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Jamie Smith, Jordan Cox Revive England Against Pakistan After Mohammad Abbas Strikes

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Jamie Smith and Jordan Cox both scored fifties as England recovered from a top-order collapse against Pakistan to 248-9 when bad light ended Thursday’s opening day of the second Test at Lord’s. Veteran paceman Mohammad Abbas took three wickets for four runs in 16 balls, including the prize scalp of England captain Joe Root for just four, as the hosts slumped to 36-3 after Pakistan won the toss in helpful conditions for seam bowling. But Smith’s 61 and 55 from Cox — his second fifty in successive Test innings — got England back into the game and turned attention away from the late-night drinking incident that saw fast bowler Brydon Carse dropped from their squad. Abbas had fine figures of 4-56 in 15 overs and fellow seamer Mohammad Ali 3-67 in 17 when the umpires ruled it was unsafe to continue despite the floodlights illuminating the ground.

Pakistan were woeful in all departments during an innings and 103-run defeat in the first of a three-Test series at Headingley last week.

They did, however, have the worst of the conditions after losing the toss before being dismissed for meagre totals of 171 and 135.

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It was a different story in London, with Pakistan captain Babar Azam, the only change to either side as he returned from a finger injury in place of stand-in skipper Salman Ali Agha, opting to field on a green-tinged pitch under grey skies following a rain delay.

Fine fielding

Abbas, who has had stints with several English counties, was soon into his stride on a ground where he was named player of the match after taking eight wickets in Pakistan’s victory in their last Test at Lord’s in 2018.

The 36-year-old was fortunate, however, when Emilio Gay glanced a legside ball only for diving wicket-keeper Mohammad Rizwan to hold an excellent one-handed catch.

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Ben Duckett fell for 17 when lbw to an Abbas nip-backer.

Medium-pace bowling with the ‘keeper standing up to the stumps has plagued England in recent times and Rizwan was up to the wicket when Abbas pinned Root on the back leg.

Harry Brook was then bowled for 15 by a superb Ali delivery that jagged back, with England 80-4 at lunch.

Dan Lawrence had made 10 when he flicked to midwicket only for Shan Masood to drop a seemingly routine catch.

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Pakistan’s fielding was also poor as they tumbled to the bottom of the World Test Championship table with defeat in Leeds.

But when Lawrence turned spinner Ali Usman legside and set off for a non-existent single, only to be sent back by Cox, he was run out by Masood’s accurate throw from mid-wicket to Rizwan.

Cox, however, struck consecutive legside boundaries off Usman to complete an 88-ball fifty including seven fours. 

His partnership of 67 with Smith ended when substitute fielder Agha, belying Pakistan’s deserved reputation as a poor fielding side, held a superb slip catch off Khurram Shahzad.

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Smith, whose fifty came from a mere 63 balls, was clean bowled by Ali and two balls later the paceman dismissed tailender Ollie Robinson with another nip-backer.

Jofra Archer launched Abbas for a straight six before the bowler had his revenge, with Gus Atkinson — who has a Test century at Lord’s to his credit — a useful 34 not out at stumps.


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Tony Bellew makes knockout prediction for Usyk vs Deontay Wilder: “He’ll stop him early”

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Oleksandr Usyk could take on Deontay Wilder in a career finale, and former WBC cruiserweight world champion and opponent of Usyk’s, Tony Bellew, has cast his verdict on that proposed clash.

Usyk fought Bellew in his final outing as a cruiserweight, defending the undisputed title before moving up to the heavyweight division, where he later joined Evander Holyfield by becoming the second fighter to capture the undisputed throne in both divisions.

Last time out, despite defeating Rico Verhoeven, Usyk wasn’t at his scintillating best, as he showed that he is indeed human and that Father Time may well have finally caught up with him.

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As a result, the 39-year-old then made the decision to vacate all three of his remaining heavyweight titles and to partake in one final fight, with Deontay Wilder one of his targeted opponents.

Speaking on the Fight Your Corner Podcast, Bellew admitted that he would prefer to see Usyk hang up the gloves than face ‘The Bronze Bomber’, but still fancied the Ukrainian to get the job done early.

“He can do what he wants, he has beat everyone in their backyards, he has done the job and beat everybody, so I understand it.

“Do I want to see it? If I am being realistic, I want to see him walk away but ultimately, I will watch it, but he stops Wilder inside three or four rounds.”

Usyk vs Wilder could take place in either December or early 2027, with Usyk set to return to fight in the United States for the first time since his heavyweight debut – against Chazz Witherspoon in 2019 – for the final outing of his extraordinary career.

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“He got taste” – Fans delighted as ENHYPEN’s Sunoo adds Jennie’s Less Than a Lover to his song recommendations

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ENHYPEN’s Sunoo drew attention from fans after including BLACKPINK’s Jennie’s solo track Less Than a Lover in his latest song recommendations. Sunoo made the recommendation as part of ENHYPEN’s curated playlist feature with Weverse Magazine.

The group participated in the interview to promote their newly released album THE SIN: BLISS, with the feature published on August 26, 2026. Less Than a Lover was released on July 24, 2026, as the lead single from Jennie’s upcoming first extended play, Fallen Angel.

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Sunoo’s inclusion of the track in his personal recommendations created an unexpected link between both idols, making fans on social media pleased. As discussions about the recommendation circulated online, fans of both ENHYPEN and Jennie expressed surprise and delight at Sunoo’s music choice. The recommendation also sparked appreciation for Sunoo’s musical preferences, with one fan writing,

“He got taste.”

Fans praised Sunoo’s choice, saying the song perfectly matches his vibe and calling his recommendation another example of his consistently good taste.

he HAS taste by including thee best song of 2026 by the best soloist ever in history

I mean , its his vibe😼 ! I’m not even surprised

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Sunoo always have taste so it’s no surprise 🫶🏻✨💓

Others used the recommendation to call for a Jennie and Sunoo collaboration, with fans eagerly hoping to see the two artists work together.

Let’s make that Kim collab possible 🤭 #SUNOO #JENNIE

ok can i get a collab next

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sunoo recommending jennie just confirms what we already knew about his main character energy


More about ENHYPEN’s Sunoo recommending Jennie’s Less Than a Lover as group continues BLOOD SAGA World Tour

Less Than a Lover is a softer alternative-pop ballad that takes an introspective approach to romance. Jennie co-wrote the track with Tyler Spry, Cashmere Cat, Deborah Jung, Bibi Bourelly and Jelli Dorman, while Spry and Cashmere Cat were responsible for its production. The song combines restrained vocals with lo-fi guitar, vintage electric keyboards and dreamy, laid-back instrumentation.

Jennie was also closely involved in the track’s creative process, contributing to its lyrics and musical production as well as directing its music video. The song focuses on the uncertainty of a casual, seasonal romance that exists somewhere between friendship and a committed relationship.

Meanwhile, ENHYPEN recently released its eighth mini album, THE SIN : BLISS, marking the group’s first comeback since the start of its BLOOD SAGA World Tour. The release had generated considerable anticipation among fans and is ENHYPEN’s first album following Heeseung’s departure from the group.

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The members are also continuing their BLOOD SAGA World Tour, which began with three consecutive Seoul concerts from May 1 to 3. The tour subsequently expanded to international destinations, with the group performing across multiple cities in Asia, the United States and Latin America.

ENHYPEN most recently performed two consecutive shows at Busan’s Sajik Arena on August 8 and 9. The tour has now entered a temporary break scheduled to continue through September.

The group is set to return to the stage on October 16, beginning a three-night run at Galaxy Arena in Macau, China. The Macau leg will continue on October 17 and 18.

After the three performances in Macau, ENHYPEN will proceed with further dates across Asia and Europe. The BLOOD SAGA World Tour is expected to continue throughout the rest of 2026 and conclude in early 2027.

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