James Anderson celebrates 28th birthday with a five-wicket haul to put England in driver's seat

Birthday-boy Anderson celebrates with a five-wicket haul

James Anderson celebrates 28th birthday with a five-wicket haul to put England in driver's seat

England's James Anderson (right) gets a high five from his teammates
after claiming the wicket of Pakistan captain Salman Butt on the second
day of the first Test at Trent Bridge, Nottingham yesterday. PIC/AFP

Anderson, in overcast conditions ideally suited to his swing bowling, took five wickets for 49 runs in 20 overs as Pakistan were left 207 runs behind England's first innings 354 when bad light forced an early close. It was the ninth time in his 49 Tests that Anderson had taken five or more wickets in an innings and he was well supported by Middlesex quick Steven Finn, who took three for 20 in 11 overs. Pakistan were in dire straits at 47 for six but at close of play they were just eight runs shy of avoiding the follow-on thanks to tail-ender Umar Gul's 30 not out at better than a run a ball.

Mohammad Asif, who rocked England earlier on Friday with a five-wicket haul of his own, was unbeaten on nought.

Pakistan were indebted to a seventh-wicket stand of 58 between Shoaib Malik (38) and Mohammad Aamer (25) for getting them to three figures. Under similarly dark skies at Headingley, Pakistan bowled Australia out for just 88 in the first innings of their three-wicket second Test win last week.

England had lost their last six wickets for just 17 runs earlier yesterday in an Asif-inspired slump.

But their total always looked like being too much for a novice Pakistan top order missing former captains Mohammad Yousuf and Younus Khan, omitted following disciplinary proceedings.

England resumed on 331 for four but Asif then took four wickets for eight runs in 13 balls -- allu00a0LBW -- on his way to five for 77 in 27 overs.

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