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BBC Sport Online cricket editor Paul Grunill reflects on the final day's play in the Old Trafford Test match.

At 11.00am, some England supporters, buoyed by a year of almost continuous success, may have thought that scoring 370 for victory over Pakistan was a mere formality.

Yes, it would have been the highest ever fourth innings score made by England to win a Test - but such was the mood of confidence engendered by four successive series triumphs.

Marcus Trescothick and Michael Atherton had begun the run chase by taking the score to 85 for nought at the close on Sunday, and the pitch continued to play well.

But seven and a quarter hours later it was the Pakistan fans who were celebrating as their side snatched an improbable victory, courtesy of a quite astonishing one handed catch by substitute fielder Imran Nazir.

Pure joy: Saqlain dismisses Alec Stewart

It was a bad day for the umpires with at least three England batsmen given out to what TV replays indicated were no balls.

That should not, however, detract from what was a truly gripping contest, and one which did enormous credit to both sides.

England's decline from 196 for two at tea to 261 all out to lose the game by 108 runs - the second lower order collapse of the game - will no doubt cause consternation in the camp ahead of an Ashes series against Australia.

Imagine the knowing smiles in the Australian team's hotel as the Poms proved they were still vulnerable under pressure.

But England did not become a bad side in the course of one session and it took superb bowling by Saqlain Mushtaq, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis to enable Pakistan to share the series.

The years fell away as the two Ws - Wasim and Waqar - tore in with much of the speed which proved too much for England in 1992 and 1996.

While they shared the responsibility at one end, Saqlain took up residence at the other, sending down 47 overs for figures of four for 74.

Waqar, who had earlier found a way through Atherton's defences, produced a magnificent delivery to account for Thorpe early in the final session and from then on, England were simply playing for the draw and a 1-0 series win.

Akram, making his last appearance at the ground where he served Lancashire so well over the years, was not to be outdone and ended Trescothick's innings after the left-hander had made 117.

Akram now has 414 Test wickets

From then on it was backs to the wall fare for England as one by one, Stewart, Ward, Knight and Caddick returned to the pavilion.

Pity Knight - recalled to the side in place of injured skipper Nasser Hussain and adjudged lbw for nought to an Akram delivery which may have been too high and was a no-ball as well.

Who knows what difference Hussain might have made had his thumb not been fractured by Shoaib Akhtar at Lord's?

Now it was down to Dominic Cork and Darren Gough, both match-winners with the ball for England in Tests gone by.

Cork grimly resisted every type of spin Saqlain could think of, while Gough counter-attacked against the pacemen at the other end.

Incredible tension

On the ground where he scored 65 on his Test debut against New Zealand seven years ago, Gough took 10 off one over from Waqar as the England supporters harangued their Pakistani counterparts with choruses of "You're not singing any more."

They were together for 10 overs, but suddenly the match tilted back in favour of the tourists as Saqlain's quicker ball proved too good for Cork, who was lbw for four after 57 minutes at the crease.

Out came Matthew Hoggard, wearing a grin which could not hide the nerves which must have been buzzing in his stomach like a colony of demented bees.

He survived the last ball of Saqlain's over, but there was no escape for England as Gough launched into another drive and Nazir flung himself to his right and took the catch at full stretch.

At last, the almost unbearable tension evaporated.

England were beaten, but not disgraced. They should still give Australia a run for their money.

The laurels went, however, to Pakistan. Short of match practice, they gained revenge for their defeat by England in Karachi last year.

They - and cricket as a whole - were the winners.