PAUL COLLINGWOOD made partial amends for a costly error by becoming England’s unlikely candidate to halt Pakistan’s record-breaking march towards a major lead in the third Test yesterday.

PAKISTAN paid a high price for a series of dropped catches as unbeaten hundreds from Alastair Cook and Paul Collingwood put England in a strong position on the first day of the first Test at Lord’s yesterday.

Andrew Flintoff took two wickets in two balls to revive England’s hopes just when it seemed they were running out of time to force the result they need in Faisalabad to have any chance of registering a seventh successive Test series victory.

England were unable to make a much-needed breakthrough as Pakistan consolidated a slim first-innings advantage by moving to 50 without loss in their second innings at lunch on day four of the second Test in Faisalabad.