Pakistan all out for 258, lead Australia by 170

LEEDS: Shane Watson took a career-best six-wicket haul as Australia dismissed Pakistan for 258 on day two of the second test at Headingley on Thursday.

Allrounder Watson helped clean up Pakistan's tail to finish with figures of 6-33, limiting Salman Butt's side to a lead of 170 after Australia was bowled out for 88 in its first innings.

Butt (45) finished the innings as the top scorer for Pakistan, which lost its final five wickets in the second session to be all out in 64.5 overs.

Pakistan came out after lunch on 218-5, having lost Umar Akmal (21) and Umar Amin (25) in the morning session, but Watson almost single-handedly dragged Australia back into the match with two wickets from the final two balls of the first over after the interval.

He had Kamran Akmal (15) caught at first slip by Marcus North and then trapped Mohammad Aamer (0) lbw, although umpire Rudi Koertzen's decision appeared harsh.

Umar Gul (0) survived the hat-trick ball at the start of Watson's next over, Australia's 59th, but was soon clean-bowled by the opening batsman, giving Watson his second five-wicket test haul, having claimed 5-40 at Lord's in the first match of the series.

Watson added to his tally in the next over, Shoaib Malik (26) playing a poor shot and holing out to wicketkeeper Tim Paine.

The last-wicket pair of Danish Kaneria (15) and Mohammad Asif (9 not out) added 24 runs from as many balls in an entertaining cameo, before Kaneria was run out by Steven Smith.

The morning session had been delayed by 45 minutes due to rain but when play did eventually begin, the opening over provided an explosive start as Mitchell Johnson conceded 11 runs before having Umar Akmal caught at mid-off from the sixth delivery.

Akmal was given a reprieve as Johnson was called for a no-ball, although Umar Amin was nearly run out at the opposite end as he scrambled for a single.

It proved to be a temporary stay of execution for Akmal, who was caught behind off Johnson in the 44th over, the fifth of the morning.

Amin was the victim of a freak dismissal in the 51st over, when he ducked under a bouncer from Ben Hilfenhaus but left his bat in the air. The ball struck the toe-end of his bat and flew straight to North at square leg.