There are days in Test cricket - not frequent, thank goodness - when the authorities could usefully intervene on behalf of spectators and players alike, and yesterday was one of them. Excruciating is putting it kindly. There were 182 runs scored from 82 overs bowled, 111 of them by England at slightly less than two runs an over as they clawed their way painstakingly towards Pakistan's first-innings total to finish on 388, only 17 adrift. By the time the light intervened, as it does most days here, Pakistan in their second innings had extended their lead by 71 but had lost three wickets in doing so, including the big one of Inzamam-ul-Haq, a century-maker in the first innings.
It left England hoping last night that there might just be a final twist to the final day of this series if they could take early wickets this morning. However, any optimism that may have arisen from the late successes last evening would have been clouded by the knowledge that throughout the three Tests any batsman with strength of character and the determination not to get out at any cost has been secure. Privately no one was kidding himself that today would be markedly different from its predecessor.
The culprit in the National Stadium here, as it had been in Lahore and Faisalabad, was the pitch, which though offering spinners sharp turn at times has done so only sluggishly, so bowlers have had very little margin for error while batsmen have enjoyed time to adjust their shots.
Once the first two matches were drawn, one senses, Pakistan have been content to take a win if it comes along but not exactly force the issue. That England are not currently fighting for survival in this Test match has been down in large part to the remarkable diligence and skill of Mike Atherton who, having come to the crease on Friday afternoon, batted all through Saturday in adding just a further 74, almost going into reverse at one stage, and was finally caught at the wicket for 125. This, his 16th Test century made precisely 13 hours batting since his previous dismissal.
His departure, with the team still 96 runs behind Pakistan and Graeme Hick already out to another insipid stroke in the first over of the day (if he had gone in on Saturday as Craig White's nightwatchman then he would have done his job, otherwise it was a pathetic dismissal in a wretched series for him) still left a heavy burden on the lower order if Pakistan were not going to take a handy first-innings lead and turn it into something with which to challenge on the last day.
For Fletcher, however, the crucial stand was the last one, of 39 between Ian Salisbury and Darren Gough that not only pegged back the lead but used up valuable overs. It was not pretty watching (and Salisbury has now batted almost eight hours in the series for 84 runs which is more than enough) but it may just have saved England's blushes in the final run in.
