Pakistan retain composure to reduce England to 110-3

LEEDS, England, Aug 4 (Reuters) Pakistan kept their cool after two huge appeals for caught behind were rejected to reduce England to 110 for three at lunch on the opening day of the third test today.

Inzamam-ul-Haq looked outraged after two confident Pakistan appeals were turned down in the final half hour before the break but pace bowler Umar Gul helped his captain digest his lunch by removing Alastair Cook with the final ball of the session.

Kevin Pietersen was 17 not out at the break with Paul Collingwood due in next. England lead the four-match series 1-0 after crushing Pakistan inside three days at Old Trafford.

The first hour at Headingley was all England after they had opted to bat but the next 15 minutes were all Pakistan as two wickets fell in five balls without a run being added.

Mohammad Sami had looked innocuous in his opening spell from the Football Stand End. His fifth ball of the day disappeared off Trescothick's bat to the long off fence. His next over cost him two more boundaries to Strauss. The first, a delicious square cut, was as good a shot as the ball was bad.

Gul looked much more of a threat as he nibbled the ball about in the air and off the seam but his lack of genuine pace meant he could not afford to stray. Whenever he dropped short he was pulled or cut with relish by both England's openers.

ALL CHANGE Sami's change of ends, however, as well as the introductionof Shahid Nazir, changed everything.

England had rattled along to 67 without loss at drinks. Sami's first over back put paid to Trescothick who, after clattering six fours in his 28, drove on the up straight back to the bowler who took the ball at the second attempt.

Nazir, playing in his first test since 1999, then removed Strauss for a 42-ball 36. Nazir had bowled neatly without causing too much alarm when he angled one across the England captain who edged to second slip.

At that stage Nazir had figures of 5-3-5-1 and he deserved another wicket moments later when Kevin Pietersen, on two, appeared to inside-edge the ball onto his back leg, the ball then carrying through to Kamran Akmal behind the stumps. Darrell Hair, though, kept his finger down.

So did Billy Doctrove when, three runs later and with the score on 80 for two, Cook also appeared to get an inside edge off a delivery from Sami. Cook had made eight.

Gul, however, eased Pakistan's sense of injustice when taking a low catch off Cook from the batsman's leading edge. Cook had made 23.

England made one change, replacing wicketkeeper Geraint Jones with Chris Read. Jones had played for the past 31 tests in a row since April 2004 but was dropped after a poor run with the bat.

Pakistan brought in a new opening combination of Salman Butt and Taufeeq Umar as well as Nazir. Batsman Imran Farhat was left out after fracturing a finger at Old Trafford while all rounders Abdul Razzaq and Shahid Afridi were axed.

REUTERS DH KN1820