England's spin-free gamble tested by Pakistan's resistance

, and for the first time in this series Pakistan's middle order held firm against it — blocking, ducking, slashing and cutting

By half-past-two the Hollies Stand had turned into a conga line of fancy dress: fifteen Fred Flintstones, eleven Oompa Loompas and a Willy Wonka, five cardinals, four centurions, three six-foot tequila bottles, two Dave Bedfords, a Geri Halliwell, a Donald Trump and a Dolly Parton. Out in the middle, the cricket slowed to something closer to old-fashioned Test match graft.

England went into the match without a frontline spinner, and a session like this is when that choice gets tested. It had been a while since the attack needed a plan B. The last time England bowled into a 51st over in a single innings was at Trent Bridge against New Zealand, 75 days ago, when Ben Stokes was still captain. Ollie Robinson sent down 21 overs in this innings, more than he had bowled in one spell since Sussex played Leicestershire in May.

Test cricket has grown quicker across the board. Seven two-day Tests with a result have been played in the last decade, one more than in the entire 20th century. Ten of the 20 shortest completed Tests on record belong to the last five years, five of them to the last 12 months. Advance tickets for a fourth day are, these days, a gamble only optimists take.

The blame for it gets passed around the game: old batters point at Young batters, young batters at the groundstaff, groundstaff at administrators, fast bowlers ask why they get no credit for finishing games early, and spinners ask, yet again, when they might get a bowl.

County cricket ran on a different clock this week. Leicestershire's Championship match against Somerset produced totals of 302 and 679 — the sort of innings that has no place in a Test schedule built around four seamers and a five-day slot that keeps closing early. More on that match, including the full scorecard, is on our Leicestershire v Somerset page.