England vs Pakistan – Anderson inspires thumping England win

James Anderson’s first 10-wicket match haul carried England to victory by 354 runs as Pakistan folded to 80 all out in the first npower Test at Trent Bridge on Sunday.

Pakistan, needing a improbable 435 to win, began the fourth day on an overnight 15 for three.

After another hapless display against high-class fast bowling from Anderson (six for 17) and Steve Finn, at a ground which is increasingly synonymous with swing, the tourists were shot out in 29 overs quarter-of-an-hour before lunch.

The Test win means England are enticingly priced at 11/4 to complete a 4-0 series whitewash.

Sunday morning’s most pertinent question very soon became not whether Pakistan could get anywhere near their distant world-record target but if they could at least better their worst ever total of 87 against England.

Under slightly brighter skies than those that had prevailed for most of this match, there was swing for the seamers and it was Anderson who found a little extra bounce with one to get opener Imran Farhat fencing a catch to Andrew Strauss at first slip.

The Lancastrian followed up in his next over, an inswinger pinning Umar Akmal lbw, on his way to a personal best match haul of 11 for 71.

With six more wickets than his nearest rival, Anderson is understandably 1/4 favourite to claim more than any other Englishman in the series.

Finn then had nightwatchman Mohammad Aamer slicing a drive to be caught at gully in his first over before sending Kamran Akmal back for a pair when the wicketkeeper missed a pull and was given out lbw. With five scalps in the match, Steve Finn is a generously priced 7/1 chance in the top English wicket-taker market.

The unrelenting Anderson soon had Gul edging more full-length swing high to third slip – where Paul Collingwood took his second outstanding catch of the innings – and Pakistan had lost five wickets for just 19 runs.

Anderson had his 10th wicket when Collingwood took another fine slip catch – this one just off the ground – to see off Shoaib Malik and the surrender was complete when Graeme Swann juggled a slip catch to make number 11 Mohammad Asif Anderson’s final victim in a match which has seen England miss almost nothing in the field.

After scoring 147 in the match Eoin Morgan is the 7/4 favourite to get the most English runs in the series. Captain Andrew Strauss – who only managed 45 – is a tempting 5/1, though, due to his experience.