England's Pace Arsenal Fires Again as Pakistan Collapsed for 110 at Lord's
Jofra Archer touched 95 miles per hour in the fastest opening spell of his career. At the other end, Ollie Robinson was trundling along at 78. Pakistan did not know which was worse.
England bowled Pakistan out for 110 in their first innings of the second Test at Lord's on 28 August 2026, a demolition that followed their first-Test thrashing at Headingley eight days earlier. Robinson took four wickets, Archer three, and a series that began with promise for the tourists is starting to feel like a long walk (Reuters).
England had earlier been bowled out for 290 in their own first innings, with Jamie Smith making 61 and Jordan Cox 55. Pakistan's Mohammad Abbas claimed 4-73 with his nagging seam bowling — the sort of accurate, low-paced stuff that has troubled batters for years (Yahoo Sports).
But if Abbas represents the old craft of pace bowling, England have assembled something altogether different. The first Test at Headingley told the story: Josh Tongue took 5-46, Robinson 5-51, and Pakistan were skittled for 171 in reply to England's 366 for 8 — a lead of 195 that effectively settled the match (ESPNcricinfo). Harry Brook's 91 and Joe Root's 66 had done the batting.
What makes this attack intriguing is its sheer variety. Archer hits 95mph and bowls a higher percentage of his deliveries over 90mph than anyone else in the group. Tongue's average pace across the series was actually higher than Archer's, even if Archer owned the eye-popping peaks. Gus Atkinson slots in just below both, offering genuine pace of his own. Robinson, at 78mph, is the outlier — the one who asks different questions, moving the ball and hitting a length that the quicker men don't need to (BBC Sport).
Root, back as captain, said his pace bowlers "do not know how good they can be" and praised the variation they bring. He suggested this group is ahead, in terms of options, of the one he had during his previous stint leading the side — when he could call on Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes and Ben Stokes (BBC Sport).
England's shift toward genuine pace came after last winter's Ashes defeat in Australia, when the decision was made to prioritise bowlers who can reach high speeds. That strategic turn is now bearing fruit.
Archer, for his part, joked that he could play until he is 40 given how his team-mates share the workload. It was said with a grin, but the logic is sound: when four seamers each bring something different, no one carries the attack alone.
Former captain Michael Vaughan offered a dose of perspective. He called the England attack good and said they would "challenge the Australia batting line-up quite nicely" if they keep bowling like this. But he also described England's own batting as "possibly the easiest he has seen to bowl to" — a reminder that the bowlers may need to carry this side for a while yet (BBC Sport).
For now, the pace quartet is doing exactly that. Pakistan managed 171 at Headingley and 110 at Lord's. The bat has barely had a say.
