Dubai: Through a stupendous performance in all departments of the game, England emerged as winners of the Twenty20 series, defeating Pakistan in two successive matches of the three match series.
Posting a challenging 172 for 8, a total never chased in any Twenty 20 match in UAE, England registered a nail-biting three run victory over Pakistan in front of a packed Dubai International Stadium.
It was an edge of the seat thriller and wonderful entertainment for the Friday crowd that filled every seat of the stadium.
Shahid Afridi’s Boom Boom knock brought Pakistan to the edge of victory. His eight-ball knock of 24 comprising three sixes and a boundary when the chips were down and lit up hopes of a victory. Though Pakistan needed only 11 runs to win off the last six balls, England pacer Chris Woakes bowled brilliantly to ensure the victory.
Though no batsmen hit a half century, with James Vince top scoring with 38 followed by Jos Buttler with 33 and opener Jason Roy 29, England still posted an impressive total.
Afridi was the pick among Pakistan bowlers with three wickets for just 15 runs from his four overs.
Buttler, who led the side following Eoin Morgan’s decision to rest, won the toss and elected to bat first for the second consecutive day.
Pakistan brought Ahmad Shehzad and Shoaib Malek into the side replacing Mohammad Rizwan and Imran Khan. England also rested Chris Jordan, Moeen Ali and Reece Topley from the last match.
Afridi’s aim was to get England out for under 160 and, with a strong batting line up, he was confident of reaching it.
England openers Roy and Alex Hales began confidently. Roy hit Anwar Ali for a six over mid-wicket in the third over. He also lifted Wahab Riaz over mid-on for another six in the fourth over. In the first four overs, England took 32 runs when Afridi introduced himself in the fifth and with the first ball trapped Hales leg before for 11.
James Vince began through a flowing cover drive to the boundary.
Afridi struck with the fourth ball of his second over by having Roy, who was stroking fluently, caught behind for 29. Wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmad juggled with the ball but managed to catch it.
In the first 10 overs, England scored 68 runs. Joe Root slog swept Malek for six over mid-wicket but attempting the shot again, without getting control over it, landed up being caught by Afridi at mid-wicket for 20.
Buttler joined Vince, who on his score of 15 escaped being caught by Sohail Tanvir off Riaz at the long on boundary. In fact, Tanvir dropped and parried the ball for a six.
Vince celebrated his luck in the next over, hitting Malek for a six and two consecutive boundaries and England went past the 100 run mark in the 13th over. Afridi picked up his third wicket by having Vince top edge to Anwar Ali at deep square leg for 38.
Sam Billings, the hero of England first match victory, joined Buttler. Hitting Tanvir for two consecutive sixes in the 16th over, Buttler accelerated the run rate.
Vince also lifted Riaz for a straight six but fell to a well-judged catch by Umar Akmal in the same over for 11. Though Akmal lost his balance, he threw the ball up, regained his balance by going out of the boundary and completed the catch coming back into the field.
Buttler hit Tanvir over the covers for a boundary and pulled him for another six to bring in England’s 150 in the 18th over. In the same over he edged Tanvir while attempting a reverse sweep and got caught behind for 33 runs. After this dismissal, Pakistan bowled well but still England posted 12 runs more than their total in the first match.
Fourteen invaluable runs were scored off the last over from Riaz with No.9 batsman Woakes scoring an unbeaten 15 off seven balls.
Chasing a run rate of 8.60 needed a good start.
Opener Ahmad Shehzad batted confidently, flicking David Willey over square leg for a six. He also picked the gaps for a few boundaries. Rafatullah Mohmand played second fiddle and Pakistan’s 50 came in just 4.4 overs.
Stephen Parry lured Shehzad out of the crease and got him stumped for 28 by wicketkeeper Buttler. Leg spinner Adil Rashid too had Rafatullah stumped for 23. Mohammad Hafeez hit Parry for a six and a four to place Pakistan at 74 for 2 in the tenth over.
Liam Plunkett ended Hafeez’s breezy 25 runs off 20 balls. Hafeez got a leading edge while trying to turn the ball to the leg side and got caught by Willey at mid-off. When Rashid clean bowled Sohaib Maqsood for 2, Pakistan needed 80 runs off just 45 balls. When Umar Akmal also got caught behind down the leg side of Plunkett, half the Pakistan side were back in the pavilion for 107.
In the last five overs, Pakistan needed 64 runs before Afridi’s knock brought them close to victory. Plunkett bagged three wickets for 33 runs backed by Rashid and Woakes with two wickets each.
The third and final Twenty20 match will be played in Sharjah on November 30.
