Gas explosion halts England Test

Photos from Faisalabad

A blast caused by an exploding gas cylinder halted the second Test between Pakistan and England in Faisalabad.

England were 92-2 in their first innings when the accident stopped play for 10 minutes in the post-tea session.

Marcus Trescothick and Ian Bell stayed on the field along with the Pakistan team as police and security guards streamed onto the outfield.

Trescothick said: "I feared the worst. I could see advertising hoardings were damaged, but I didn't know what to do."

The England opener added: "My initial reaction was to disappear towards square leg. I just wanted to get out of the way.

"But the security men gathered us together on the pitch pretty quickly and informed us it was a gas cylinder - which was pretty reassuring."

An England media spokesman later confirmed: "The cause was a gas build-up in the drinks machine."

District police officer Amin Khan said: "There is no injury. And there is no need to panic at all.

"It was a purely accidental thing. Things are under control now."

A policeman later held up the remains of the gas bottle on the boundary to indicate the cause of the explosion.

It is thought that one policeman suffered minor injuries from flying debris.

The security arrangements for the England team have been very tight, with 2,500 policemen deployed around and inside the stadium for the match.

Amin said the security cover for the England team remained as stringent as ever and that there was no cause for concern.