Buttler, Bess spare England innings defeat by Pakistan

LONDON: Jos Buttler and Dominic Bess fought a determined rearguard action as England avoided an innings defeat by Pakistan in the first Test at Lord´s on Saturday. When the pair came together, before tea on the third day, England were 110 for six in their second innings — still needing a further 69 runs to make Pakistan bat again. But come stumps, England were 235 for six after an unbroken century stand by their seventh-wicket duo. England were a mere 56 runs ahead with four wickets standing and the new ball on the horizon, but at least they were still in the game. Buttler was 66 not out and Bess 55 not out after the 20-year-old marked his Test debut with a fine fifty. The duo´s 125-run stand was also a vindication for England´s new national selector, Ed Smith, who had recalled Buttler as a specialist number seven and picked Somerset off-spinner Bess. But the way the pair played on a sunny day in the best batting conditions of the match, was also an indictment of some of their top-order colleagues involved in England´s latest collapse. “We wanted to scrap hard and try and get ourselves back in the game,” Buttler told Sky Sports. “With Dom Bess, it was like Joe Root walked back out, with his back foot punches and cover drives. He´s got a great character and he really showed that,” added Buttler, who started his career at Somerset before moving to Lancashire.

England are historically difficult to beat in home Tests starting in May - they´ve lost just three out of 33. Yet they were facing the prospect of going 1-0 down in this two-match series midway though the afternoon after Mohammad Amir took two wickets in three balls to dismiss Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow.