Second day
Weather was forecast so broiling you would need head cover but we got grey clouds. These reflected a dull day’s play where Pakistan amassed enough of a lead to be confident of victory.
Young Dom Bess bowled tidily enough at just over 3 an over but never took his first Test wicket.
It might ward off criticism that good youngsters are not selected but I think he will be filed under “England’s forgotten men” as the new Graeme Swann he is not.
Ed Smith has a near impossible brief. There is little red ball cricket as we are now in ODI/t20 mode. To select Nick Gubbins on the basis of division two runs is foolhardy. He needs to find a Matt Prior. Not the best of keepers and centrally contracted he did not have a stellar career for Sussex but with an average of 41 a more than useful Test batter. A
lec Stewart is talking up Ricky Burns just as he did Mark Stoneman and Gareth Batty who went to India but the selectors needs a more independent view. Geoff Boycott equally promotes Yorkshiremen now Harry Brooks but what is the evidence he can score in the more exacting Test arena? And what of another young talent Sam Billings, centrally contracted he gets no game time for either Kent or England. The Maclaurin blue print has failed to deliver.
Catches were put down and the English fielding was casual. The field places were poor but the senior pro quickies may have asserted their wishes.
Joe Root looks another in a long list of captains whose batting form has suffered as a result of the burden of captaincy.
All in all English cricket is a rudderless ship heading for the rocks.
