England in position to force victory on final day in Rawalpindi against Patron's XI

A large first innings total, the backbone of which was a brilliant ninth first-class century by Craig White, has put the balance of play in England's favour.

At stumps, the Pakistan Cricket Board Patron's XI, having scored 49 for one in their second innings, were trailing by 147 runs.

The highlight of the day's play was the entertaining innings by White. He had excellent support for the sixth and eighth wickets, each yielding 83 runs.

Earlier, the day began with the loss of Graeme Hick's wicket in the second over. He had added only four to his overnight score of 77 and the total was 223 for five.

The stand between White and Paul Nixon then took the total past the 237 runs of the opposition's first innings. England continued to build a substantial lead with White playing attacking strokes on either side of the wicket.

Nixon was more patient during his hundred minutes at the crease, compiling 31 from 84 balls before the leg spin off Shafiq Ahmed found a gap in his defence.

The bowler then struck again in his next over, bowling Dominic Cork for the seventh wicket, without an addition to the total of 306.

Shortly before the fall of the last two wickets, White had reached his half-century from 79 balls with 36 of his runs coming from boundaries.

White and Ashley Giles then scored at a little over a-run-a-minute before Giles went for 39. White progressed rapidly towards his hundred taking 14 in one over from off-spinner Munir Ansari.

Two consecutive fours took him into the 90's and the next ball was sent over the long off boundary to take him to 97.

In the next over he reached his hard-hitting century with a drive to the extra cover boundary. It came from 168 balls with fourteen fours and a towering six.

When he finally fell for 120, caught behind off Mohammad Akram, the England total had reached 433 for nine and the next ball ended the innings on the stroke of tea with England taking a lead of 196.

The Patron's XI wicket that fell in the final session went to Ian Salisbury. He had Imran Abbas caught behind for 12 with 26 on the board. England are now in a position to force victory on the final day.