19th over: Pakistan 68-3 (Masood 16, Saud 37), target 389. Atkinson continues at the nursery end, and whisper it but batting is beginning to look a little easier now, as it can with settled batters and a less new ball. A single for anchor-man Masood brings up the 50 partnership, which Saud celebrates with a nice square cut for four off a loose delivery.

18th over: Pakistan 63-3 (Masood 15, Saud 33), target 389. Jofra Archer, suitably rested, returns at the Pavilion End, and concedes four straight away as Saud sends an unconvincing leading edge through backward point for four. Two more ensue before Saud helps himself to four more down to fine leg, a rare buffet offering from Archer.

An email from Bob O’Hara who reminds us that West Indies’ 84 heroics might have produced the highest successful Test run chase at Lord’s, but not the highest overall one:

double quotation mark The Windies (or West Indies as they were known in those days) don’t hold the record for the highest run chase. That belongs to Middlesex, who chased 472 to beat Yorkshire in 2014. Yorkshire were famously craptained by one Joe Root. Hopefully he’s learned a thing or two since then.

Happier times for Middlesex all round really. Talking of which, they and Derbyshire are trying to force a result in their rain-ravaged match at Derby. Tanya has all the latest from around the grounds …

17th over: Pakistan 53-3 (Masood 15, Saud 23), target 389. Masood pushes Atkinson round the corner for a single to bring the 50 up, and three more behind square on the offside end the session, one that hasn’t altered the picture of England dominance, but this Pakistan pair have shown some intelligent resistance after a stunning new-ball salvo from Archer and Robinson. Again.

Anyway, off for my own lunch now. Back soon.

12th over: Pakistan 29-3 (Masood 4, Saud 11), target 389. Archer has his standard five-overs breather but there’s more pace coming down the track at Pakistan in the form of Josh Tongue. Saud nudges a single before England review another lbw denial after Tongue brings one in to Masood, but he’s outside the line. Pakistan are at least looking for singles now though, and grab a couple of scurried ones here.

On the subject of West Indies 84 and all that, this summer’s lamentations over Pakistan’s decline do share something in common with those of A Certain Age’s Windies nostalgia. For Marshall, Richards, Holding etc read Wasim, Waqar, Inzy et al. We need more than nostalgia though damn it – we need a properly competitive Test cricket ecosystem.

11th over: Pakistan 27-3 (Masood 3, Saud 10), target 389. England opt to review a not-out lbw call as Robinson raps Saud on his back leg but it’s pitching outside off. Bit of an indulgent review, that. Then Saud squirts an edged drive beyond third slip for four.

Talk of West Indies 1984 always encourages nostalgic reverie from cricket fans of a certain age, and Anthony Bradley’s memories are duly stirred: “That test was one of my favourite memories. We’d just finished our entrance exams, so we had nothing to at prep school except build tree houses, race bicycles down the hill and (for me) choose a spot of grass in the walled garden and stare at the blue sky and clouds, excited at the prospect of beating the almighty Windies while glued to TMS. The joy of being young and free was shattered by Greenidge and Haynes that day, and life was never the same again.”

Yeah that was the only Test that year that England were competitive in for more than a day, Botham at his best etc, before it was emphatically snatched away by what for our generation was the Brazil 1970 of cricketing behemoths.

9th over: Pakistan 19-3 (Masood 2, Suad 4), target 389. Masood flicks a single, as Robinson’s field is adjusted with a more legside bias, including a leg slip. Saud responds with due caution.

“It’s such a shame that this opening pair of bowlers are so (comparitively) long in the tooth,” writes Dean Kinsella. “Jof’s speed and Ollie’s precision could really have been an opening pairing for the ages. Let’s hope for a final hurrah next summer.”

8th over: Pakistan 18-3 (Masood 1, Suad 4), target 389. The capitulation continues, as the once-prized scalp of Babar is claimed by Archer, whose searing short one is looped up to slip. Saud Shakeel, another decent batter due a score, comes to the crease, and has a wild swish first up at one outside off, failing to connect, but Archer is continuing to send down the snorters. You’d really want to see Archer doing this against a more in-form side … though he’s fallible, Saud hammering a lovely shot through point for four.

1st over: Pakistan 0-0 (Masood 0, Awais 0), target 389. Ollie Robinson opens up from the nursery end, four slips and a short leg in place. He gets some predictably encouraging movement without getting Masood to play at much. An uneventful maiden.

Your reminder that the highest successful fourth-innings run chase at Lord’s remains that brutal, majestic Gordon Greenidge-inspired West Indies’ 344 for 1 in 1984.

50th over: England 186-8 (Robinson 7, Archer 0) As discussed, Rizwan is up to the stumps for Abbas v Lawrence, and it works just fine, as Lawrence is promptly castled, driving on the up at a nip-backer. Archer wants to get off the mark straight away but wisely thinks better of a quick single, and a wicket maiden is played out, Abbas tantalisingly close to finally getting on that honours board.

49th over: England 186-7 (Lawrence 54, Robinson 7) Ali gets some movement outside off against Robinson, which will please the England bowler, who clatters a soft bouncer next ball through midwicket for two. At Ali’s pace, these are easy pickings.

Here’s our old mate John Starbuck: “Good morning. One thing I’ve noticed lately, particularly as we’re playing Pakistan, that the raging debates are still changing. I recall a time when every one was talking about reverse swing (a Pakistan invention, pretty much), but then it moved on to other techniques, such as wobble seam, and is now all about the keeper standing up for seamers to intimidate batters to stay in their crease. There must be some sort of law which states that, for instance, every third Test series brings innovation. What do you reckon?”

I think tactical language in all sports goes through phases – who in football talked of transitions, high presses and low blocks three decades ago? – and it’s the same in cricket, without the game changing that much. And I think keepers standing up may be quite an England-specific thing.

Our first email of the day, and it’s more stance-talk, from Alisdair Gould:

double quotation mark I think Joe Root is too side on. Vic Marks - a good observer - suggests he change his guard to middle stump. Dan Lawrence is an obvious example of opening wide almost too far. What do you/other good observers think?

I can’t see myself going up to one of England’s greatest ever batters and saying, “mate, you don’t wanna do it like that,” after the career he’s had. Root’s success has always struck me as rooted (ha!) in the skilful and dextrous way he uses his hands. Though you could see Lawrence’s approach being used against him by more aggressive attacks than Pakistan’s.

Interesting bit of tactical chat on Sky between Michael Atherton and Dan Lawrence, who explains how changing to a more mobile, almost antsy, back-and-across trigger movement has actually helped him keep his head still and opened up more shots. And he’s happier batting at No 6 than higher up, though No 5 is his ultimate fave, which is obviously currently locked down bt Harry Brook. Lawrence can do a job in South Africa this winter, nonetheless.

Here’s Ali Martin’s day three report:

It was one of those days at Lord’s. Rain meant just 24.5 overs were bowled and England’s already dominant position in this second Test meant overall jeopardy was in short supply. The spectators got a 50% refund but this only mildly offset their general frustration of following a sport that is so weather-dependent.

Yet for all this, it may in time prove a significant one for Dan Lawrence. During the two hours of play that were possible, and in hugely challenging conditions for the batters, Lawrence delivered an unbeaten 50 off 66 balls that cut through the gloom and showed his desire to make this latest stab at Test cricket count.

When the umpires eventually abandoned play at 6.32pm – bad light the official reason, despite arguably the best viewing conditions of the day – England had reached 177 for seven and their lead had swelled to 357 runs. Pakistan’s head coach, Sarfaraz Ahmed, hoped to keep the target under 350 after his side’s blowout on day two and Joe Root’s refreshed attack will be licking their lips.

And a bit of Dan Lawrence’s reaction, when he admits taking a risk with some “whooshka” first up, before settling into a nice groove. And how his mentality has changed since returning to the England setup:

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double quotation mark “Thoughts creep into your head and I’m desperate along with all the other boys to establish myself in an England shirt. It’s just about trying to take every opportunity you get instead of feeling nervous about the occasion, just have fun and play the cricket that’s got me here this summer …

“I got wrapped up in a lot of things [when he was previously in the team, against Sri Lanka two years ago] and I was thinking about my position and what I needed to do to stay in the team, instead of just enjoying it and realising how lucky I am to play for England,” he said.

“My mentality since coming back has been completely different. Hopefully, we get a good series win and then we’ll see what happens in the coming months and years.”

Morning everyone. And after a day savoured by my parched lawn much more than those who’d paid top dollar for Lord’s tickets, England remain primed, accompanied by a slightly better weather forecast than yesterday’s, to wrap up that first Test series win for 20 months against a bedraggled Pakistan.

Let’s face it, they’ve got enough runs in the bank already, leading by 357, and Joe Root will have been pondering an overnight declaration. All will be revealed shortly. If the England captain does call his batters in, that will be a slight shame for Dan Lawrence, who batted with great authority yesterday in difficult conditions to reach his second half-century of the series, another Bazball discard reasserting himself in the new era. (And the only England cricketer as far as I know to have gone to the same school as me – some years apart I hasten to add.)

Anyway, according to the weather boffins there’s only a 3% chance of rain at 11am, though it does trend up a little after that. So let’s wrap our cagoules around our waists and hope for the best.