Frustrated England heading for a draw as rain allows less than an hour’s play

Just ten full overs were possible on the penultimate day of England’s rain-ruined second Test against Pakistan, with Rory Burns the most frustrated man at the Ageas Bowl after falling for duck in the slim passage of play.

After losing the entirety of day three to bad light and showers, the majority of the scheduled 98 overs would have been needed to advance the match in any meaningful fashion but the teams were on the field for less than an hour in total before the skies in Southampton opened again.

Pakistan’s first innings, which began on Thursday morning, was finally drawn to an end for 236 when Stuart Broad dismissed top-scorer Mohammad Rizwan for 72, leaving England to take guard in gloomy, bowler-friendly conditions.

Burns was a virtually blameless victim, nicking an unplayable Shaheen Afridi delivery behind for a four-ball nought, and even though only five overs were possible before the covers were called on it was a surprise that he was the only one.

Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley were made to fight for survival off nearly every ball as Shaheen and Mohammad Abbas found movement through the air and off the pitch and clung in to reach seven for one before the weather set in.

With a grim forecast on the cards for today a tepid draw now seems the only possible outcome, preserving England’s 1-0 lead heading into the final Test of the series, and the summer, at the same venue next week.

England batting consultant Jonathan Trott still expects a relatively inexperienced batting line-up to show their hunger on day five. Trott, who has joined the squad as temporary cover for Graham Thorpe, said: “It’s all about taking confidence into the next game, that is crucial for them. They will be sitting back in the hotel really ambitious and determined to do well.

“It’s going to be about going out there and combatting the conditions we find.

“It is important we don’t just see it as a day to bat out and walk away with the draw to stay 1-0 up.”