ENGLAND’S attacking approach has reached new heights as four players smacked centuries on an extraordinary day of Test cricket that saw the tourists rack up 506-4 on a record-breaking first day against Pakistan in Rawalpindi.

Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope and Harry Brook all reached three figures as England, who had players struggling with a viral infection heading into their first five-day match in Pakistan since 2005, made the highest run total ever on the first day of a Test.

It was also the first time four batters had scored tons on the opening day, with Crawley hitting the fastest by an England opener and Duckett and Brook compiling their first in Tests.

Crawley dispatched the first five balls for 14 runs to set the tone for the rest of the day and, alongside Duckett, put on 233.

The 24-year-old Crawley only needed 86 balls to bring up his hundred, which came shortly after lunch, after England had piled up a record 174 in the opening session.
Duckett followed up with his maiden Test century from 108 balls on his recall to the side after a six-year absence.

The duo fell in successive overs, with Duckett trapped lbw by Zahid Mahmood for 107 and Crawley bowled through the gate by debutant Haris Rauf the following over for 122.

Former captain Joe Root missed out on the run fest, out lbw to Mahmood for 23.

But despite the introduction of new batters, England showed no signs of slowing down with Pope and Brook at the crease.

Pope played some elegant strokes during a chanceless century, from 90 deliveries, before he also fell lbw, with Mohammad Ali taking his first Test wicket.

Brook briefly threatened to score the fastest-ever century by an Englishman in Test cricket with an entertaining knock, including a memorable over where he struck Saud Shakeel for six successive fours.

But the Yorkshireman had to settle for an 80-ball ton, the third-fastest for his country, and finished the day unbeaten on 101 alongside captain Ben Stokes.

Stokes, ominous for Pakistan, enjoyed the final few overs of the day, hitting 34 off 15 balls at a strike rate of 226 to cap off an outstanding batting performance from the tourists. (PA Sport)

ENGLAND 1st innings
Zak Crawley b Haris Rauf 122
Ben Duckett lbw Zahid Mehmood 107
Ollie Pope lbw Mohammad Ali 108
Joe Root lbw Zahid Mehmood 23
Harry Brook not out 101
Ben Stokes not out 34
Extras: (b-2, lb-6, nb-2, w-1) 11
Total: (four wkts, 75.0 overs) 506
Fall of wickets: 1-233, 2-235, 3-286 t, 4-462.
Bowling: Naseem Shah 15-0-96-0, Mohammad Ali 17-1-96-1 (nb-2), Haris Rauf 13-1-78-1 (w-1), Zahid Mehmood 23-1-160-2, Agha Salman 5- 0- 38-0, Saud Shakeel 2-0-30 0.