England v Pakistan: third men’s cricket Test, day three – live

Key events

There was a Pakistan fan walking around Edgbaston carrying a small blackboard on the second day. “Free Imran Khan …” he’d written on it, “and get him in the team.” He stopped to talk about it with a couple of the police officers standing guard around the back of the pavilion. “I’d like to report a crime,” he told them, “by the 11 players out there on the field.” The officers chuckled. “Not much I can do about that for you, sorry.” Even their supporters seemed to have reached the point where they just want this tour to be over.

With dismal inevitability, the weather had turned by the time Pakistan actually got out to bat in their second innings and the bright sunshine that lit up England’s batting through the afternoon had been occluded by a bank of heavy grey cloud that had blown up from the south-west. They turned the floodlights on just in time for Saim Ayub and Azan Awais to go out and face up to another new-ball burst from Ollie Robinson and Jofra Archer. The lights didn’t help anyone, if anything they only made it easier to see what was coming.

Pakistan are averaging 15.90 runs per wicket in this series. That’s the lowest against England, in a series of three matches or more, since New Zealand were spun into oblivion by Tony Lock and Jim Laker in 1958.

Weather watch The sun is out at Edgbaston and play should start on time. The forecast is pretty good all day, so England should have plenty of time to get the job done and begin their end-of-series celebrations. Lime cordials all round.

Day two report

Friday is the only sold-out day of this third Test but whether that translates into a full house remains to be seen. Much like the series itself, the contest is long since over, set in motion by Pakistan’s howling collapse on the first day and then compounded by England’s ruthlessness on the second.

Although for all that England’s march to a 3-0 clean sweep appears a formality, there should in theory be a decent chunk of cricket to enjoy. Joe Root’s side are still eight wickets away from enjoying a weekend at leisure, with Pakistan, set to resume on 52 for two, 268 runs away from making them bat again.

It follows a dominant outing with the bat from England that turned 156 for four in the morning into 453 all out by tea. That said, three men still trudged off despondently. Harry Brook needlessly ran himself out on 75, Dan Lawrence chopped on for 65, while Jamie Smith fell for 69 after batting through the pain of a suspected broken finger. In all three cases, a Test century went begging.

Preamble

It’s the last day of term, kids. Wear what you like, play a bit of Subbuteo, talk to the people you’re usually too shy to talk to. England will wrap up a crushing, slightly sad 3-0 win over Pakistan sometime this afternoon, and Ollie Robinson will smile modestly after collecting yet another award.

Robinson continued his Lohmannesque summer – 28 wickets at 7.75 apiece – by taking both Pakistan wickets to fall yesterday afternoon. Pakistan will resume on 52 for 2, still 268 runs behind. They’ve got two chances, Slim and none. And the selectors sent Slim home.