I’ll leave you there. This series has been a fun couple of weeks; I don’t know about you, but I’m well up for the T20 World Cup now.
Here’s Andy Bull’s report to take you through England’s final show in Lahore:
Dawid Malan was Player of the Match by the way, after hitting an unbeaten 78. Brook took the Player-of-the-Series award for his collection of sparkling knocks.
Moeen Ali with some final thoughts on a memorable series: “The way we’ve come back and won those two games so comfortably [after being 3-2 down in the series] was amazing to see. I think we’re in a good position right now with players to come in who we know can make a difference. It just shows the depth that we have in our squad as well.
“I just want to say thank you to everybody, all the crowd, the PCB for looking after us. We’ve really enjoyed our time here.”
Harry Brook finishes as England’s leading run-scorer in the series: 238 runs at an average of 79.33, striking at 163.01. He’s surely in England’s World Cup XI.
A look ahead to the World Cup:
England win 4-3 which is fair enough. The gulf in quality, esp with the bat, means the scoreline flatters Pak slightly.
— Danyal Rasool (@Danny61000) October 2, 2022
England a top tier contender for the T20 WC while Pakistan will probably need to catch fire at the right time to have a shot. Good fun, great series. #PakvsEng
England win by 67 runs to win the series 4-3
Comprehensive from England as Willey closes the match and series. They were excellent with the ball, putting a stop to the contest by removing Babar and Rizwan before the ninth ball of the innings. Chris Woakes picked up three wickets, David Willey two and Reece Topley went straight through Rizwan with a jaffa. Tidy work from Curran, Rashid and Moeen too.
WICKET! Wasim b Willey 5 (Pakistan 135-8)
Willey to wrap things up and he bowls Wasim, who is nowhere near pulling off the ramp.
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WICKET! Masood c Rashid b Woakes 56 (Pakistan 135-7)
A brilliant grab from Adil Rashid! Woakes bowls a wide off-cutter that Masood flashes at, and the ball flies to the right of Rashid at short third man who pulls off a cracking catch. Woakes finishes with 3-26 from his four overs, a fine display to end the series.
19th over: Pakistan 135-7 (Wasim 5, Rauf 0)
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18th over: Pakistan 129-6 (Masood 51, Wasim 4) A first-ball boundary for Wasim. Two overs to go but the game’s gone.
WICKET! Nawaz c Woakes b Curran 9 (Pakistan 125-6)
Masood swats away for four and goes to fifty by picking up a couple through the leg-side. But he loses his partner Nawaz later in the over, with a pull flying into the safe mitts of Chris Woakes at deep square leg.
17th over: Pakistan 116-5 (Masood 44, Nawaz 9) The singles tick on before Nawaz pumps a fuller ball from Topley down the ground for four. Pakistan need 94 from three overs. Hey, you never know.
16th over: Pakistan 107-5 (Nawaz 3, Masood 42) David Willey gives little away as the victory march continues.
My guy Roller delivers. That’s a pretty tidy team.
@tahahash starter for 10: Hales, Buttler, Malan, Stokes, Brook, Livingstone, Moeen, Jordan, Rashid, Wood, Topley
— Matt Roller (@mroller98) October 2, 2022
15th over: Pakistan 100-5 (Nawaz 1, Masood 37) England are cruising.
WICKET! Asif c Topley b Woakes 7 (Pakistan 99-5)
Woakes goes short and Asif doesn’t have enough on the pull, finding Topley’s safe hands at deep square leg.
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John Starbuck writes in to explain his World Cup changes: “Buttler comes in, of course, and I think replaces Hales, who is liable to make big scores but his fielding lets him down. Mind you, both sides have dropped sitters today, so maybe the lights are proving difficult? There needs to be a few seamers to allow Mark Wood to be rotated.”
14th over: Pakistan 92-4 (Shan 35, Asif 2) Curran skips in and concedes six off the over. I think we all know which way this match and series is going.
13th over: Pakistan 86-4 (Masood 33, Asif 0) A googly to Asif Ali is followed by a sharp-turning leg-break, and then another googly follows, hitting Asif’s pad. It’s turning too much for an lbw though. A beautiful over to close the spell from the England leggie.
WICKET! Khushdil c Salt b Rashid 27 (Pakistan 86-4)
Khushdil sends Adil Rashid over deep midwicket for six but he’s gone next ball, producing a faint edge down the leg side before Salt holds on. Out the front of the hand from Rashid – a nice little change-up.
12th over: Pakistan 80-3 (Khushdil 21, Masood 33) Masood gets a bit of luck to finish the over, making room on the off-side for a big swing off Topley; he ends up getting a thick edge that flies over Phil Salt for four.
Here’s a bit of fun for you: how should England line up for their first World Cup game? Outside of players in this XI, you’ve got the likes of Buttler, Stokes and Livingstone to choose from.
11th over: Pakistan 71-3 (Khushdil 18, Masood 28) Khushdil can’t get Rashid’s googlies away; Masood’s trying to go big, but he’s not getting it out of the screws. Basically, Pakistan are really struggling here.
10th over: Pakistan 68-3 (Khushdil 16, Masood 27) Curran runs in to bowl his assortment of slower balls/cutters into the surface. Khushdil decides to dance down to a slower-ball bouncer, and he swats it away to collect a boundary off the fourth ball of the over.
9th over: Pakistan 59-3 (Khushdil 10, Masood 24) A release for Masood. Rashid tosses the ball up and Masood gets on one knee to smash it over deep midwicket for six. A clip for two follows before Masood finishes the over with a mistimed slog that brings another couple.
8th over: Pakistan 46-3 (Khushdil 8, Masood 14) Two lefties in so Moeen brings himself on to turn the ball past the bat. Khushdil dances down second ball but can only bunt it back to the bowler. Just five off the over as Pakistan struggle for boundaries.
7th over: Pakistan 41-3 (Khushdil 4, Masood 13) Adil Rashid gives it a twirl and races through his set: just four off it.
Some love from a fellow quick:
That slower ball from Chris Woakes is very very good, executed perfectly too!
— Saqib Mahmood (@SaqMahmood25) October 2, 2022
6th over: Pakistan 37-3 (Masood 11, Khushdil 2) Pakistan aren’t really going anywhere here, with the required rate now above 12 an over.
WICKET! Iftikhar c Salt b Willey 19 (Pakistan 33-3)
Willey strikes! The quick thumps the ball into the surface and Iftikhar flashes hard with a cut that produces an edge – Salt gobbles up a simple catch behind the stumps.
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5th over: Pakistan 33-2 (Iftikhar 19, Masood 9) A run-out chance as Shan Masood tucks the ball into the covers, with Sam Curran’s throw missing the target at the striker’s end. Back-to-back boundaries follow for Iftikhar, with his second shot particularly impressive; he made room with a shuffle to the leg-side, punching Topley’s slower ball through the off-side.
4th over: Pakistan 22-2 (Iftikhar 9, Masood 8) And now there’s a drop from England! Iftikhar gets the bottom of the bat with a leg-side heave and the ball flies high in the air. The bowler, David Willey, gets under it but can’t hold on. A tight over otherwise; Pakistan’s Powerplay is not going well.
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3rd over: Pakistan 18-2 (Masood 6, Iftikhar 7) A very delicate guide from Shan Masood brings four behind point, but there’s little damage elsewhere.
2nd over: Pakistan 11-2 (Masood 0, Iftikhar 6) A boundary to finish the over, with Iftikhar gloving a pull down the leg-side. England are well on top, though.
WICKET! Rizwan b Topley 1 (Pakistan 5-2)
That’s gorgeous! And another massive wicket! Reece Topley goes full, swinging the ball back into Mohammad Rizwan to rattle the stumps. That really is just beautiful new-ball bowling. Pakistan have lost the two men they rely so much upon in these moments.
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WICKET! Babar c Brook b Woakes 4 (Pakistan 5-1)
Chris Woakes runs in and Babar picks up four off the fourth ball, clipping a full delivery past mid-on. And then a wicket with the final ball of the over! Babar goes to drive outside off and hits it straight to Harry Brook at cover. Big, big breakthrough.
1st over: Pakistan 5-1 (Rizwan 1, Masood 0)
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He didn’t nab a big score, but Ben Duckett’s lovely 30 took his series tally to 233 runs at an average of 46.6 and strike rate of 159.58. He’s had a top series… and he’s not going to the T20 World Cup! Nonetheless, I’ll be surprised if he’s not part of the 50-over set-up at next year’s World Cup in India.
England post 209-3 off 20 overs
Everyone chipped in for England there, and Malan finishes as the top-scorer with an unbeaten 78. Pakistan are going to have to do something special here; the focus will be on those two up top, Rizwan and Babar, to bat for most if not all of the innings.
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20th over: England 209-3 (Brook 46, Malan 78) Malan picks up six first ball! A thump over the leg-side does the job, and he gets four next ball, a full toss sent away through the off side. And then Brook hits a six, with a Wasim slower ball lifted down the ground. Malan picks up two with the final ball of the innings to wrap things up.
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19th over: England 189-3 (Malan 65, Brook 39) Another drop from Pakistan! Mohammad Wasim is the culprit this time. It’s a class slower ball from Haris Rauf and Malan swings leg-side, with the ball flying high into the Lahore night sky. But the ball goes straight through the hands of Wasim, running in from the deep. A yorker follows from Rauf, which Pakistan review, but the ball is clearly pitching outside leg. Rauf continues with his change-ups as England struggle to get him away. Ridiculous that he finishes his four overs today without a wicket.
18th over: England 182-3 (Malan 62, Brook 36) Ouch. Malan deflects the short ball from Hasnain into his ribs, and Hasnain goes for the bumper again next ball. When the bowler goes fuller, Malan pounces; the slower ball is tucked away for four behind square on the leg side. And then another short ball, one Malan has control over: this is quick and he nails the pull for six. An excellent battle in that over, with Malan the winner.
17th over: England 168-3 (Malan 50, Brook 35) Malan moves to 49 by smashing a fuller ball from Wasim over extra cover. A clip through the leg side then brings up the half-century for Malan, his first of the series after a run of starts. And then a stunning shot from Brook finishes the over: the ball’s speared down the leg side, and he uses his wrists to pick up six.
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16th over: England 154-3 (Brook 26, Malan 45) Somehow, Babar has dropped this. Slower ball, full and Brook tries to go big and straight. The ball goes high up in the air and should be gobbled up safely by Pakistan’s captain at mid-off. But he fails to hold on for the second time in the innings. Rauf really deserved that wicket, too; he’s been mixing up his pace brilliantly tonight and has the smarts to go with the wheels. Brook is outfoxed by a cutter that somehow doesn’t hit the stumps from the penultimate ball. It’s a top over from Rauf, who concedes just five.
15th over: England 149-3 (Malan 43, Brook 24) Brook tries out the ramp off Hasnain but fails to get any bat on it as the ball travels into the hands of Rizwan. He tries it again next ball and does get some bat, but nowhere near where he wants it, edging the ball onto himself to collect a single. A sharp bouncer from Hasnain to Malan follows, one the left-hander can’t lay a bat on. Nice over from the Pakistan quick, with just three runs off it.
14th over: England 146-3 (Malan 42, Brook 23) After a quiet start to the over Brook thumps Iftikhar for six from the fourth ball before finishing the set with a drive over extra cover for another boundary.
13th over: England 134-3 (Brook 12, Malan 41) Wasim back into the attack and he goes short with his penultimate ball; Malan takes it off his hips and pulls for four behind square on the leg side. And then a misfield from Hasnain at third man gives Malan consecutive fours. A gift for England’s No.3.
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12th over: England 122-3 (Malan 30, Brook 11) Dropped! Malan makes room to play that shot he’s so good at, the inside-out drive over extra cover. He hits it hard and flat to Babar at extra, who puts it down.
11th over: England 113-3 (Malan 27, Brook 9) Oh that really is lovely, Harry Brook. He goes down the track and drives over extra cover for six off Shadab.
WICKET! Duckett run out Rizwan 30 (England 101-3)
Duckett doesn’t get the middle of the bat as he backs away to go over cover, but the ball lands safely outside the ring. But he’s out not long after – that’s incredible work from Mohammad Rizwan! Duckett makes room again to hit through the off-side, but bottom-edges the shot, with the ball lobbing up off the ground. Rizwan sweeps in with one hand and takes down the stumps with Duckett out of his crease. Some real swagger from the keeper there.
10th over: England 102-3 (Brook 1, Malan 26)
9th over: England 97-2 (Duckett 28, Malan 24) Huuuuuge from Dawid Malan. Tossed up by Shadab and the left-hander gives it a big swing, the ball travelling over deep midwicket for six. Duckett, on the other hand, goes straight for six more, advancing down the ground for his big hit. The two lefties are ticking along nicely.
8th over: England 77-2 (Duckett 20, Malan 17) Iftikhar in to bowl his offies and Malan goes big first ball, driving inside-out over extra cover for four. Duckett joins in on the fun a few balls later, slapping the ball through the covers for his third boundary of the innings.
7th over: England 65-2 (Malan 11, Duckett 14) That’s an unreal reverse sweep from Ben Duckett. Shadab Khan’s second ball is tossed up, full and Duckett gets some proper meat on it to get four through the off side. He’s so, so good at that shot. A good diving stop at mid-on stops Duckett from fetching four more with a drive.
6th over: England 57-2 (Duckett 8, Malan 9) Rauf runs in for the final over of the Powerplay. Duckett and Malan exchange singles before the former clips behind square, with the man at fine leg misfielding to let the ball run away for four.
5th over: England 48-2 (Duckett 0, Malan 8) A very weird over. Two wickets are followed by back-to-back boundaries from Malan.
WICKET! Salt run out Shadab 20 (England 39-2)
Oh my. Malan’s hit on the pads as the ball tickles to fine leg. Phil Salt has decided to sprint towards the other end but is forced to race back after Malan says no. Shadab Khan is the fielder to pick up and lob a very careful throw through the air – it looks like he’s trying to get it back to the bowler, but it ends up being a direct hit! Salt is fuming. And he’s gone.
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WICKET! Hales lbw Hasnain 18 (England 39-1)
Hasnain strikes! He goes straight first ball and Hales can’t whip it off the pads. That’s plumb.
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4th over: England 39-0 (Hales 18, Salt 20) Rauf in and while he’s got proper pace, he’s very tidy with those slower balls into the surface. It’s a quiet over, one Pakistan needed.
3rd over: England 35-0 (Salt 18, Hales 16) The spin of Nawaz is replaced by the pace of Wasim. Hales doesn’t get the middle of the bat with a swat down the ground, but the ball seems to be heading for four until Haris Rauf pulls off a stunning one-handed stop. Top effort from the big man. But Hales gets four the next ball, guiding it to the third-man boundary. And then another boundary! Hales flicks off the stumps to find four more at midwicket. Make that three in a row! Full from Wasim and Hales goes through the covers. Awesome batting.
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2nd over: England 20-0 (Salt 17, Hales 2) Hasnain into the attack and another four for Salt! He’s racing. But that’s a good comeback from the young quick, who gets a bit of lift off the deck to beat the bat second ball. Three singles follow before Hales digs out a fuller ball to mid-on for none. Good wheels from Hasnain.
1st over: England 13-0 (Salt 11, Hales 1) Salt rocks back and cloths the first ball down the ground for a couple, and then follows that up with a cut for four. A leg-bye gets Hales on strike, and he clips to mid-on for a single. And then Salt smashes the ball over mid-on for four. A leading edge that falls safe rounds off an eventful first set. Top start for England.
Let’s get going. Mohammad Nawaz is going to open up for Pakistan with his left-arm tweak.
Pakistan will be hoping they don’t have to send Shaun Tait out for the presser…
You will see Shaun Tait when 👀 #PAKvENG pic.twitter.com/sOiwj8LcnD
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) October 2, 2022
Teams:
Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain
England: Phil Salt (wk), Alex Hales, Dawid Malan, Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, Moeen Ali (c), Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, David Willey, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley
We will bat first after losing the toss!
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) October 2, 2022
🇵🇰#PAKvENG 🏴 | @IGCom
Pakistan win the toss and will bowl first
Babar Azam wins it and Pakistan will bowl first. Dew’s a key factor in that decision. Four changes for Pakistan: Rizwan, Rauf, Hasnain and Khushdil back in.
Still no Jos Buttler for England as Moeen Ali leads once again. Just the one change for his side: Chris Woakes is in for Richard Gleeson.
Preamble
Hello, hello, hello! Welcome to the seventh (!) and final T20I of this exhilarating series between England and Pakistan.
What was supposed to just be a few warm-ups ahead of the World Cup in Australia has turned into heaps of fun. There was that stunning century from Babar Azam. There was the grand arrival of Harry Brook. The extraordinary consistency of Mohammad Rizwan. The rockets of Mark Wood. The rockets of Haris Rauf. Sweep-mania from Ben Duckett. And, of course, some magnificent crowds in a country that has been waiting a long time for this series.
And we’re set up perfectly too, with the scores level at 3-3. This is going to be a cracker. Drop me a line whenever you fancy – I’ll be back in a bit with the toss and line-ups.
