Morgan shows he can cut it at Test level for England

Morgan (125no) was retained in the team, following two underwhelming innings against Bangladesh at the start of the season, only because of the broken toe Ian Bell suffered in a mid-summer one-day international.

But the Irishman made no mistake at his third attempt to underline his Test credentials, dominating a record unbroken double-century stand with Paul Collingwood (81no) after England had appeared in trouble on 118-4 following three quick wickets either side of lunch.

The fifth-wicket pair held firm against the threat of Mohammad Aamer (3-39) and Mohammad Asif, both exploiting the cloud cover for Pakistan, before taking toll of back-up bowlers who could not exert control.

Morgan had two moments of fortune, edging Aamer just short of wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal on five and then 73 runs later surviving via the decision review system when luckless leg-spinner Danish Kaneria at last won an lbw decision from Asoka de Silva, only to be informed by third umpire Marais Erasmus that the ball was spinning past the leg-stump from round the wicket.

The left-hander, who has become such a lynchpin for England in limited-overs cricket demonstrated unequivocally he can translate his talents to the longer format.

There was just one reverse-sweep, expertly executed off Kaneria, among his 16 boundaries in a 151-ball century which arrived in the grand manner with a straight six off Shoaib Malik's off-spin.

Collingwood was rarely fluent but at his best in terms of dependability, to ensure a telling England recovery and provide vindication for Andrew Strauss's borderline decision to bat first under cloudy skies.

"It's extremely satisfying, to score a Test match hundred in only my third game," said a delighted Morgan. "It's a great achievement, and I'm very proud of myself.

"The feeling of getting to three figures was fantastic. It was a huge moment in my career."

England's cause was helped too by Pakistani frailties, notably Akmal behind the stumps and their poor use of DRS. Strauss lost his opening partner Alastair Cook in the first hour but looked set himself until he flapped an edge behind off Aamer to go five runs short of his 50.

There had already been one stroke of luck for the England captain on 15 thanks to a dropped catch by Akmal off Aamer, and the hosts also soon profited from the first use of the DRS in this country.

No 3 Jonathan Trott was the man reprieved on 13 when Erasmus had to tell De Silva his lbw verdict was wrong – because the batsman had inside-edged a forward-defensive at Kaneria.

Cook had been largely unconvincing, playing and missing several times and struggling to get his feet moving.

Strauss escaped when the thinnest of edges behind on a perfect outswinger brought only frustration for the tourists, because of Akmal. But there was to be no second chance for Cook, edging to slip in back-foot defence. Strauss then departed to only the fourth ball of Aamer's second spell.

Trott soon had more luck on his side when Tony Hill turned down an Aamer lbw appeal from a ball angling in from round the wicket. Pakistan chose not to invoke DRS, and doubtless discovered at lunch that the verdict would have been overturned had they done so.

Their response was to go into DRS overdrive – to no avail, as they used up their two permissible failures in successive Asif overs. Pietersen survived an lbw on one, then a caught-behind on five, only to fall anyway for just nine when Asif got a ball to snake on to off-stump via a front-foot inside edge.

Trott soon followed, his second review failing to get him off an lbw charge – shouldering arms at Aamer.

Two wickets had fallen for as many runs in successive overs. But after Morgan's early caught-behind scare off Aamer, he and Collingwood dug in as they had to. Risk-free, and almost run-free, occupation blossomed into something much more substantial once Salman Butt rested his frontline seamers.

Collingwood broke free with consecutive back-foot fours through the off-side in an Umar Gul over which also contained two no-balls and cost 15 runs.

Then Morgan sprang into life once Kaneria and Malik began bowling in tandem, hitting six fours from only 12 balls as the spinners produced too many loose deliveries. Similar patterns persisted through the evening session, Aamer and Asif still posing problems but unable to strike again as the skies brightened, while the remaining bowlers simply gave the England pair too much leeway – mainly through over-pitching.

Another glaring mistake from Akmal gave Collingwood an embarrassing let-off on 48, and more agony for Kaneria, when the wicketkeeper somehow dropped the ball again – this time with the batsman stranded out of his ground.

Collingwood completed his 114-ball 50 in the same Kaneria over – and by stumps, after England had posted their best fifth-wicket stand against Pakistan, the tourists only really having themselves to blame.

But it was true too that they had encountered one batsman of renowned durability and another who has taken his biggest step yet towards proving himself world class.

England v Pakistan

Trent Bridge: England Won Toss

England First Innings Close

A J Strauss c Kamran Akmal b Aamer 45

A N Cook c Imran Farhat b Aamer 8

I J L Trott lbw b Aamer 38

K P Pietersen b Mohammad Asif 9

P D Collingwood not out 81

E J G Morgan not out 125

Extras b5 lb8 w5 nb7 25

Total 4 wkts (90 overs) 331

Fall: 1-42 2-93 3-116 4-118

To Bat: M J Prior, G P Swann, S C J Broad, J M Anderson, S T Finn.

Bowling: Aamer 19 4 39 3; Mohammad Asif 20 6 65 1; Umar Gul 16 4 58 0; Danish Kaneria 21 0 100 0; Shoaib Malik 11 2 39 0; Azhar Ali 1 0 9 0; Amin 1 0 3 0; Imran Farhat 1 0 5 0.