Collingwood consolidates England's grip on first test

LONDON, July 14 (Reuters) Paul Collingwood consolidated England's grip on the first test against Pakistan at Lord's today by extending his overnight total of 107 to 179 not out at lunch on the second day.

At the interval England were 426 for four after resuming on 309 for three with Ian Bell on 43. Alastair Cook was the only batsman dismissed on the second morning after adding just four to his overnight total of 101.

Collingwood, who scored his only other test century against India in Nagpur this year, was again correct and composed, scoring freely through the leg side and taking full toll of any short deliveries outside the off stump.

He brought up his 150 midway through the session with 20 boundaries from 236 deliveries in 350 minutes and then passed the previous highest score by an England batsman against Pakistan at Lord's. Tom Graveney scored 153 in the 1962 Lord's test.

Bell, recalled to bat at number six in the absence through injury of captain Andy Flintoff, was off the mark immediately with an edge off Mohammad Sami to the boundary.

He then played the shot of the morning with a wristy drive through mid-wicket for four and played another sweetly timed drive through the leg side off Danish Kaneria to bring up the 100 partnership.

Pakistan took the second new ball after 2.4 overs of the day's play and were rewarded 13 balls later when Sami knocked Cook's off stump out of the ground with an inswinging yorker.

Cook, whose only runs of the morning were a fluent square drive to the boundary, had hit 10 fours from 279 balls and his fourth-wicket partnership of 233 with Collingwood was an England record against Pakistan.

The first 10 overs with the new ball cost 58 runs, including consecutive fours to mid-wicket by Collingwood when leg spinner Shahid Afridi was introduced into the attack from the Pavilion End.

Pakistan were convinced Collingwood had been caught behind off Sami with his score on 131 and the total on 358. Umpire Simon Taufel did not share their belief although television replays indicated the ball had caught the outside edge.

Play was held up for some minutes after a bizzare interlude when Danish Kaneria kicked the ball over the boundary and then could not find it when it disappeared in a drainage pipe. After some help from spectators and a steward the ball was eventually recovered.

REUTERS AY PM1837