Anderson kept waiting for 600th wicket as Pakistan frustrate England

James Anderson's bid to become just the fourth bowler to take 600 Test wickets was hampered by yet another dropped catch on Monday as Abid Ali led a determined Pakistan rearguard action in the series finale.

Anderson, who started the fourth day's play in the third Test at Southampton with 598 wickets, induced an early edge from Shan Masood but wicketkeeper Jos Buttler floored a routine chance.

It was the fourth dropped catch in 37 balls off Anderson and the closest he came to a wicket in a miserly return of 0-14 in nine overs interrupted by a rain delay of nearly three-and-a-half hours.

Pakistan, following on in a match in which a draw will condemn them to a first series defeat by England in a decade, eventually saw Masood fall lbw playing no shot to Stuart Broad for 18.

The left-hander reviewed the decision but once again technology upheld Michael Gough's original verdict.

When drinks in an extended final session were taken at 1645 GMT, Pakistan were 84-1, still 226 runs behind England's first innings 583-8 declared.

Abid was 42 not out and skipper Azhar Azhar, fresh from his first-innings century, unbeaten on 17.

No paceman has yet reached the landmark figure of 600 Test wickets.

The only bowlers ahead of the 38-year-old Anderson in the all-time list are three retired spinners -- Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan (800), Australia's Shane Warne (708) and India's Anil Kumble (619).

Anderson started the day in sight of joining the select group after taking 5-56 -- his 29th five-wicket haul in 156 Tests -- during Pakistan's first-innings 273.

He might even have reached the landmark late on Sunday had not three catches been dropped off his bowling with the new ball.

And there was more frustration for Anderson when Masood, on three, edged an intended drive outside off-stump only for the ball to hit Buttler on the thigh as he failed to get his gloves to a chance far less difficult than several catches he held on Sunday.

England batsman Ollie Pope injured his shoulder chasing a ball to the boundary and was replaced by James Bracey, with the substitute fielder summing up the hosts' morning when his needless shy at the stumps led to four overthrows.

Pakistan, who trail 1-0 in the three-match series, resumed on Monday a huge 310 runs behind a total built on Zak Crawley's 267 and Buttler's 152. The pair shared an England fifth-wicket record stand of 359.

Azhar's superb 141 not out kept England at bay longer than looked likely after his side collapsed to 75-5 on Sunday.

Azhar found an ally in Mohammad Rizwan, with the wicketkeeper making 53 in a sixth-wicket stand of 138.