PAK THRASH ENGLAND BY 9 WICKETS

Pakistan completed a convincing ninewicket victory over England to win the first Test at Lord’s with more than a day to spare on Sunday.

Set just 64 for victory on the fourth morning, Pakistan finished on 66 for one before lunch to go 1-0 up in this two-match series ahead of next week’s second Test at Headingley.

Imam-ul-haq was 18 not out and Haris Sohail 39 not out.

England were undone by two top-order batting collapses, slumping to 184 all out after winning the toss in their first innings and declining to 160 for six in their second before fifties from Jos Buttler and Test debutant Dominic Bess prevented an innings defeat.

This was England’s seventh loss in 10 Tests as their first match under new national selector Ed Smith ended in a resounding reverse.

What made this loss -just England’s third defeat in a home Test starting in May -- all the more galling for Joe Root’s side was that they were outplayed in classic English conditions by a youthful Pakistan side, who displayed far greater discipline with both bat and ball.

England, resuming Sunday on 235 for six in their second innings, lost their last four wickets for just seven runs in 18 balls to be bowled out for 242.

That they had not already lost this match by an innings was down to a century stand between the recalled Jos Buttler and Dominic Bess.