LEEDS, Aug 4: Kevin Pietersen took the lead role in his own drama on Friday to help England close on 347 for six after the first day of the third Test against Pakistan.

The South Africa-born batsman rode his luck to complete his fifth Test century before retiring hurt with cramp in his left forearm at Headingley.

Ian Bell, having hit centuries in each of the first two games of the series, was on 66 not out. Matthew Hoggard was dismissed with the final ball of the day by fast bowler Umar Gul, who took four for 73.

Pietersen, on 104 not out, was set to resume his innings alongside Bell on Saturday. England lead the four-match series 1-0.

On an intriguing, incident-packed day, most of the luck on offer went to Pietersen, while most of the cursing was left to Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq.

The 26-year-old Pietersen could have been out three times.

On two he appeared to inside-edge a ball from fast-medium bowler Shahid Nazir via his hip to the wicketkeeper only to be given not out.

On 29 another inside edge, off Shahid, was caught only for a no-ball to be called.

To add insult to injury, Pietersen was also dropped shortly after getting to his century, again off the bowling of the long-suffering Shahid.

Pietersen is a colourful man with a taste for milking his best moments, and he did so with his hundred in his sights.

Facing Mohammad Sami in the final session, he began the over on 87 and hit successive three fours, interrupted by two visits from the physio, before scampering to his century.

He hit 15 fours and two sixes, both off leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, to get to the mark off 123 deliveries.

Shortly afterwards he summoned the physio again and made way for wicket-keeper Chris Read.

Pietersen's innings — he had not got past 50 in six previous attempts — meant that five of England's top six have scored hundreds in the series.

The odd man out is Marcus Trescothick.

The left-handed opener, himself without a Test fifty in eight innings, helped put on 67 for the first wicket after England opted to bat before two wickets fell in five balls without a run being added.

Sami changed ends and changed the mood as Trescothick, having clattered six fours in his 28, drove a return catch back to the strike bowler who accepted it at the second attempt.

Shahid then removed Strauss for a fluent 36, angling one across the England captain who edged to second slip.

At that stage Shahid had figures of 5-3-5-1 and he deserved even better when Pietersen had his first escape. To make things worse for Pakistan, Alastair Cook was given a similar reprieve shortly afterwards when facing Sami, to Inzamam's evident disgust.

Umar Gul, however, eased the touring side's sense of injustice with the last ball of the morning, taking a low return catch off Cook's leading edge after the left-hander had made 23.

That made it 110 for three, with Pakistan with the initiative, only for Pietersen and Paul Collingwood to wrench it back with an 82-run partnership.

Collingwood, who got off the mark with a mid-wicket six off Umar Gul, played a typically gritty and industrious innings of 31 before holing out in the deep off the splice when facing the impressive Umar Gul.

Bell and Read, back in the side for the first time in more than two years following Geraint Jones' lean run with the bat, made sure the final session also went England's way, Read contributing 38 to an 86-run stand before he became Umar Gul's third victim near the close.

Scoreboard

ENGLAND (1st Innings):

M.E. Trescothick c and b Sami 28

A.J. Strauss c Younis b Shahid Nazir 36

A.N. Cook c and b Umar Gul 23

K.P. Pietersen retired hurt 104

P.D. Collingwood c Taufiq b Umar Gul 31

I.R. Bell not out 66

C.M.W. Read lbw b Umar Gul 38

M.J. Hoggard b Umar Gul 0

EXTRAS (B-7, LB-5, NB-9) 21

TOTAL (for six wkts, 89.4 overs) 347

FALL OF WKTS: 1-67, 2-67, 3-110, 4-192, 5-345, 6-347.

TO BAT: S.I. Mahmood, S.J. Harmison, M.J. Panesar.

BOWLING (to-date): Mohammad Sami 19-1-102-1 (5nb); Umar Gul 18.4-3-73-4 (2nb); Shahid Nazir 22-6-62-1 (2nb); Danish Kaneria 24-3-72-0; Taufiq Umar 2-0-8-0; Salman Butt 4-0-18-0.

PAKISTAN: Salman Butt, Taufiq Umar, Younis Khan, Mohammad Yousuf, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Faisal Iqbal, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Sami, Shahid Nazir, Umar Gul, Danish Kaneria.

UMPIRES: B. Doctrove (West Indies) and D.B. Hair (Australia).

TV UMPIRE: N.J. Llong (England).

MATCH REFEREE: R.S. Madugalle (Sri Lanka).—Reuters