England have ended day three of the third Test at Edgbaston strongly by reaching stumps 120 without loss in their second innings following another dominant display from Pakistan with the bat.

Alastair Cook's side now sit with a lead of 17 runs thanks to their captain's Test 50 and a half-century from Alex Hales on the stroke of the close of play.

The hosts had it all to do this morning after their opponents reached stumps yesterday on 257-3, just 40 runs short of the lead.

Chris Woakes took out the dangerous Azhar Ali (139) in the final ball of the day, and he picked up where he left off by dismissing Younis Khan (31), who was caught out by Alastair Cook.

England struck again eight overs later when Stuart Broad bowled out Asad Shafiq for a duck, but Pakistan kept their attack ticking along, with Misbah-ul-Haq contributing with 56 runs, while Sarfraz Ahmed ended the innings 46 not out.

The tourists were bowled out on 400 as Woakes added another wicket to his tally and Broad nabbed two more, but James Anderson was removed from the attack after receiving a third strike for running onto the pitch.

England openers Cook and Hales headed onto the crease with the knowledge that they were 103 runs adrift of the lead.

In their first innings, Cook scored 45 runs and Hales was taken out on just 17, but both had a better spell today as they reached 120 - their biggest ever Test partnership.

During that charge, Cook reached his 51st half-century with five boundaries, and ended the day unbeaten on 64, while Hales scored his first Test 50 and remains not out.