London, July 16 :

Andrew Strauss scored his first Test hundred as England captain left Pakistan already needing a ground record-equalling 342 to win the first Test. England, at the fourth day’s close, were 258-7 in their second innings after Strauss had scored 128.

Leg-spinners Danish Kaneria (3-73) and Shahid Afridi (1-59) kept hopes of a successful chase alive. Strauss became only the third England player, after Archie MacLaren in 1897/98 and Allan Lamb in 1989/90, and first at home to score a hundred in his debut Test as England captain.

Strauss said that he will sleep on a decision on whether or not to declare first thing on Monday, the final day of the match. At stumps Liam Plunkett was five not out and Matthew Hoggard unbeaten on nought.

England began the final session on 154-4 after Kevin Pietersen and all-rounder Paul Collingwood had fallen to Afridi and Kaneria respectively. Strauss was 74 not out and Ian Bell unbeaten on four. But with Strauss one away from his century, Bell was run out for 28. However, Strauss got the run he wanted when a single off Afridi took him to hundred with 11 fours.

Earlier, England wrapped up Pakistan’s first innings for 445 — a lead of 83 — after Mohammad Yousuf was last man out for a superb 202. Yousuf’s innings was the highest Test score by a Pakistan batsman at Lord’s, surpassing Mohsin Khan’s 200 in 1982. It was the 31-year-old’s fourth Test double hundred and second in as many matches against England after he’d made 223 at Lahore in December. And it also meant Yousuf was now only the second Pakistani after batting great and current tour manager Zaheer Abbas (274 at Edgbaston in 1971 and 240 at The Oval in 1974) to make two Test double centuries against England. Yousuf’s innings ended when he was caught behind off Stephen Harmison.