England in command at Lord’s

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.

At stumps England were 309 for three after Cook, dropped three times, and Collingwood, missed once, both scored their second Test centuries and first at home after they had each reached three figures against India in Nagpur in March.

Left-hander Cook finished on 101 not out and Collingwood 109 not out, their stand worth 221 in 71 overs after England had been 88 for three.