Pakistan close in on England total

Graeme Swann
12 April 2012

Graeme Swann enjoyed a double success on day two of the third npower Test against Pakistan, celebrating his belated nomination for ICC Cricketer of the Year with his 100th Test wicket.

Swann was left off the long list for the prestigious award on Wednesday but was added today after a "genuine oversight" by the selection panel.

He proved himself worthy of the nod by picking up three of the four wickets to fall at the Brit Insurance Oval, where Pakistan were 215 for five at tea replying to 233 all out.

Swann removed the dangerous Mohammad Yousuf (56) to bring up the milestone in his 23rd Test - the same number of matches as fellow spinners Shane Warne, Saqlain Mushtaq and Danish Kaneria.

Derek Underwood and Steve Harmison also took 23 matches, but Ian Botham is England's quickest post-war bowler to the mark, taking just 19 games.

Steven Finn drew first blood for England with the second ball of the day, finding Yasir Hameed's outside edge and presenting Matt Prior with the simple catch. Pakistan captain Salman Butt almost fell for a duck as he flashed between slip and gully and was then put down at backward point by Eoin Morgan.

With nine overs gone Andrew Strauss turned to spin and Swann, whose knack of striking in his first over of a spell is becoming legendary, duly removed Butt (17) with a short ball that caught the edge and was collected by Prior at the third attempt.

Nightwatchman Wahab Riaz frustrated the England bowlers as he moved past 20, though his running alongside Yousuf was a matter of concern. Riaz eventually fell for a gutsy 27, a knock that occupied 75 balls, Swann picking up a leg-before verdict that was unwisely referred by the batsman.

Yousuf was beginning to look at ease, with Azhar Ali (42no) taking his lead to push the run-rate along. Yousuf took Finn for successive fours, through cover and third man, to move to 49 and dashed single to reach his half-century.

The signs were ominous that the 35-year-old was setting himself for 25th Test hundred when Swann tossed one up to him and safely pouched a return catch. Umar Akmal heaved the spinner for a big six just before tea as Pakistan closed in on England's first-innings mark.

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