Pakistan are 133 runs on with seven second-innings wickets left. Since they are not exactly pillars of strength and the pitch, a triump for the craft of groundsmanship, remains less blameless than much of the batting, anything is yet possible.That is supposing the match is permitted to proceed. In the raucous atmosphere generated by the fervent cricket and ­ for the first time ­ by the crowd yesterday there were a few verbal exchanges. Andrew Caddick, not for the first time, was involved on England’s behalf, in danger of tripping over his jutting bottom lip. Rashid Latif and Azhar Mahmood did the talking which attracted the attention of match referee Brian Hastings for Pakistan. All they will suffer is sore wrists.There is no contradicting England’s evident progress and maybe the ups downs and ins and outs of the Second npower Test were required.

If England were in any danger of believing in their own publicity they will know better now: they are not as bad as they were but maybe they are not as good as some have suggested they have become.The pity was that the misdeeds of the afternoon overshadowed the derring-do of the opening session. When Graham Thorpe and Michael Vaughan were together the sun shone over Manchester and the ground, with its open-topped, piecemeal stands, somehow looked glorious. While they were together it seemed that they would always be together Thorpe and Vaughan were a couple in perfect harmony They started as they had finished the night before. Thorpe has emerged as something beyond an accomplished batsman He is imperious. The lateness and certainty of his strokes can be breathtaking. Vaughan does not have his range ­ yet ­ but he is a devilishly handsome batsman.

He stands straight and still at the crease and his driving off the front foot through the covers is a thing of timing and beauty.Thorpe reached his ninth Test century without much ado and not long after the partnership for the third wicket came to 200 from 355 balls. If Vaughan was fretting about getting to his elusive hundred he was not showing it. The calm way he deports himself he could be just about to order another cocktail before adjusting his dickie bow and thinking of ordering dinner.He was showing no hurry about moving through the Nineties when he dabbed a ball to third man for a regulation single That would have taken him to 95. But Wasim Akram misfielded and Thorpe and Vaughan who were beginning to exert some pressure on distinctly puny Pakistani fielding came back for two That would have taken him to 96. Wasim reacted by throwing furiously towards the wicketkeeper, or rather wide of the wicketkeeper. It hurtled by and onwards towards the boundary for four overthrows That took Vaughan to 100.