Strauss hits ton in England’s safety-first approach

Andrew Strauss scored a century in his first match as England captain on Sunday to help his team to 258 for seven in their second innings...

Andrew Strauss scored a century in his first match as England captain on Sunday to help his team to 258 for seven in their second innings on the fourth day of the first Test against Pakistan at Lord’s.

England, who dismissed Pakistan for 445 in their first innings, hold an overall lead of 341 with one day left to play. Strauss, struck 128, his ninth Test century, to become the third England skipper after Archie MacLaren and Allan Lamb to record a hundred in their debut match.

Earlier Mohammad Yousuf took his overnight total of 185 to 202, his fourth Test double hundred. It was also the highest score by a Pakistan batsman at Lord’s.

England, at tea, were 154 for four in their second innings. Earlier, both Kevin Pietersen (41) and Paul Colingwood, whose Test-best 186 was the centrepiece of England’s first innings 528 for nine declared, had been undone by spin on a wearing pitch.

Earlier, England wrapped up Pakistan’s first innings after Mohammad Yousuf completed a superb double century. Yousuf was last man out for 202 as Pakistan finishedon 445 — a deficit of 83 runs.

England, 51 for one at lunch after Marcus Trescothick played on to Umar Gul, saw the fast bowler strike again when Alastair Cook (4), who scored a Test-best 105 first time around, mistimed a pull and gave Yousuf a simple catch at mid-on.

Pietersen took a watchful 14 deliveries to get off the mark but did so with a cover-driven boundary off Gul. Next ball he played an even better shot to drive the bowler straight. But Pakistan then struck twice in 11 balls to reduce England to 146 for four.

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Brief scores: England: 528/9 decl and 258/7 (Andrew Strauss 128; Kaneria 3/73, Gul 2/57) vs Pakistan: 445 (Mohammad Yousuf 202, Inzamam-ul-Haq 69; Steve Harmison 4/94).