flow for Pakistan as Yardy gives up several singles, while Yousuf blasts a four through the leg side. I'm put on one over's notice by Mr Fordyce, whose return is imminent...

15th over - DROPPED CATCH - Pkn 71-1
...and that one! Kamran goes for a big hit over the bowler's head, Jonathan Trott is under it at long-on - but it slips through his fingers as he bends forward to take the catch. Trott was something of a liability in the field at times on the tour of Bangladesh, Aggers reckons he's arguably England's least effective fielder in this XI. Akmal and Yousuf - the bearded veteran now wearing a cap with the spinners on - plunder some singles.

14th over - DROPPED CATCH - Pkn 68-1
Spin from both ends as Michael Yardy comes on to bowl his slow left-arm "darts". The veteran Yousuf is off the mark with a single, then Kamran fiercely square-cuts, Cap'n Strauss gets a hand to it at point but can't hold on. Have to put that down as a drop.

13th over - Pkn 66-1
Aggers and Ramiz on TMS aren't pleased at all with new batsman Mohammad Yousuf's bright luminous yellow/green "sweater", which is a few shades brighter than the lime-green Pakistan ODI kit - they think it's like a steward's jacket. Kamran bashes the last ball of the over through point for four, an expensive first over for Swann but at least he got that wicket.

12.5 overs - WICKET - Hafeez c Bresnan b Swann 30 - Pkn 62-1
With two spinners in the side, England need to get one of them on soon... and there's a ripple of applause as Graeme Swann is introduced into the attack. Can he execute "Operation Get A Wicket In First Over", which has brought him so much success in the past? With no slip in, Hafeez delicately reverse-sweeps, very fine, for four. And the fifth ball of Swann's over comes up trumps when Hafeez attempts a slog-sweep and Big Tim comes in off the long-leg boundary to take a superb diving catch!

12th over - Pkn 58-0
The umpires exchange a few words between overs, Aggers on TMS wonders whether Broad's reaction to that no-ball may have been mentioned... Hafeez has a big Haf-heave at Anderson but the ball squirts to fine leg for a single. Sloppy fielding from Graeme Swann at extra cover allows a Kamran drive through his hands and the batsmen run three. Hafeez aims a prod to leg but edges a single to third man where Jonathan Trott is patrolling the rope.

11th over - Pkn 53-0
Hafeez works a head-high bouncer by Broad to the mid-wicket boundary where the pursuing Bopara cuts it off for two. But Umpire Doctrove isn't happy... and signals it as a no-ball for being the second head-high bouncer of the over! As you might expect, Broad isn't happy. Single from Hafeez, then Kamran confidently slashes Broad through point to bring up the fifty stand.

Former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja on TMS: "Pakistan need to change gear now, as the openers have got through the first 10 overs and are both in their 20s - they need to push on."

10th over - Pkn 45-0
England rotate their three front-line seamers as Anderson returns in place of Bresnan at The End That Isn't The Lumley End. (Apparently it's the Finchale End). Kamran nurdles a single to fine leg, Hafeez forces one off his legs and England may have stemmed the flow of boundaries, but apart from an lbw shout against Kamran by Anderson, England haven't really looked like taking a wicket yet.

9th over - Pkn 43-0
In this reduced-overs game, the first powerplay is only for the first eight overs (rather than 10) - but England take the fielding powerplay immediately as the singles keep flowing for Hafeez and Kamran against Broad. Then there's a bit of a dispute when umpire Doctrove appears to have a word with Strauss for changing his field as the bowler ran up... Never mind seeing young Broad stood next to Irfan (see text below), I'd like to see the giant Pakistan paceman stood next to one of England's little titches like Tim Ambrose or James Taylor. When he was lying down injured earlier today, even one of Irfan's legs looked as tall as some of the other players.

From Anonymous, via text: "Anyone else want to see the height comparison between Broad and Irfan?"

8th over - Pkn 41-0
Handsome cover-driven four by Hafeez, who then tips-and-runs a quick single. Kamran finds the gap once more, that's his fourth four - he has 20, Hafeez is on 19 and Pakistan's fans must be hoping they can keep going in this fashion. Ravi B adjusts the poppers (by which I mean fasteners) on the bottom of his trouser-leg as Bresnan keeps the score down by finishing the over with three dot balls.

7th over - Pkn 32-0
A change in the bowling as Cap'n Strauss looks to break this promising opening stand - Stuart Broad replaces Anderson at the Joanna Lumley Castle End. The toothy Kamran smacks Broad hard through the covers, for an instant it looked like an amazing catch by Eoin Morgan. Except it was a (marginal) no-ball. And a bump ball. That gives Kamran a free hit - he gives it the big heave-ho, is "caught" off a skier by keeper Davies and the cheers from those members of the crowd who hadn't noticed the no-ball call slowly fade away. Hafeez rotates the strike well, Broad sends down a long-hop which Kamran belts for four through square leg, where Ryan Sidebottom and England's other non-combatants are sitting just beyond the boundary.

6th over - Pkn 25-0
Henry Blofeld on TMS has just had a delicious butterscotch ice cream, while Duncan Fletcher - cautious as ever - opted for "straight vanilla". Hafeez slices Bresnan for four over the non-existent slips and down to third man, before the batsman walks away when a bespectacled female at the edge of the sightscreen takes her seat. Hafeez belts a looser delivery through mid-wicket for four, it's close to a full house at Chester-le-Street and the Pakistan fans are finding some voice.

From Andrew Buttcher, TMS inbox: "Afridi biting his nails? At least it's a welcome change from the Pakistan skipper biting the ball."

5th over - Pkn 17-0
Hafeez edges a single to third man, Anderson still has two mandatory close catchers (as per the Powerplay rules) but they're either side of the wicket, in a kind of "shortstop" position at short extra cover and short mid-wicket. Cap'n Strauss despatches Ravi Bopara three-quarters of the way back to the square leg boundary, trying to keep the batsmen guessing with frequent field changes - and it pays off as it's just that one single from the over.

4th over - Pkn 16-0
Bresnan's first loose delivery is steered for four through the covers by Kamran, who then winces in pain as the next delivery strikes him on the pad. The Pakistan keeper helps himself to two more off his legs, that's more like it from the tourists.

Former England coach Duncan Fletcher on Test Match Special: "It will be interesting to see how long Pakistan stay patient - they tend to like to get on with things. England have applied the pressure very well."

3rd over - Pkn 10-0
Hafeez squeezes Anderson past Bopara at square leg and they come back for two at a canter. Just the one slip in now, as there doesn't seem too much swing in the air. Quiet so far from Hafeez and Kamran, who add a single apiece. And visiting skipper Shahid Afridi is caught on camera on the Pakistan balcony... biting his nails. As well he might.

2nd over - Pkn 6-0
The burly Tim Bresnan takes the second over as England open with right-arm seam from both ends. Hafeez is off the mark with a single off his hips down to square leg, but that's a miserly opening over from big Tim.

From John in Manchester, via text: "England's score competitive? I wouldn't back Pakistan's batsman to score 275 runs in two innings of a Test match let alone in 41 overs. They'll be bowled out for less than 150."

1st over - Pkn 5-0
The England innings started with a wide - and so does Pakistan's reply as Jimmy fires one down the leg side where it is taken by Davies. Kamran executes a well-timed prod off the back foot which snakes through the covers for the first boundary of the innings.

1541: Kamran Akmal and Mohammad Hafeez opening up for Pakistan - no sign yet of Asad Shafiq, who was down to open on the card. Jimmy Anderson has two slips in for the first over.

1538: The five-minute bell sounds like a bit of a tinny rattle, but the umpires are back out on the field at Chester-le-Street. Ian "Gunner" Gould shares a joke with a steward as he tosses the new, white ball from hand to hand, before Andrew Strauss leads out the increasingly-darker-and-darker-blue-clad England troops for a brief huddle out on the pitch.

1534: Afternoon, everyone. While Tommy F takes a break, it's Mark Mitchener here to kick off the Pakistan reply in a sort-of-early-innings-pinch-hitting role. Please manually refresh your page - the bylines will change, and Pakistan's victory target will appear above.

41st over: Eng 274-6
Bopara blasts an enormous six way, way over long-on. Ooops - Akmal's spilled him behind the timbers. Two to follow as he takes guard well outside off stump - and that's why, another huge six creamed way over deep square leg. Sweet hitting from The Big Bopper. Final ball... bouncer, thrown back at the timbers by Stumper Akmal, and they'll pick up a comedy overthrow. That's us done - 35 from 27 deliveries for Bopara. Competitive.

40th over: WICKET Bresnan run out 1, Eng 255-6
Super fielding from Umar Akmal in the deep - that's a direct hit, remarkably, and the big Yorkie biffer is a goner.

40th over: WICKET Trott b Ajmal 69, Eng 253-5
Ugly swipe, plays on. 78 balls in that knock, and while it stuck runs on the board, it did so at a sometimes stodgy pace.

39th over: Eng 250-4
Leading edge from Bopara as he tries to marmalise Afridi into the North Sea. Only singles so far, and Trott then misses with a mighty mow. Pakistan won't be too unhappy with this after that start.

38th over: Eng 247-4
Ajmal with that curious action of his, and Trott steps away to cream a classy back-foot drive away for four. Is that four more? No - fabulous diving save on the ropes from Umar AkmaL Trott lucky not to be castled next ball as he swipes and misses.

37th over: Eng 238-4
Here comes Trott, lofting over the in-field for four as Gul tea-pots mid-pitch. Single, and then - hello - Bopara smashes the next one over the long-on rope for a six. That's more like it.

36th over: Eng 226-4
A brief interlude as Trott soaks up the applause for passing his 50 before Afridi continues. Trott sweeps the second ball away for four to the backward point boundary but still the acceleration fails to materialise.

35th over: Eng 217-4
Slower one from Shoaib, and England are failing to accelerate here - Trott plodding away, Bopara seemingly out of form. Flicking attempted upper cut from Bopara meets nothing but north-east air; single pushed into the leg side.

34th over: Eng 215-4
Bopara to the front, and that's loose from Afridi - five wides as Akmal clutches his head. Single to a deep mid-on; two more steered away through square leg. Blue skies everywhere you look, the morning's rain a distant memory.

34th over: Morgan c Akmal b Afridi 13, Eng 205-4
Attempted late cut, thin edge, snaffled behind the timbers.

33rd over: Eng 205-3
Shoaib, barrel chest shoved out, and he keeps them to singles before a wide whistles down leg. Super cut from Morgan, sizzling between gully and point, and the run-rate creeps up to 6.2 an over.

32nd over: Eng 196-3
Tossed up by Ajmal, and Morgan tucks in with a clattered four over long-off. Some news from our chums on TMS: "BBC Radio is starting a run of nine days of cricket commentary. After today's ODI there will be commentary on the Clydesdale Bank 40-over semi-finals tomorrow, the second ODI on Sunday and then 5 Live Sports Extra has a special programme covering the final round of the County Championship on Monday."

31st over: Eng 189-3
Morgan the new man, possibly not before time. Lovely late steer from Trott to the not-there third man for four. The fielder is sent back to plug the gap and does exactly that as Trott steers again.

From Mick currently in Farnborough: Ref Dr Seuss, Chippendale Mupp: "His tail is so long, he won't feel any pain/'Til the nip makes the trip and gets up to his brain."

30th over: WICKET Collingwood c Fawad b Ajmal 14, Eng 179-3
Looper on leg, slogged straight down deep square leg's throat. Reaction of chap in wheelchair as yet unreported.

From John Challen, TMS inbox: "It was the the Chippendale Mupp."

29th over: Eng 175-2
Umar Gul to return, batting power play in place, and Colly skips down the track to clout over midwicket for his first four. Singles apiece, and then - goodness me - Colly smashes another mighty blow deep into the crowd at long-on, where a chap in a wheelchair, attempting to take the catch, falls out of his chair. There really is no other way of describing what just happened.

28th over: Eng 161-2
Irfan again, and after nearly cleaning up a trotting Slog - I'm sorry, a slogging Trott - he collapses to the turf complaining of pain in his foot. Rumours that he stubbed his toe two days ago and that the pain has only just reached his brain are both cruel and unnecessary. Looks like he might have to go off for treatment - who's laughing now? NB Anyone remember the name of that animal in the Dr Seuss Sleep Book who had such a long tail that he used to bite it before going to bed and use the eventual arrival of the pain eight hours later as its alarm clock?

27th over: Eng 160-2
Enormous leaping appeal from Kamran Akmal behind the timbers - umpire and bowler unmoved, but they should both be putting their fingers up, because Trott definitely got the skinniest of thins on that. Muchos fortunato.

From Keith Williams, TMS inbox: "Re. Rob in Nottingham: our erstwhile skipper, one Sunny Munn, used to do the same. "You can't bowl there at the Sunny" after cracking the bowler for four was a personal favourite. He also used to bat on occasion with a Santa Claus hat on - in 30-degree July heat. He was last heard of on Australia's Got Talent, throwing himself into a vat of cola. A sad end."

26th over: Eng 158-2
Whooah - Collingwood the new man, and he's nearly yesterday's man straight away, pushing a drive straight back at the bowler and puffing out his cheeks as the ball falls just short. singles dabbed and scurried, and you fear this partnership might not be the prettiest.

25th over: WICKET Davies c K Akmal b Ajmal 87, Eng 153-2
Touch flatter and faster, slapping cut - skinny snick, bagged behind the timbers. Davies falls shy of the ton - did the drinks break scupper him?

24th over: Eng 151-1
Irfan again, and that could be the most optimistic ell bee appeal of all time. His lone voice echoes round the stands before dying in the embarrassed stillness. Full bunger at Davies' waist, and that's drinks.

23rd over: Eng 149-1
Runs to be taken all over as the partnership grows to 71. The sun's shining!

22nd over: Eng 142-1
Davies again, lofting over the in-field for more, the unmistakeable sounds of Lady Gaga's Poker Face blasting over the PA as the ball hits the boundary boards.

21st over: Eng 133-1
Oh, that really is a splendid shot from Davies, waiting and waiting before cutting late and backward for four. A man in the crowd dressed as Jim Carrey in The Mask doffs his yellow trilby.

20th over: Eng 124-1
Tiniest hint of sunshine, and the singles dribble from the bat as the clouds start to thin and turn grey to white like David Gower's hair.

19th over: Eng 120-1
Afridi strays down leg for a wide, and then drops short to allow Davies to pull him away for four more. Super knock from the Surrey man so far, moving to 68 off 52 balls.

From Rob in Nottingham, TMS inbox: "When you said "crackeroo" you reminded of a chap I used to play cricket with who had the unusual mannerism of commentating whilst he was batting. One memorable time he commented "and the bowler coming in, drops sh.. CR-RACK!! Rabbits (him) smashes him to the point boundary.." at which point a very irritated opening bowler had to be restrained."

18th over: Eng 110-1
Short from Hafeez, and Davies will swivel to pull that up and over the leg side for four more. Trott a touch scratchy at the mo. Should you be wondering, four bowlers allowed a maximum of eight overs; one allowed a maximum of nine.

17th over: Eng 105-1
Skipper Boom-Boom will bring himself on here, and there are singles available all over. Cruising.

16th over: Eng 101-1
Hafeez switches ends and is milked away for a trio of singles. Oops - Davies steps away to clout leggishly and gets lucky as a bottom edge cannons off his back pad and away.

15th over: Eng 98-1
Umar Gul returns, and that's a cunning little tickle roudn the corner from Davies - that's his dayboo ODI half-century, off just 37 balls. Oh, what a shot that is, leaning back to cut with Goweresque timing for four more. Mmm-mmm.

14th over: Eng 88-1
Sir Trottsalot taking his time here, defending sternly against wicket-taker Ajmal. Cloudy up overhead, but the rain staying distant. For now.

13th over: Eng 86-1
Trott the new man, and Davies shows him how it's done with a brace of lofted twos and a strange straight-arm pull back over his partner's head for four. Decent riposte from the long-armed wonder, serving up a yorker that the Surrey stumper just manages to dig out.

Former Pakistan batsman Ramiz Raja on Test Match Special: "Complacency can get you into so much trouble. That shot of Strauss's wasn't really on and he gifted Pakistan his wicket."

12th over: WICKET Strauss b Ajmal 41, Eng 78-1
Ajaml drops short, and Davies steps away to leg to carve sweetly through the vacant slots in the covers. Same again next ball, more uppish this time, and he'll pick up the same. Flick to leg for three, and then Strauss... bowled! Ugly mow, missed it completely.

11th over: Eng 67-0
He's back again - will it be Irfanticide again? Short down leg, gloved fine for three; pitched up, lofted away by Davies for one to the man sweeping on the point boundary. Ooh, that's more like it - rapid outside off, chased by Strauss.

From James in Woolwich, TMS inbox: "'He's tall, he's wide, He's probably not been bribed. Mohammad Irfan! Mohammad Irfan!'"

10th over: Eng 63-0
Fifth bowler within the first ten overs, Saeed Ajmal trotting up for a tweak. Probably wishes he hadn't now - Strauss side-steps down the pitch and clunks him high over long-on for another mighty maximum. Single driven; two lofted inside-out by supporting actor Davies.

9th over: Eng 53-0
Decent spell this from Shoaib, zipping another past Strauss's poking edge. Too straight next ball, tucked off the pads for two, and another old-fashioned ripper that does him all ends up in the Corridor of Erm.

From Tom, Southampton, TMS inbox: "Questions as to Mohammed Irfan's height and potential fielding positions should be secondary to those regarding his cricketing prowess. Being hit for 15 off his first Test over and at least 8 off a single over by Stewart from Crewe in the North Staffs league would indicate he still has some way to go. Perhaps he'll grow into it. Coat on, taxi ordered…"

8th over: Eng 51-0
Hafeez on for some early twirly. Davies has a little sashay down the track to loft him elegantly back down the ground for four. Two more, over mid-on, and then - was that a drop? I think it was - smashed at Afridi at short extra cover, and that one almost brained him.

From Owen, (in the Private Sector), TMS inbox: "Is anyone else enjoying the irony that the tallest bowler in international cricket history has began his career with possibly the shortest ever spell?"

7th over: Eng 44-0
Working up a decent sweat, Shoaib, his curtains plastered to his forehead in the style of Peter Andre in the video to Mysterious Girl. Gaaagghh - rapid, nasty, a coat of varnish away from taking Strauss's outside edge. Checked pull into the deep, where Irfan goes down like a mighty redwood, and then Strauss is kippered all ends up outside off again.

6th over: Eng 41-0
Crackeroo! Strauss leans back to one that's not all that short from Gul and heaves him mightily over deep midwicket for the first maximum of the day. He tries to do the same next ball but doesn't quite get hold of it - three to the wide open spaces - and then a fabulous skipping drive from Davies for four more. And again! Short, obvious, picked up off the hip and hoicked over the man inside the circle for four more.

From David Lawrence, from Dartford, TMS inbox: "If Mohammed Irfan fielded at short fine leg, would he cancel it out to become a normal fine leg? Would be useful for the powerplays."

5th over: Eng 24-0
Decent crowd in now, the weather dry if overcast. Touch of width from Shoaib, and Strauss will dab that away past mid-off's right hand for a sprinted two. Crunching cut that stings gully's hands on the bounce, followed by a little push to midwicket for a hurried single.

4th over: Eng 21-0
Afridi's seen enough - he's given Irfan the old heave-ho. Umar Gul in his place, and Davies angles a dreamy push away past point for his first four.

From Stewart in Crewe, TMS inbox: "If this is the same Mohammed Irfan, he plays(ed) for Whitmore in the North Staffs league. I hit him for two sublime fours (one through the slips) and over square leg. If I can do it, so can half the England team!! He then broke two of my toes in the return fixture..."

3rd over: Eng 16-0
Shoaib's got Steven Davies in a little trouble here, angling them across his bows and leaving him fishing. Maiden - the old stager might be carrying a little more timber these days, but there are still glimpses of the old pace.

2nd over: Eng 16-0
Irfan will have a bowl! Here we go - you can smell the excitement.... ah. Wide, nothing more than steddie eddie pace, pushed through point for three. Half-volley up next, and Strauss will drive that away for four. Curious action from the big man - he almost bends over forward to bowl, rather than using his staggering height. Short, wide, cut away for four more. And again! Short, sitting up, pulled away through midwicket. 15 off the over, and as debut overs go, that's an old-fashioned stinker.

From James in Oxford, TMS inbox: "Mohammad Irfan could always field in the gully? That way he'd be a similar height to the other guys on the pitch. I already have my coat on…"

1st over: Eng 1-0
So here we go - Shoaib Akhtar to charge in, Skipper Strauss waiting... and the first ball is a wide. Behave. The rest straighten up, and Strauss defends doughtily.

1210: England team in full: Strauss (capt)/ Davies/ Trott/ Collingwood/ Morgan/ Bopara/ Bresnan/ Yardy/ Swann/ Broad/ Anderson.

From James in Woolwich, TMS inbox: "Morning Tom, do you think Irfan will bowl many long hops? I'll join the queue for the cloakroom."

1200: Bopara in for Wright for England, otherwise as expected. News from the toss: Shahid Afridi calls correctly and asks England to bat.

From Anonymous in London, TMS inbox: "I work for a private sector company, but our clients are public sector - so I'm managing to swindle both by reading the text commentary."

1153: Mohammad Irfan will definitely play, I'm told, thus becoming the tallest man ever to play international cricket. I'd imagine he'll be fielding at long leg. I'll get my coat.

1146:*** BREAKING NEWS *** We'll have the toss at 1200, play bat 1230 and a match of 41 overs a side. *** END OF BREAKING NEWS ***

1145:You know Kevin Pietersen was sent off to Surrey to get some runs under his belt and boost his confidence? He's just been dismissed for one. To go with the duck he scored in the first innings.

From Ian Jones, TMS inbox: "Is it me or is it too easy to do cheap jokes about match and ball fixing on a quiet wet morning like this? Or am I wide of the mark? If you're interested, my third and sixth emails will also be wide of the mark."

1140: The covers are off! And they're mowing the pitch!

From Andy in Bristol, TMS inbox: "Rachel's email put me in mind of a conversation I once had first thing in the morning with an ex-girlfriend. My opening gambit for the day was a cheery 'Morning', to which the response was a somewhat unjustified 'What do you mean I look fat in this?'. It was at this point I realised once and for all there was no real hope for the relationship."

1137: By the way - just clapped eyes on Pakistan's new pace sensation Mohammad Irfan. They tell me he's 7'1". And I see no reason to argue with them.

From John C, TMS inbox: "A question I am often asked about where I work is, 'How many people work there?' My honest response is 'About half of them'."

1135: Small point of order: while we wait for news here, there are six County Championship matches taking place across the country and you can follow it all through Steve Marshall's live text commentary. Promotion and relegation issues are very much at stake on the final day of the penultimate round of games.

From Nick in London, TMS inbox: "I know the start is delayed, but what was the score supposed to be at this point?"

1120: If I'm honest, Rachel, it does a little - although not as big as normal. I'm joking of course, and gripped by a dreadful horror of what I've just written.

From Rachel Tyrrell, TMS inbox: "Even though it's Friday, I find it hard to muster any enthusiasm for the day's events. This may be down to just opening my Pension Statement, which projects that I will receive a decadent £3.50 a month to live on if I reach 60, but I suspect it has more to do with your shattering opening statement. Does my bum really look big in this?"

1115: Players out warming up. Still no news of possible start times. No rain. Covers off. Work that one. Out.

From John, TMS inbox: "In these days of cuts I am interested in the debate about whether the private sector is less wasteful than the public sector. I thought that it may be a good day to try and get an answer to that question. If we can get a sense of how many private or public sector people are wasting their day on the live text, especially as it is wet, then we can start to draw conclusions. I work in the public sector."

1105: Michael Vaughan on TMS thinks we could start at 1230, but apparently the umpires aren't as hopeful. The old misery-guts.

From Rob in Wilts, TMS inbox: "Deal me in, Mr. Fordyce. Don't worry if I play a bit strangely though - a nice man has just rung up and offered me a few quid if I lose four consecutive hands between 11:15 and 11:30."

1045: It's genuinely sunny overhead now. And I'm genuinely optimistic.

From Trev in Waterloo, TMS inbox: "If there's so much water on the covers, I hope we're playing Pontoon, or is it so bad it should be Bridge?"

From Dan in Leeds, TMS inbox: "I must admit I couldn't really give much of a stuff about this ODI series given everything that's gone on this summer; the mere fact that I'm reading/writing this is a testimony to the scarcity of real work I have to do today. Rest assured though, that unless something more important does come up (I'm not a Scotland Yard fraud investigator, so it's unlikely), I'm with you to the end, so please don't go away even if it carries on raining."

1030: The good news? There's a watery sunshine over the ground. The better news? A few covers are coming off, and we'll have an inspection at 1100. My deal.

1020: Umpire Ian Gould tells TMS that "it could take some time". Covers still on across the square, so no inspection for the time being. Anyone for a game of cards?

1010: A reminder that in Other News, Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir have all returned to Pakistan, although they've agreed to return to England when required do so by the police. I feel depressed just typing the words.

1000: Sleeves have been tugged, and the whispers are this: we'll be lucky to get underway by midday. On Sky Sports, Sir Ian of Botham is claiming that, when the new drainage system was installed, "someone forgot to put the sand in." From the barely-controlled look of fury on those famous old chops, I'd say this was a bad thing.

0956: First, the bad news: heavy overnight rain at Chester-le-Street means a delayed start. It's clearing up, don't get me wrong, but there's still some water on the covers. Give me a mo and I'll tug at some sleeves and find out.

0955: Why, it's you - but why are you wearing that?