Swann spins England out of trouble | Thebigtip

By Reuters from abc.net.au

Graeme Swann kept England in contention in the third Test against Pakistan at the Oval overnight by capturing his 100th Test wicket during an absorbing battle on day two.

Swann finished with 4 for 68 in Pakistan's first-innings 308, a lead of 75, with Azhar Ali stranded on his highest Test score of 92 not out.

Pakistan's lead looked all the more challenging when captain Andrew Strauss was caught in the slips off the fourth ball of the first over from Mohammad Amir for 4.

England, which leads 2-0 in the four-match series, finished the day on 1 for 6.

For once in the series, England's pace bowlers struggled to make an impression on a Pakistan top order bolstered by the return of Mohammad Yousuf from a short-lived retirement.

Swann bowled unchanged between lunch and tea from the Vauxhall end to dismiss captain Salman Butt (17), nightwatchman Wahab Riaz (27) and Yousuf (56). Yousuf's dismissal caught and bowled gave Swann 100 Test wickets in 23 matches.

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