Pakistan put to the sword

– England won their first Test match since September as they thrashed Pakistan by an innings and 55 runs in the second Test at Headingley yesterday.

Victory, completed inside three days, saw England level the twomatch series at 1-1 after Pakistan won the first Test at Lord’s by nine wickets.

It was also England’s first victory in a Test match since they beat the West Indies at Lord’s in September last year, with the side having endured a winless run of six defeats in eight Tests coming into this fixture.

By sharing the spoils, England avoided a third successive series loss after reverses in Australia and New Zealand.

Jos Buttler’s blistering 80 not out saw England to a total of 363 and a first-innings lead of 189.

Pakistan then collapsed to 134, losing their last seven wickets for just 50 runs.

Stuart Broad (above) took 3/28 and off-spinner Dominic Bess grabbed his first Test wickets in a return of 3/33.

England resumed yesterday on 302/7, with Buttler 44 not out and Sam Curran, unbeaten on 16.

Curran, however, was out for 20 on his 20th birthday when he was well caught low down at second slip by Shafiq off Man-of-theSeries Mohammad Abbas, who took 8/64 at Lord’s.

Buttler, dropped on four on Saturday, went to fifty in style with an extra-cover driven four followed by a hooked six off Abbas.

Buttler was missed in the deep by Usman Salahuddin on 66 and the very next ball saw him drive Faheem Ashraf for six.

But with Buttler five short of equalling his Test-best 85, No 11 James Anderson was caught in the slips off Hasan Ali. – AFP