BIRMINGHAM: Graeme Swann took three wickets as England closed in on an innings victory against Pakistan in the second Test at Edgbaston here on Sunday.
Pakistan were 94 for five, still needing a further 85 runs to make England bat again, at lunch on the third day as they tried to avoid going 2-0 down in this four-match series after last week's crushing 354-run loss at Trent Bridge.
Umar Amin was 12 not out and Test debutant Zulqarnain Haider one not out after Pakistan lost four wickets for 32 runs in 60 balls on Sunday.
Off-spinner Swann did the bulk of the damage with three wickets for 12 runs in just eight overs.
From around the wicket, Swann produced a delivery that pitched outside leg-stump and clipped Imran Farhat's off stump to bowl the left-hander for 29 and end a second-wicket stand of 52 with Azhar Ali.
Farhat resisted for more than two hours, facing 93 balls with seven fours.
Pakistan's 53 for two became 54 for three as Swann took two wickets for one run in seven balls by bowling Ali (19) with a sharply turning off-break.
Pakistan lost another wicket when Shoaib Malik tried to leave a Steven Finn delivery only to glove it to wicketkeeper Matt Prior.
And they were 82 for five when Umar Akmal, extraordinarily playing no stroke, was lbw to Swann.
Zulqarnain came in on a 'king pair', having been out for a first ball nought in Pakistan's first innings 72 -- their lowest total against England.
Pakistan resumed on 19 for one, having already lost captain Salman Butt for a duck on Saturday.
For the first time this series, Pakistan reached fifty without having lost at least six wickets only for Swann to strike soon afterwards.
