Summer saved by stand

England will win this fourth Test today and by some considerable margin, completing a 3-1 series win, but no one should consider this was as easy or domineering as the scorecard suggests.

Pakistan followed-on 372 behind and lost an astonishing 14 wickets in only 49 overs during the day but the facts are that without a superb record eight wicket partnership between Jonathan Trott and Stuart Broad which continued untroubled yesterday morning, Pakistan would be confident of winning this match as they had been last week at the Oval, and levelling the series.

At 102-7 England were desperate and the 332-run partnership by the two centurions must not camouflage some serious issues in the top order that need to be addressed if England is to enjoy any success in Australia this winter.

For most they are technical. Andrew Strauss loses his understanding of his off-stump against left arm seamers, Alastair Cook still stabs at the ball and loses control of his hands as they extend beyond his body and Kevin Pietersen still needs some batting in the middle. Actually Pietersen must also be causing some scratching of heads in the England camp as his well hidden insecurities are starting to surface publicly.

His interview before this match about struggling with himself has exposed his once dominant aggression as a sham. He needs to rediscover his imperiousness if he is to conquer Australia, or indeed anyone.

Trott is the only top order batsman to have passed the examination of the swinging ball and he did it with the old fashioned virtues of patience, playing late and leaving as many deliveries as possible.

As wickets tumbled at the other end and Pakistan set about winning the match on Friday he merely scratched his guard and delivered a master class of batting in bowler friendly conditions. It was a joy in this era of bish-bash batsman to watch a craftsman at work.

Broad likewise was disciplined, attacking judiciously and defending stoutly. And just as a proper all-rounder should - and his efforts in this match have proved he is one of those - he contributed with the ball when a weary Pakistan batted.

Alongside James Anderson, who was swinging like a Dixie Band, he ravaged the Pakistan top order with aggressive but accurate pace bowling. The Pakistan players have some technical deficiencies, just as their English counterparts do, but the ball that dismissed Mohammad Yousuf would have done for most in the game. Full and swinging it swept past the old master's defensive prod and clipped the outside of off-stump.

Yousuf had an excuse but both Imran Farhat and Yasser Hamed pushed at outswingers when a judicious leave was demanded.The rest was a procession as Graeme Swann dipped and spun like a swan's neck in a courting ritual, Steven Finn persisted in quick yorkers which Umar Akmal especially struggled to see and Pakistan effectively gave up.

It was distressing and continued after Strauss enforced the follow-on. Farhat had two days to bat and even though he looks better when seeking runs, his attempted pull shot off Broad was poor.

The question must be if Broad, a No.9, can buckle down for the good of the team and show the requisite fight, why cannot batsmen like Farhat and Hameed? As opening batsmen it is their job.

The dire situation was exacerbated in the final minutes before rain finished the day when Salman Butt was LBW to Swann and then Yousuf pulled Finn to deep square leg.

Abject sums it up and disappointing, as cricket really needs a contest to be enthralling. That is why Trott and Broad were so impressive, they performed when their team needed them most and the pressure was at its greatest.

So despite the fact that England can be satisfied with their summer's work as Bangladesh and Pakistan have been defeated, they should acknowledge that tougher or more ruthless opponents could have forced a drawn series.

At least England know in Trott they have one batsman who will sell his wicket dearly and in Australia that is important. The dashers will be troubled less by swing and seam but the management must be hoping for Ian Bell to return quickly as despite his faults of timidity and question marks over his temperament he possesses a classical technique.

There are many questions to be answered before winter and a few in the side that should thank Trott and Broad for salvaging their summer.