Monty Panesar and Steve Harmison were England's heroes as the hosts thrashed Pakistan by an innings and 120 runs in the second Test at Old Trafford.
Panesar took 5-72 and Harmison 5-57 to bowl Pakistan out for 222 on day three.
Left-arm spinner Panesar bowled particularly well either side of lunch to remove a stack of top batsmen including Younis Khan for 62.
Harmison then came back to wrap up the tail and allow England to head to Headingley with a 1-0 series lead.
Man-of-the-match Harmison had match figures of 11-76, the first time he had taken at least 10 in a Test.
Left-arm spinner Panesar collected 8-93. No other England bowler took a wicket.
Second Test, Old Trafford, England 461-9d beat Pakistan 119 & 222 by an innings and 120 runs
Harmison destroys Pakistan
July 27, 2006
Steve Harmison's best Test figures on English soil put his team in total command against Pakistan after an absorbing first day at Old Trafford.
Harmison took 6-19 and Monty Panesar 3-21 after the tourists had elected to bat first on winning the toss.
They were on a solid 90-2 at one point before collapsing to 119 all out in a dramatic period either side of lunch.
England reached 168-2 for a lead of 49, Alastair Cook making light of an awkward wicket to be unbeaten on 65.
Second Test, Old Trafford, Day 1 (Stumps), Pakistan 119 v England 168-2
Inzamam helps Pakistan earn draw with England
July 17, 2006
Pakistan held on to draw the first Test against England at Lord`s as play ended with the tourists on 214-4 chasing 380.
Matthew Hoggard struck with the first ball of the innings and claimed another before lunch, and Monty Panesar revived hopes with two wickets after lunch.
One of Panesar`s wickets was double centurion Mohammad Yousuf but skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq thwarted England yet again and was undefeated on 56.
Inzamam, who was surprised by some sharp turn and bounce from Panesar and fended past Marcus Trescothick at slip, was also fortunate when jabbing down late and seeing the ball bounce fractionally wide of the stumps.
Kevin Pietersen also made an instant impression, finding some sharp turn in to surprise the formidable Pakistan skipper, who took successive boundaries as the part-time off-spinner was not so effective in the final throws.
It was the ninth successive innings in which Inzamam has scored 50 or more against England and though they tried every combination after tea, there was the feeling that with him in residence there was no hope of victory.
First Test, Lord's, England 528-9d & 296-8 dec drew with Pakistan 445 & 214-4
Shoaib Akhtar ruled out till fourth Test
July 14, 2006
Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar has been ruled out of Pakistan's series against England till the fourth cricket Test at The Oval next month as he needed more time to get match-fit.
Pakistan Cricket Board Chairman Shaharyar Khan said Shoaib was making fast recovery from the ankle stress fracture but was still "far from being fit enough to play international cricket".
He said Shoaib would arrive in England later this month to speed up his efforts for a Test return and would only be able to stake a claim in the squad if he proves his fitness in practice games.
Shoaib last played for Pakistan in the Karachi Test against India in January this year and has been out of action since undergoing a twin knee surgery in Australia in February.
The PCB Chief said the team and board officials wanted Shoaib to play club games in England to get some match practice before making a comeback to the international cricket.
Collingwood and Cook make Pakistan pay
July 14, 2006
Unbeaten centuries from Paul Collingwood and Alistair Cook have put England in a powerful position at stumps on day one of the first cricket test against Pakistan at Lord's.
Collingwood is on 109 and Cook 101 and England, after winning the toss, is 309 for 3.
For both players, it was a second test century.
Collingwood struck 12 fours in his hundred which came from 157 balls in 224 minutes.
Cook, who was dropped at second slip by Imran Farhat before he scored, and Collingwood have shared in a record breaking 221 run partnership for the fourth wicket, breaking the old mark of 188 set by Ted Dexter and Peter Parfitt in Karachi on the 1961/62 tour.
They came together with England on a precarious 88 for three.
Cook's left-off was one of four chances grassed by Pakistan who needed to hold on to everything, given that three of their frontline bowlers were out with injury.
Marcus Trescothick was dismissed for 16, acting captain Andrew Strauss went for 30, and Kevin Pietersen went leg before for 21, without playing a shot.
Abdul Razzaq was the most successful of the Pakistani bowlers, taking two for 60 off 17 overs.
First Test, Lord's, day one (close) England 309-3 v Pakistan
Indian superstar Sachin Tendulkar is to play for an international XI next week in a fund-raising match for victims of the Pakistan earthquake, organisers announced yesterday.
A star-studded side is due to take on Pakistan in a Twenty20 international at The Oval on July 10.
Tendulkar, who is easing himself back into action after shoulder surgery, will be expected to open the batting for a side that will be skippered by India captain Rahul Dravid and also include wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, as well as the likes of Brian Lara and Muttiah Muralitharan.
The match is being organised by Surrey county cricket club, whose chief executive, Paul Sheldon, voiced his delight at having secured Tendulkar's services.
The squad for the international XI also includes three England-based Pakistanis in Azhar Mahmood, Mohammad Akram and Saqlain Mushtaq.
Proceeds of next week's match will go to those who have suffered as a result of the quake which struck northern Pakistan last October.
International XI (from): Rahul Dravid (captain), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wicket-keeper), Sachin Tendulkar, Muttiah Muralitharan, Brian Lara, Chris Cairns, Makhaya Ntini, Andrew Hall, Scott Styris, Azhar Mahmood, Mohammad Akram, Saqlain Mushtaq.
The third series in three years between arch-rivals India and Pakistan promises to be a pulsating contest.
India triumphed on their historic 2004 tour to Pakistan, and Pakistan fought back valiantly to draw the 2005 series in India.
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