Nightwatchman Dom Bess notched a fine unbeaten 40 as England rode out captain Joe Root’s loss to post 199 for three at tea at Headingley.
Somerset spinner Bess backed up his second-innings 57 on his Test debut in England’s nine-wicket loss to Pakistan at Lord’s with another knock of real substance in Leeds.
He built an unbeaten 61 partnership with Dawid Malan, who contributed 27, to leave England leading by 25 runs at the interval.
Rain kept the teams off the wicket in the morning, with no play before lunch and day two only getting underway at 2.45pm.
Seeking a win to draw the two-Test series, England had dominated day one, reaching 106 for two in reply to Pakistan’s 174.
There were a scheduled 59 overs due on day two after the delays, with hours of play extended until 7.30pm if possible.
