Akmal drops early chances

Marcus Trescothick enjoyed two early reprieves as England attempted to bat Pakistan out of the third npower Test at Headingley.

The Somerset left-hander was dropped twice by wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal as England resumed the fourth morning trailing the tourists by 20 runs on three without loss.

But Trescothick, without a half-century so far in the series, survived those two early scares to help guide England into a 14-run lead at 37 without loss after half an hour's play.

Having progressed to just six in the third over of the day, Trescothick appeared to edge a ball down the leg-side but Akmal could only parry the regulation chance.

He was given another escape in the next over when he edged a rising delivery outside off-stump from Umar Gul but Akmal once again dropped an easy chance.

While Trescothick was struggling at one end, stand-in captain Andrew Strauss appeared in prime form at the other and cut fours in successive overs through the covers off Sami.