Inzamam makes England pay

Dominic Cork overstepped the mark at Old Trafford today and cost England the one wicket they wanted above all others.

With Andy Caddick striking three times between the Manchester showers, Alec Stewart's team threatened to take control of the second Test after reducing Pakistan to 92 for 4.

But the no-ball which Cork sent down early this afternoon began to look as though it might be the most significant delivery of the whole day.

Inzamam, who had moved to 31 in ominously assured fashion, snicked an attempted cut, Stewart held the 'catch' but England's appeals were stifled at birth by umpire Ed Nicholls' outstretched arm and clear call.

Cork had strayed beyond the crease and Inzy celebrated by adding a string of boundaries.

Just before tea, the roly-poly batsman was sitting pretty on 101, having guided Pakistan to a much more comfortable 229 for 4 in partnership with Younis Khan.

After the break, Matthew Hoggard claimed his first Test wicket, trapping Younis Khan lbw for 65.

Six overs later Hoggard struck again, this time capturing the prize wicket of Inzamam who was caught by Ian Ward for 114.

At close of play Pakistan had reached 370-8.

Inzamam's contribution included a pulled six off part-time medium pacer Marcus Trescothick as well as 16 other boundaries. Too much of the bowling from England's frontline bowlers was substandard with the basics of line and length being ignored.

Rain, which limited the morning session to just 82 minutes, continually threatened to interrupt proceedings. But it stayed away all afternoon - like far too many members of the Manchester public.

There were barely 8,000 spectators inside a ground capable of holding more than twice that number, even though England need only a draw to win their fifth consecutive series.

The turn-out must have disappointed the home side. But their inability to remove Inzamam was even more worrying for them.

They were forced to bowl first after Stewart had extended England's run to seven lost tosses on the trot. But, although the pitch played perfectly and Pakistan's batsmen went for their shots, that didn't seem to matter too much as Caddick enjoyed plenty of early success.

Abdur Razzaq, promoted to No 2 in the wake of Pakistan's innings defeat at Lord's should have been dismissed for a fourth ball duck but Michael Atherton at first slip, failed to hold a two-handed chance off Darren Gough.

Soon enough, though, Caddick's third delivery brought a tentative forward defensive from Razzaq. And the right-hander simply deflected it onto his pad and back into the stumps.

But if England sensed easy pickings, Saeed Anwar, especially, and Faisal Iqbal, briefly, soon disappointed them.

Gough, particularly, struggled to hit a consistently challenging line and it was only Iqbal's poor technique - failing to get on top of a bouncer and lobbing a catch to short leg - which brought him some reward and Inzamam to the wicket.