Skipper Strauss falls early on rainy day

LONDON (AP):

Andrew Strauss' batting problems continued yesterday, with the England captain losing his wicket early on a rain-affected first day of the decisive fourth Test against Pakistan at Lord's.

By the time the umpires called an early close to play, England made it to 39-1 on a gloomy day when just 12.3 overs were bowled.

After rain and bad light delayed the start by more than two and a half hours, Strauss was bowled for 13 by a delivery by Mohammad Asif that swung into him and passed between his inside edge and front pad.

With just one possible innings left in the series and the Ashes three months away, Strauss is now averaging 25.83 against the tourists and has gone 13 months since the most recent of his 18 Test hundreds.

"Do I think he is in bad form? No," England batting coach Graham Gooch said. "He works very hard at his game and he just has not gone on to the big scores. Every batsman is vulnerable when you first go in. You have to show good technique and have a bit of luck."

Alastair Cook had two escapes on his way to 10 not out in arduous batting conditions on a greasy pitch under the stadium floodlights, while Jonathan Trott was on 8 at stumps. Asif had 1-17 from six overs when the umpires initially took the players off for bad light. An early tea was called when rain set in and play finally abandoned for the day at 5:40 p.m. (1640 GMT).

The early close meant that fans were entitled to a 50 per cent refund on their tickets.

They saw Trott run four runs from the first ball he faced, but watched Cook again seem heavy footed at times.

Pakistan won the toss and put England in to bat in what looked like being helpful overcast conditions and Cook should have been caught when on one. Third slip Umar Akmal spilled a straightforward chance at knee height off the bowling of Mohammad Amir, who was frustrated further when Cook edged his next ball between third slip and gully for four.

Cook had a minor scare while on 9, surviving a hopeful leg-before-wicket appeal when a delivery by Asif hit the roll of his leading pad, but came even closer to another early dismissal the following over.