Third Test: day 3 as it happened

THIRD TEST - MATCH SUMMARY (Lahore, Day 3, close)
England 288 v Pakistan 446-5

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Pakistan have all but ended England's chances of winning the third and final Test and squaring the series.

By the close on day three, Pakistan were 446-5, a lead of 158 runs.

Mohammad Yousuf recorded his 14th Test ton and Kamran Akmal his second as they broke the Pakistan record for the highest sixth-wicket partnership.

They put on an unbeaten 199 with Shoaib Akhtar the solitary wicket to fall, dismissed by Liam Plunkett, but not before scoring a Test best 38.

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LATEST ACTION (all times GMT)

CLOSE: PAKISTAN 446-5

1140 Harmison peppers the batsmen with some short deliveries and after some consultation with the umpires they eventually decide to head for the pavilion both not out, their partnership on 199 and their team's lead 158.

1137 Vaughan tries to make the batsmen change their minds and leave the field by giving his most hostile bowler Harmison another burst from round the wicket.

1134 The batsmen reject the offer of bad light and the drinks trolley operators have to trundle it onto the outfield after all.

1129 Bell is unable to cut off another fluent cover drive from Akmal, who collects another four, and with the fading light about to end play for the day, the bumbling drinks trolley, reminiscent of a pantomine horse, is quickly turned away by the umpires.

1127 Plunkett finds the outer half of Akmal's bat as he gets another one to hold its line, but then drifts too straight and is turned for two, and gets away with a full toss that is driven straight to Collingwood at point.

1119 A glorious straight drive brings Yousuf another boundary, taking him within 17 of a double century and his team 147 runs ahead.

1118 England pack the off-side fielde but Akmal finally drives through them for his ninth four and his second Test century.

1112 Akmal also pushes to the deep cover fielder for one and will have a few minutes of contemplation on 99.

1111 Flintoff, still without a wicket in the innings, has another burst in the fading sunlight but Yousuf pushes him off the back foot for a single.

1108 Akmal, beaten again earlier in the over by another good one from Plunkett, guides the debutant to third man for a single and is now within two of his century.

1106 Yousuf edges a Harmison slower ball but it doesn't carry and passes between keeper and wide slip for his 20th four, taking him to 177.

1101 Trescothick puts down a chance to his left in the gully as Akmal drives Plunkett and escapes with a single to reach 96.

1056 Bell does nothing to improve Harmison's state of mind, needlessly throwing at the stumps at the non-striker's end, hitting them and costing an overthrow as the ball deflects away to a vacant mid-on.

1055 Plunkett beats the bat for the second time in his over but luck is not with England.

1050 Harmison has another chance with the ball, but England's spirit is slowly evaporating and three singles are easily recorded by the batsmen.

1042 Hoggard's spell lasts only one over as Plunkett returns, and Harmison has to employ some deft footwork on the third man boundary to prevent another boundary for Akmal.

1039 A quick push into the off-side from Akmal who dashes for a single, Pietersen picks up on the run but his throw is wide of the target and the energetic keeper reaches 85.

1036 Akmal races through for a second run, perhaps signalling his team's intentions to press on for victory, as the 400 arrives in the 114th over.

1034 An imperious cover drive off the back foot from Yousuf races to the boundary.

1033 Hoggard begins the final session and Akmal has an abundance of time to move back and punch out to the deep cover boundary for a single, which takes the partnership to 150, a sixth wicket record for Pakistan against England.

TEA: PAKISTAN 392-5

1011 Collingwood's slow medium pace has no concerns for the batsmen on this wicket and Akmal drives the final ball to the deep cover boundary for a single to reach 81 as the lead extends to 104 at the interval.

1008 The floodlights are switched on but they cannot inspire Hoggard to a wicket and he is unable to provide any difficulties for Akmal, who slashes the final ball of the over through the gully for a single to third man.

1003 Bell is too deep at cover to prevent a single, and that takes Pakistan's lead to exactly 100.

1001 Collingwood returns, with seven fielders deployed on the off-side, and Akmal is fortunate not to get a touch as he tries to cut.

0955 Hoggard is called for another burst, with Pietersen's maiden Test spell seemingly put on ice.

0953 Akmal easily pushes Udal past Vaughan at cover for two and the England captain looks far from comfortable with his knee as he hobbles after the ball like an elderly bank manager on a village green.

0947 Collingwood is the latest change, replacing Bell but played with similar ease for a single by Yousuf and cut fiercely for two to the deep cover fielder by Akmal.

0946 Akmal moves to 68 after driving the veteran Udal forcefully through the covers for four.

0943 It is Udal who continues but he can present no problems to the batsmen, who are content to push singles.

0941 Pietersen loosens his arms, not just in the hope of hinting to Vaughan about the potential merits of his off-spin bowling, but having been instructed to do so by his captain.

0936 Requiring some assistance from the wicket and definitely not receiving it in Lahore, Bell is driven straight down the ground to the boundary by Akmal, who now has 60 as his team's lead passes 70.

0933 Bell is the latest bowler to be called upon, trying perhaps to catch the batsmen unawares with his innocuous slow medium pace.

0920 Yousuf completes his fourth Test 150 with a calm push to mid-on from the 278th delivery of his innings, also recording the 350 in the 101st over, and can savour the moment with a drinks break.

0919 Udal traps Yousuf on the pad as he looks to work the ball over mid-wicket for his single, but the appeal is rejected by umpire Koertzen, who correctly adjudges that the ball would have missed leg-stump.

0916 The crowd erupts as Yousuf takes a single, but their pantomime villain that is umpire Hair signals a leg-bye and they must wait for his 150.

0913 From his 85th delivery Akmal dances down the pitch to drive Udal down the ground for two to record his second Test fifty and the 100 partnership from 171 balls.

0910 Akmal turns one off the middle stump and it flies past the reflex dive of Bell at short-leg for two runs, taking the obdurate keeper to 49.

0907 Harmison continues to give his utmost, and a useful lifting delivery at the throat of Akmal is fended away, but to the bowler's despair it falls away to safety short of gully.

0904 An accurate, if non-threatening over from Udal, the first maiden since lunch, is respectfully played out by Akmal, who remains within three of his fifty.

0902 Vaughan resorts to Udal, who has bowled eight overs for 49 and was smeared for two mighty sixes by Shoaib earlier in the day.

0859 More effectively than his colleagues, Harmison unsettles Yousuf as he fends it away but again it falls to safety, and the next ball is swotted away to the boundary as Yousuf moves to 143.

0858 Harmison tries from round the wicket and continues the current tactic of banging the ball in short.

0855 Yousuf has plenty of time to guide a short one that does not get above waist height from Plunkett and helps it backward of square for four.

0853 Plunkett is called for a wide again by Koertzen after sending in another short one.

0850 Harmison returns and comes within a whisker of Yousuf's outside edge as he is forced onto the back foot.

0847 The remainder of the over is short, and the final ball ricochets off the helmet of Yousuf, who continues to refuse the hook and stays on 132.

0843 Plunkett fizzes one in halfway down the pitch and it balloons over the batsman, square-leg umpire Hair makes a subtle gesticulation to Koertzen and it is called a wide.

0841 Maintaining his round the wicket line, Flintoff sends in a useful yorker but Yousuf is up to the challenge.

0839 Yousuf turns Flintoff away for two, just making his ground as Jones takes off the bails following a good throw from Plunkett, but umpire Hair signals that one of the runs was short and will not count, so he is now 132.

0830 Flintoff tries from round the wicket to Akmal, with his captain showing no delusions of grandeur under the helmet at short-leg, but the first delivery is a no-ball.

0830 Plunkett, steaming in at 87mph plus, hurries Yousuf with a short one and it is unconvincingly hooked for a single, taking him to 131.

0821 There is some hesitation as non-striker Yousuf calls Akmal for a single and the young keeper remains in his crease, but eventually he decides to run and beats Bell's throw, even though it hits the stumps.

0818 A tiring Flintoff digs one in short but it does not get up as much as Yousuf expects and hits the top of his bat, raised in periscope fashion as he ducks to his knees, but typifying England's misfortune the ball loops to safety out on the off-side.

0815 Akmal plays a wristy drive backward of point to collect his sixth four and move within 12 of a half-century.

0810 Plunkett replaces Hoggard but is comfortably played away to the deep cover fielder by Akmal for a single.

0808 Yousuf flashes off the back foot between the solitary slip and gully and another boundary takes him to 127, bringing up the 300 for Pakistan in the 86th over.

0805 Flintoff, yet to take a wicket and thought to be not fully fit, is given an opportunity with a newish ball, only five overs old, but one that has already been thumped into the boundary boards five times.

0803 Runs continue to flow freely as Kamal elegantly drives Hoggard through the covers to the fence.

0800 The new ball is merely heading to the boundary faster, Akmal cutting Harmison for his fifth four to move to 29.

0759 A comfortable single into the leg-side from Akmal takes Pakistan ahead of England's 288.

0758 Akmal puts his anxious moments behind him with a pulsating cover drive off Harmison to the fence.

0752 Yousuf plays and misses at Harmison but there is no touch again and he remains at the crease on 116.

0746 There is some late away swing for Hoggard but the diminutive keeper Akmal latches onto it and drives fluently for another boundary.

0744 Hoggard collects the new cherry at the first opportunity but the first ball is a half volley wide of off-stump and driven firmly to the boundary by Akmal, who now has 17.

0743 Harmison's misfortune continues as a sharply lifting delivery catches the shoulder of Yousuf's bat and falls frustratingly short of Trescothick diving forward at first slip.

0740 Yousuf fishes outside the off-stump but makes no contact.

0739 Harmison resumes after the interval, having seen his first attempt to the crease aborted by umpire Hair, with the new ball due in at the end of the over.

LUNCH: PAKISTAN 265-5

0659 Akmal drives square of the wicket, Udal hurls himself at the ball and just drags it back before he tumbles over the ropes, but though he limits the scoring to three, he sustains a sore shoulder for his troubles, and Pakistan reach the interval in a comfortable position, only 23 runs behind.

0650 The persevering Plunkett beats the outside edge of Akmal as he pushes forward, then catches the outside edge.

0646 A looping slower ball through the fingers from Flintoff is yorker length but Akmal is aware of the trickery, then he fends off the next one that is much quicker and directed at his ribs.

0635 Kamran Akmal prods forward to Plunkett but the edge falls short and to the right of a diving Marcus Trescothick at first slip and gets the wicketkeeper off the mark with a streaky boundary, the 250 coming up in the 73rd over.

0625 WICKET PAKISTAN 247-5 (Akhtar 38)
Akhtar finally succumbs, slicing Plunkett into the off-side, where Udal takes a comfortable catch 15 yards inside the deep cover boundary to end a stubborn partnership of 67.

0622 Debutant Liam Plunkett replaces the ineffective Udal, whose five over spell cost 30 runs.

0620 Akhtar reaches his highest Test score, 38, with a fortuitous inside edge past the stumps for four.

0618 Flintoff deceives Akhtar with a full length slower ball that traps him on the crease, but umpire Hair decides the ball would have drifted down the leg-side.

0616 Akhtar launches a massive slog sweep at Udal for his second six of the morning, which crashes into the empty seats at mid-wicket.

0615 Udal tries from round the wicket to Yousuf, but is comfortably driven for a single, and the groundstaff have to move the sightscreens again as he comes back over to Akhtar.

0610 Flintoff strikes Akhtar again with a short one, but the intrepid nightwatchman recovers to strike the next one over cover to collect two more runs, taking him to 26.

0607 Yousuf kneels on the ground after lofting Udal straight over his head for six to reach his 14th Test century, from 183 balls with 14 fours.

0559 After two short ones, Flintoff spears in a yorker but Akhtar is able to get his feet out of the way and jab the bat down to keep the ball out.

0553 Yousuf sweeps Udal towards the boundary but Harmison slides in to restrict the scoring to two and leave the batsman on 96.

0548 "The Flintstones" theme tune from the stands can only mean that Andrew Flintoff is into the attack, replacing Harmison, who bowled five overs in his opening spell.

0543 Harmison forces Akhtar onto the back foot, the ball spoons up off the splice but loops to safety at short cover.

0539 Akhtar is trapped on the pad but Koertzen decides he is outside off-stump, but there is no doubt about the next one, which sails over mid-wicket into the stands for six.

0537 Shaun Udal, who bowled three expensive overs on Wednesday, gets another chance from umpire Koertzen's end, as Hoggard's four over spell ends, and Yousuf soon collects a quick single to Paul Collingwood's right.

0535 Beginning to settle at the crease, Akhtar slashes Harmison through the covers for his third boundary of the morning, and then is alive for the slower ball that completes the over.

0532 Michael Vaughan attempts a crafty throw at the stumps from between his legs, but his colleagues are unaware of his intentions and the ball trickles away to gift Pakistan a single.

0527 Akhtar squeezes another boundary square of the wicket on the leg-side as the 200 comes up for Pakistan from the final ball of the 58th over.

0525 The first four arrives in the sixth over of the day, Akhtar steering Harmison through the gap between the slips and gully.

0518 Yousuf is onto the back foot to clip Harmison off his pads into the leg-side for three, taking him within 12 of a century.

0516 Harmison fells Akhtar with a bouncer that strikes the tailender on the shoulder, but he is able to recover and to England's frustration soon pushes his first run of the day.

0510 The England over-rate, never the most rapid, is not helped by some St George flags that have to be removed from behind the bowler's arm.

0505 A clean-shaven Steve Harmison, the best of the bowlers yesterday, begins from umpire Hair's end and has an early chance at nightwatchman Shoaib Akhtar as Yousuf Youhana nudges a single.

0500 Matthew Hoggard takes the first over on a bright but chilly morning, with injured Pakistan skipper Inzamam likely to return to the crease at some stage today if and when wickets fall.

0458 A jaunty version of "Land of Hope And Glory" performed by the Barmy Army trumpeter accomapnies the England team as the convene for their pre-match huddle on the outfield.