Cricket Lawrence half-century propels England towards victory over Pakistan

Dan Lawrence's unbeaten 50 propelled England to a commanding position against Pakistan on the rain-interrupted third day of the second Test at Lord's. The 29-year-old, who returned to the Test squad for the series after a two-year hiatus following Ben Stokes' retirement, struck two sixes and six fours in a 66-ball innings. At stumps, England stood at 177-7, extending their lead to 357 runs with three second-innings wickets remaining.

Despite Muhammad Abbas' three wickets in the challenging conditions, which brought his match tally to seven, Pakistan found themselves in a precarious situation. With two days still to play, the uneven pitch and improved weather forecast, especially for Monday, positioned England as the favorites to secure a victory, marking their first series win since December 2024.

The tourists' batting lineup, which had not scored over 171 runs in an innings in this series, was struggling. England's opener, Imam-ul-Haq, was dismissed for 110 in the first innings, and opener Harry Brook was also dismissed for 34 before being caught by Rizwan. Jamie Smith's half-century was undone by Abbas, while Lawrence's resilient innings secured the momentum for his team.