Published>Sat, Aug 21 10 06:36 PM
Pakistan were on the verge of victory over England on the fourth day of the third test at the Oval on Saturday after racing to 115 for three at lunch in pursuit of a target of 148.
Opener Imran Farhat led the way with an aggressive 33 including six fours from 39 deliveries.
England lead the four-match series 2-0 with the final test scheduled for Lord's next week.
James Anderson gave England an ideal start when he dismissed Yasir Hameed for a duck in his opening over. Hameed edged the fifth delivery to Graeme Swann at second slip who caught the ball at his second attempt.
Farhat, who had slashed Anderson's second ball over slips for a four, continued to go for his shots, driving the paceman for a boundary through mid-wicket.
England captain Andrew Strauss turned to Swann in the sixth over from the Vauxhall end and Farhat responded by using his feet to drive the off-spinner over mid-on for another boundary.
Strauss replaced Anderson, whose six overs had cost 26 runs, with Steven Finn. Farhat charged the fast bowler and was fortunate to pick up a boundary when the ball caught the edge and hurtled to fine-leg.
Swann imposed some control with successive maidens before picking up the wicket of Farhat lbw sweeping across a straight delivery.
Captain Salman Butt assumed the aggressor's role, driving two sweetly timed boundaries off a Finn over. He then took three boundaries off Stuart Broad to bring up the 100 from 64 balls before he was caught at first slip by Paul Collingwood off Swann for 48 shortly before the interval.
England, 221 for nine after Mohammad Amir and Saeed Ajmal swept through their batsmen on Friday evening, added only one run when play resumed.
Broad fell for six, lobbing a simple catch to Mohammad Asif at mid-on off the final ball of the opening over from Amir, who finished with his best test figures of five for 52.
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