Richard Mann previews day three of the first Test between England and Pakistan at Headingley, where the hosts are firmly on course for a big victory.
Cricket tips: Day three betting update
2pts Abdullah Shafique top Pakistan second innings batsman at 4/1 (bet365)
So it proved that yesterday's suspicions were on the mark, the Headingley pitch indeed a much better batting surface than Pakistan's first-innings 171 had suggested.
England overcame a late start to day two and significant overheads throughout to reply with 366-8, which was actually less than they had promised when first Jordan Cox and Joe Root were in cruise control, and then again Harry Brook and Dan Lawrence. All four compiled half-centuries.
Despite the bleak conditions, with the lights on, it was in fact left-arm spinner Ali Usman who provided the biggest threat with the ball, finishing with 5-92 from 23 overs.
He was the standout in an otherwise woeful showing from the tourists whose catching and outfielding flitted between shocking and comical.
This is a poor side, as Stuart Broad rightly said recently, and England should wrap up victory in the next couple of days, depending on how much rain hits Leeds on Friday.
The weather has actually delayed the inevitable, and the money men at Yorkshire will be desperate to see the match stretch to the weekend when the forecast is much brighter.
The frustrating thing for Pakistan is that the pitch is actually dry, and having selected a pretty good spinner in their XI, where England opted for an all-pace attack, the tourists ought to be in pole position bowling last.
As it is, their limp batting on day one means they are already 195-runs behind before they can even think about batting again, with defeat appearing inevitable.
For now, those with bet365 accounts are advised to back ABDULLAH SHAFIQUE to be TOP PAKISTAN SECOND INNINGS BATSMAN at 4/1.
Shafique is hot from a big hundred on the recent tour of West Indies, and made a very good 61 in the first innings here.
In truth, he looked a league above his compatriots, displaying crisp footwork and finding the middle of the bat with impressive ease, despite the amount of sideways movement England's bowlers found on day one.
In a poor field, I'd make him a point or so shorter than the current 4/1 on offer. William Hill go 19/5, which is perfectly fair.
Cricket tips: Day two betting update
No recommended bet
Despite what Pakistan's batting card might suggest, the pitch at Headingley looks a pretty good one – to my eye at least.
Pakistan made a poor start to the first Test in Leeds, bowled out for just 171 as Ollie Robinson and Josh Tongue picked up five wickets apiece.
But that doesn't tell the whole story. Yes, there was swing and seam movement from the new ball, but that movement was exacerbated by favourable overhead conditions for the seamers.
Those overheads brought a deluge of rain that signalled an early Lunch, but after the break the sun poked through the clouds and suddenly the Headingley wicket looked much more like the one that produced mountains of runs in this summer's T20 Blast and The Hundred.
Abdullah Shafique continues his Test renaissance 💪 pic.twitter.com/mjLjB4I6EK
— Cricinfo (@cricinfo) August 19, 2026
Abdullah Shafique compiled a classy half-century and when Pakistan moved to 97-2, things were looking good for the tourists.
However, Robinson's excellence triggered a trademark Pakistan collapse, before England closed on 112-2.
Returning England captain Joe Root had moved to 37 not out by that point, an ominous sign for day two as he chases down a 42nd Test century.
I'd say England's first innings thus far is a fairer reflection of conditions in Leeds, and while one must always be wary of the potential for the clouds to roll in on this ground – and the forecast for Thursday isn't great – a current innings runs line in the region of 400 is understandable.
With the wicket-keeper up to the stumps, Mohammad Abbas kept Root honest in an extended opening spell late on the first day, and LBW remains a big threat to the hometown hero.
However, that method of dismissal was an 11/2 chance in the recent series defeat to New Zealand, when he was dismissed in that manner four times across six innings. The same bet is now 7/2.
Joe Root is GONE ❌
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 21, 2026
Matt Henry gets Root LBW! pic.twitter.com/KCSIZqdKeN
The aforementioned Shafique looked a class apart from his Pakistan batting colleagues on Wednesday, and 7/2 (bet365) about him top scoring in the second innings appears justified.
Should he get the chance to bat under clear skies second time round, a check of Shafique's prices in the milestones markets, be it to make a fifty or even a hundred, would be advised.
Preview posted at 20:35 BST on 19/08/2026
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