Powder puff Pakistan

In truth that is unlikely, such is the paucity of their batting - so far in this series they have scored a combined 353 runs for 31 wickets - and the fact that if they did set England a target they would drop so many catches to make any chase easy.

Yesterday at least eight chances were dropped, from the difficult to the ridiculously easy. Umar Amin set the tone early at gully, dropping a lob off Kevin Pietersen, but throughout the day numerous chances were spilled that would have had an Under 13's schoolmaster howling at the moon.

Who would be a Pakistan bowler? Ironically England had one chance in the evening and captain Andrew Strauss took it comfortably to dismiss his beleaguered counterpart, Salman Butt. The Pakistan bowlers looked on wistfully but despite dreadful fielding they still dismissed England for 251 and that was without Umar Gul, who pulled a hamstring and is out for about a month.

Once again the two Mohammads, Aamer and Asif, were excellent and Saeed Amjal teased and tormented with a wonderful spell of attacking off-spin. If Pakistan could catch, the first innings deficit would have been nearer 100 and the match more alive.

Amjal was the star, registering his first Test match five-wicket haul, and few of the England batsmen mastered his control of pace or consistently differentiated between his conventional off-spinner and the one that goes like a leg-spinner, the doosra. He was magnificent and impressively was threatening from both over and round the wicket and to both left and right-handers. He did for Pietersen, who chipped a catch back having misread a doosra, and once Asif got Eoin Morgan out it was a procession back to the pavilion as Amjal bemused the middle and lower order.

Matt Prior was lbw sweeping one that turned, Paul Collingwood edged a doosra to slip as Graeme Swann had done the previous over, although Swann's was spilled. Then Stuart Broad was snaffled up at leg-slip and he wisely called to catch a steepler off his own bowling to complete the innings.

It was the kind of brilliant cricket that Pakistan is capable of and makes them so potentially good but the butterfingers and balls through legs has ruined what could have been an interesting series. The two bowling line-ups compare favourably but England's fielding and batting is far beyond that of Pakistan and modern cricket is a three-skilled game.Because of this, the Tests have swiftly become almost extended practice sessions for England, which is a shame as the Pakistan squad are betraying a proud heritage of talented, combustible but combative cricketers.

For England, it was encouraging that Pietersen reached 80. He enjoyed plenty of luck with three chances but he never stopped grafting. He knows he desperately needs time at the crease and there were occasional glimpses of the imperious batsman that the crowd loves. Astonishingly, he has not scored a century in any cricket for 17 months but that will not matter in this series.

His partnership with Jonathan Trott dominated the morning and ensured a decent lead but both will know that they gave their wicket away when set and tougher opponents would not be so forgiving.

These are concerns for later, though. Trott continued his good summer and showed why playing the swinging ball late is so important. It allows him to ride the late swing and when he does get an edge or half a bat on it the ball often goes down. He also rotated the strike well, ran well and generally acted like an obstacle to the opposition.

Sometimes when the ball is moving and the pitch awkward, it is that last point that decides an innings. Trott is cussed and stubborn, ideal characteristics for a number three followed by such a swashbuckler as Pietersen.

The Pakistan batsman need to learn this defiance and learn it quickly if they are to support their excellent bowlers once in this series.

And, it goes without saying, learn to catch as well.

They were that appalling.