Persistent rain at Edgbaston on Thursday halted England's charge towards a two-day victory in the final Test against Pakistan. Play was stopped for the second time in Birmingham at 17:07 BST, with Pakistan trailing by 268 runs and having lost two wickets.
The tourists were on 52-2, facing the prospect of a swift defeat given their batting fragility throughout the series. Pakistan had not reached 200 or batted for more than 51 overs in any previous innings. With the possibility of an extended playing session, England might have secured the win had conditions allowed.
Instead, the match is set to resume on Friday, with England aiming to complete a 3-0 series clean sweep. The eventual outcome of the match appeared heavily in England's favor when they began Thursday's play with a lead of 23 runs and at 156-4.
Contributions from Harry Brook (75), Jamie Smith (69), Dan Lawrence (65), and Ollie Robinson (50) propelled England to 453 in their first innings, establishing a significant lead of 320 runs. Despite the strong performance, no English batter managed to reach a century, leaving Ben Duckett's hundred against New Zealand as the team's sole century of the summer.
Ollie Robinson had initially put Pakistan under pressure, reducing them to 0-2 before the rain intervened. The players are expected to return on Friday to conclude the match.