Dan Lawrence has gone from brink of Test team axe to a man the selectors cannot drop as stellar innings in tough conditions moves England towards victory, writes LAWRENCE BOOTH

Dan Lawrence began the second Test against Pakistan as the batsman most likely to make way when Jacob Bethell returns for the winter tour of South Africa, but he made impeccable use of a stop-start day at Lord’s to give the selectors pause for thought.

With only 24.5 overs possible between the showers, and conditions as helpful to seam bowling as they can be without the umpires stepping in and declaring a mismatch, Lawrence improvised his way to a half-century to cement England’s grip on both this game and the series.

When play was finally abandoned shortly after 6.30pm in the brightest conditions of the day, his unbeaten 50 had helped turn their overnight 81 for three into 177 for seven, an overall lead of 357. And with better weather forecast on Sunday, that should prove plenty as England go in search of their first series win since December 2024.

Lawrence was into the action soon after the game resumed at 2.20pm. From the day’s 10th delivery, Emilio Gay was pinned leg-before for 31 by a delivery from Mohammad Abbas that did not get above shin height – poor reward for his gutsy batting on Friday evening, and a heart-in-mouth moment for MCC officials who had spent the first two days grateful that none of the chatter had been about the pitch.

It was as bad a moment for the groundstaff as the peashooter from New Zealand’s Matt Henry that scuttled Jacob Bethell here back in June, when the Lord’s pitch was rated ‘unsatisfactory’ by the ICC.

Mercifully, Gay’s misfortune proved a one-off, but Lawrence decided to take matters into his own hands. His first scoring shot came courtesy of a wild charge at Abbas and a thick edge over the cordon, setting the tone for an innings in which valour was the better part of discretion.

He whipped Khurram Shahzad through the leg side, pulled him for four more, then straight-drove the next delivery for another boundary. But the shot of the innings, and possibly the Test, came off Mohammad Ali. Having carved him over the slips for four, Lawrence went inside-out over extra cover for a majestic six. Later he slog-swept spinner Ali Usman into the Tavern Stand, and was soon bringing up a 64-ball half-century worth perhaps twice as much.

Events at the other end lent his counter-attack further lustre. Harry Brook was superbly caught behind for 34 by Mohammad Rizwan, standing up to Abbas, who then had Jamie Smith caught at square leg for seven.

When Mohammad Ali pinned Gus Atkinson, England were 162 for seven, though with their lead by this stage 342, and Pakistan having totalled 416 runs from three innings so far in this series, the clatter of wickets felt academic.

Mohammad Abbas celebrates the fortunate wicket of Emilio Gay, who can’t believe the delivery kept so low

Lawrence’s talent has never been in doubt, though his reputation needed serious repair work after his failed stint as Zak Crawley’s replacement as opener against Sri Lanka two years ago.

‘I was happy to open last time,’ he said. ‘I’d bat anywhere for England, but I wasn’t in the best form. Thankfully I’ve come into this series with some good form behind me, and I’m desperate to establish myself in an England shirt.’

His performance here might have been in homage to Joe Root’s demand for his players to assess conditions and bat accordingly: the risks he took were calculated not brazen, and his sixth Test fifty lit up a grey day.

His fifth, last week in Leeds, left him ‘gutted’ not to have made a bigger score. If he can convert this one into a maiden hundred, the selectors may feel spoiled for choice.