Cricket–Smith rescues England from Pakistan’s spin stranglehold

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan :Jamie Smith smashed a counter-attacking 91 to rescue England from a top-order meltdown and steer them to 244-8 at tea on the opening day of the deciding third test against Pakistan on Thursday.
England were reeling at 118-6 after losing captain Ben Stokes soon after lunch but Smith combined in a 107-run partnership with Gus Atkinson (39) to lift the touring side back into the match.
Rehan Ahmed (two) and Jack Leach (one), both of whom will be expected to make the most of the turning track later with the ball, will hope to take England past the 250-mark.
Earlier, Pakistan spin duo Sajid Khan (4-119) and Noman Ali (3-76) combined to blow away the top half of England’s batting lineup in one session following Stokes’ decision to bat first.
England made a decent start with Ben Duckett (52) and Zak Crawley combining in a 56-run opening stand before a collapse ensued.
Pakistan attacked with spin from both ends with Sajid and Noman, who shared all 20 England wickets in the previous test in Multan, bowling in tandem.
Pakistan did not use a third bowler in the morning session and the spinners bowled 42 overs before Pakistan captain Shan Masood made a change.
Left-arm spinner Noman drew first blood when he tempted Crawley (29) into a false drive with a flighted delivery.
England vice captain Ollie Pope (three) fell to Sajid for the third time in three innings after fluffing a sweep shot.
The off-spinner delivered a body blow when he trapped Joe Root, currently the top-ranked test batter, lbw for five with a sharply turning ball.
Duckett hit a six off Sajid en route to his fifty and got a reprieve when Noman spilled a return catch but the spinner dismissed the left-hander lbw in the same over with a delivery that kept low.
Sajid’s trademark thigh-slap celebration was on display again when he bowled Harry Brook (five), who looked ill at ease against the turning ball.
England risked folding for under 150 after Stokes’s dismissal but Smith counter-attacked and Atkinson, the lone specialist seamer in England’s spin-heavy attack, proved a perfect foil.
Smith, who smashed seven sixes in his belligerent knock, fell short of his second test hundred after failing to execute a slog sweep in the final over before tea.