Key events
12th over: England 80-0 (Banton 38, Duckett 40) Two more boundaries to Duckett off Faheem. The first was a freebie, a little touch to fine leg, but the second was superbly timed through backward square.
Under Eoin Morgan, England chased 300+ to win an ODI on 11 occasions, but it has happened only once since 2021. This batting line-up looks custom-designed for such targets, at least on a good day. But they fluffed their lines against Sri Lanka last month – after an even better start – so they’ll be keen to get the job done here.
11th over: England 70-0 (Banton 37, Duckett 31) Haris Rauf also comes into the attack. The cricket is rarely dull when he is bowling, and he’s as likely as anyone to take the wicket(s) Pakistan need. Duckett plays a defensive stroke that bounces into the ground and over the stumps; he turned round nervously before realising it wasn’t going to disturb his furniture.
Four singles and a wide from Rauf’s first over.
10th over: England 65-0 (Banton 35, Duckett 29) Faheem Ashraf, a more controlled right-arm seamer, comes on for Naseem Shah. He starts with five dot balls, only to err in line and length with the sixth. Duckett belabours a cut for four.
“Moving on to less contentious ground, do you subscribe to the view that ODI tactics are changing in the last year or so with the advent of swapping back to a single white ball after the 34 over mark?” asks Lord Baron, sorry Brian Withington. “Apparently only Ireland, India and England have maintained run rates in the latter stages over the relevant period, which have seen marked increases in reverse swing. I am not sure the number of games played under new conditions yet meets the requirements of statistical significance yet, so your thoughts would be even more valuable than usual, he insinuated winningly.”
Arf. I haven’t buried myself in the numbers – that’s in the diary for Friday evening – but from what I’ve seen it’s been a triumph. Don’t take my word for it: Mike Atherton, whose thoughts really are valuable, has beenn full of praise for it on the Sky Sports podcast.
9th over: England 61-0 (Banton 35, Duckett 25) Duckett clips Shaheen through midwicket for four, then batters another boundary through the covers. All of a sudden, England’s openers are rampant: they’ve scored 47 from the last five overs.
8th over: England 52-0 (Banton 35, Duckett 16) Banton drives Naseem emphatically for four, then top-edges a hook over fine leg for six. It was a pretty safe shot with the fielder much wider. Banton completes a superb over by carting Naseem over midwicket for a big six. That also brings up the fifty partnership at more than a run a ball.
Harry Brook’s England pride themselves on reading conditions. They’ve done that excellently so far – it can be tough to bat in the twilight zone, so they started cautiously, but now they are tucking in. They scored 14 from the first four overs and 38 from the next four.
“Oh Rob,” writes Brian Withington. “Moving from PC to Mac surely like going from Ilford 2nds to a World XI, as Graham Gooch might have put it?”
And to think I had you down as a man of the people, Withington.
7th over: England 34-0 (Banton 17, Duckett 16) Nasser Hussain, commentating on Sky, reckons the match is 55:45 in Pakistan’s favour. I’m not so sure, and I know far more about half-arsed guessing cricket than Nasser.
Banton plays his best shot of the innings so far, clipped Afridi gracefully through midwicket for four. Later in the over – and you might want to sit down before you read this – Ben Duckett leaves successive deliveries outside off stump. In an ODI. On a cricket field.
6th over: England 29-0 (Banton 12, Duckett 16) After almost dragging Naseem onto the stumps, Duckett leathers a wide ball through extra cover for four. That’s a cracking shot, and you’d expect England to be able to hit through the line with increasing confidence when the new balls stop swinging.
Duckett gets four more to fine leg with the aid of a misfield.
5th over: England 21-0 (Banton 12, Duckett 8) It’s been a slow start to the innings – both on the field and in the office. I usually work on a PC at home so am readjusting to a Mac, the liveblogger’s equivalent of switching from red-ball to white-ball cricket.
Afridi is angling most of his deliveries across Banton, who is beaten on the drive. “Six from 16 balls, Banton’s just starting to get fidgety,” says Nasser Hussain on commentary. Banton cloths a pull for two, then helps a poor ball round the corner for four. Twelve from 18 balls looks a whole lot better.
4th over: England 14-0 (Banton 6, Duckett 7) Duckett chases a very wide delivery from Naseem and bottom-edges it past the keeper for his first boundary. Later in the over he chips on the bounce to the substitute Razaullah at mid-on. The mere mention of his name has elicited a smile. The streets won’t forget, and nor will the reclusive old farts like me.
“Why don’t England pay more attention to their over-rate?” asks John Starbuck. “If it’s not just down to lengthy run-ups, it must be the field settings which use up the time, so you’d expect bowlers to let the captain know what fields they want per batter and the captain to allow them to adjust it themselves. A well-drilled side ought to know what the signals are, which positions they are best in, and stop faffing about.”
I’m not certain but I think their over-rates have generally been very good under Harry Brook. I know Ben Stokes didn’t give a flying one about over-rates, but I can forgive him for that. I’d forgive that man for almost anything.
3rd over: England 9-0 (Banton 6, Duckett 2) There’s a bit of swing for Afridi. Nothing dramatic, though; I’d say it’s about 2.7 on the clumsily named BobMassieLord’s1972ometer.
Duckett misses out on a low full toss, clipping it for a single. Banton is beaten, chasing a wide one, and defends a good inswinging yorker. England have started fairly cautiously – they know batting should get easier as the innings progresses.
2nd over: England 8-0 (Banton 6, Duckett 1) The pacy Naseem Shah shares the new ball. His speed is around 88mph, with some decent carry, but Banton stands tall to thrash the first boundary through the off side.
“Although I pity the commentators having to read out adverts,” says Andrew Goudie, “I’m enjoying the brand misalignment of Mark Butcher recommending shiny hair shampoo.”
I find your email triggering, Andrew. (I don’t, but it did remind me that Sanath Jayasuriya – a member of the bald community at a young age – once dislocated his shoulder when he slipped while reaching for the shampoo.)
In other news, Temba Bavuma has shown again that he is a giant of the modern game
1st over: England 3-0 (Banton 2, Duckett 0) A good first over from Afridi. Banton is beaten twice, either side of a flick for two to get off the mark.
“AI tells me this is the first ODI tri-series involving England since 2006-07,” writes Luke Dealtry. “Can it really be? There are 35-year-olds who have never experienced the joys. For me, they will forever be a 90s pyjama-cricket vibe, fuzzy VHS effects, Allan Lamb flaying under the lights. I bet your nostalgia receptors are zinging like mad.”
They are, although my tedious inner pedant keeps shouting “ALLAN LAMB WAS 1986-87”.
Also, England played India and Australia in a tri-series in 2014-15. But that was the darkness before England’s ODI dawn, so I suppose even AI should be forgiven for forgetting it.
Tom Banton, who made a coruscating maiden century in England’s last ODI a month ago, walks out to bat with Ben Duckett.
Shaheen Shah Afridi will open the bowling. Mind the swing.
Thanks Tim, hello everyone. This runchase could be oodles of fun: Pakistan’s pace bowlers vs England’s pace batters, with a score that feels pretty close to par. Pakistan defended 305 against Sri Lanka on Sunday, winning by 37 runs. This match could be even closer.
Pakistan reach 300!
50th over: Pakistan 302-9 (Shaheen Shah Afridi 10, Haris Rauf 4) Brook entrusts the final over to Baker. It starts well enough – leg-bye, leg-bye, wicket, leg-bye, but the last ball is there to be hit and Haris Rauf belts it to midwicket for four to bring up the 300.
That caps a sparkling recovery from Pakistan, who made a stodgy 81-4 off 112 balls before Hasan Nawaz came in, a fluent 130-2 off 128 while he was there, and a rip-roaring 91-3 off 61 after he’d gone. This could be the end of Babar Azam’s ODI career. And it may well be a winning score, though England’s dashers will have the dew on their side.
Thanks for your company and sorry for the terrible start (like Babar, but worse). You’re in safe hands now with my friend and yours, Rob Smyth.
Wicket! Naseem c Overton b Baker 1 (Pakistan 296-9)
That lone long-on is Overton, and Naseem has plopped the ball into his bread basket!
49th over: Pakistan 283-7 (Shaheen Shah Afridi 9, Naseem Shah 0) Shaheen, now the captain of this team, shows leadership by belting Curran for two fours in a row, one to long-on, the other past cover. And England are penalised for their over rate, so just when they need three men at long-on, they will have only one.
Wicket! Faheem Ashraf c Jacks b Curran 39 (Pakistan 285-8)
One brings two! Curran’s slower-ball bouncer befuddles Faheem, who can only send it to Jacks at deep midwicket.
48th over: Pakistan 283-7 (Faheem Ashraf 38, Shaheen Shah Afridi 0) So Brook did have faith in Baker, and he may have regretted it as those three fours pinged off Arafat’s bat, but Baker bounced back. He’s a buoyant character and Brook is a creative captain.
WICKET! Arafat c Brook b Baker 59 (Pakistan 283-7)
Arafat celebrates his fifty with two more fours, one through the covers, the other over them. He’s on fire! But then Baker finds the extinguisher, drawing a top edge that is safely held by Brook.
Fifty to Arafat Minhas!
Arafat gets a yorker from Sonny Baker and doesn’t so much dig it out as blaze it through the covers. That takes him to his first ODI fifty, 51 off 54 balls – watchful at first, then commanding.
47th over: Pakistan 271-6 (Arafat Minhas 47, Faheem Ashraf 38) Brook, perhaps not quite trusting Baker yet, goes back to the more experienced Curran. He has Arafat dropped by Jamie Cox, running back and not quite holding clinging onto a top edge. And the next ball brings another near-miss as Arafat swings down the ground, Tom Banton grabs it back from over the boundary and does his best to offer a relay catch – but it’s to Ben Duckett, the shortest player in the team, and it goes over his head!
46th over: Pakistan 263-6 (Arafat Minhas 41, Faheem Ashraf 36) Brook produces a rabbit out of a hat, handing the ball to Joe Root, perhaps in a bid to improve the over rate. Faheem says thanks very much and helps himself to a six over long-on. Pakistan have yet another 50 partnership – 52 off 37 balls.
45th over: Pakistan 250-6 (Arafat Minhas 38, Faheem Ashraf 26) Back comes Sonny Baker, hoping for reverse swing and not finding it as far as I can tell. He concedes one boundary, to a swirling mishit from Arafat, which Harry Brook chases all the way and can’t quite handle. “Ended up chesting it over the boundary,” says Mark Butcher, who’s so good at finding the fun in this funny old game.
44th over: Pakistan 242-6 (Arafat Minhas 32, Faheem Ashraf 25) Back comes Rashid and Faheem continues on his merry way, starting the over with a pair of consecutive thumps to the long-on boundary. Faheem has faced 16 balls and hit five of them for four, which is one more than Babar Azam managed off 52 balls.
43rd over: Pakistan 232-6 (Arafat Minhas 31, Faheem Ashraf 16) Last over for Jacks, too. He thinks he’s got Arafat LBW, but the ball was sliding just past the leg stump. Faheem, facing a similar delivery, plays the finest of glances for four, and then goes from artful to agricultural with a swing for four more. Even so, Jacks finishes with 10-0-45-1: he was superb early on.
42nd over: Pakistan 222-6 (Arafat Minhas 31, Faheem Ashraf 7) Overton has reached his last over. He looks for that yorker again but gets it wrong this time, allowing Faheem to play a handsome cover drive. Still, it’s been a fine shift from Overton: 10-0-38-1, like something from the 1980s.
41st over: Pakistan 215-6 (Arafat Minhas 30, Faheem Ashraf 2) It’s two left-handers at the crease now, so Nasser Hussain wonders if Brook will bring back Jacks with his off-breaks. And he does! It almost works as Arafat flirts with danger by clothing a pull. Four singles off the over.
40th over: Pakistan 211-6 (Arafat Minhas 29, Faheem Ashraf 0) Overton gets some reward at last for his discipline, and Harry Brook gets another tick for keeping him on. It’s been an innings of two halves from Pakistan: a trudge to 81-4 off 112 balls before Hasan appeared, a waltz to 130-2 off 128 while he was there.
WICKET! Hasan Nawaz b Overton 79 (Pakistan 211-6)
Well bowled JOverton! After bowling even shorter than before, he switches to the yorker and gets the wicket England most wanted. That’s the end of a lovely innings from Hasan, who cruised to 79 off only 74 balls.
39th over: Pakistan 209-5 (Hasan Nawaz 77, Arafat Minhas 29) Arafat, emboldened, spots Curran’s moon ball and crunches it over cover for four. Then he plays the best shot of the three, swinging a full ball over mid-on for six, is it – no, four more, but still a statement. And he’s not finished yet, as another full ball is drilled past mid-off to make 13 off the over. Second fiddle no longer!
38th over: Pakistan 196-5 (Hasan Nawaz 77, Arafat Minhas 17) Overton, who’s been banging away short of a length, bowls a rare half-volley and Arafat cashes in with a whippy on-drive. That’s his first four, off the 24th delivery he has faced, but he needn’t worry about it because he has helped Hasan add 62 at a run a ball.
37th over: Pakistan 190-5 (Hasan Nawaz 76, Arafat Minhas 12) Good from Curran, who could easily be rusty after his lay-off. He restricts the batters to three singles and very nearly has Arafat caught behind, but it’s a tough chance to Jamie Cox’s left and he can’t quite cling on.
36th over: Pakistan 187-5 (Hasan Nawaz 74, Arafat Minhas 11) When Harry Brook was brave enough to bring Will Jacks on for the seventh over, Pakistan’s senior pros weren’t brave enough to attack him. Now Jacks comes back and these young batters show how it’s done. Hasan hits a handsome cut for four and the other five balls all go for a single. They’ve added 53 already and look how many of those Arafat has made. Hasan has changed the game.
35th over: Pakistan 178-5 (Hasan Nawaz 67, Arafat Minhas 9) And here is Sam Curran, summoned from the deep at last. He starts as he means to go on, with a super-slow ball. This doesn’t please Stuart Broad, who argues that it’s not a surprise if the batter hasn’t got used to your normal speed. Hasan copes easily enough, waiting several minutes for the ball to arrive, then flicking it round the corner for two as if playing French cricket. He cuts the next ball for two more as England concede an overthrow, before Curran settles down and bowls three dots. Maybe he would tell Broad that slow is his normal speed.
34th over: Pakistan 173-5 (Hasan Nawaz 62, Arafat Minhas 9) Last over with a different ball at each end. Harry Brook is working on one of them, polishing one side in an effort to persuade it to reverse-swing. No sign of that yet but Jamie Overton keeps it tight once again, going for only three singles.
33rd over: Pakistan 170-5 (Hasan Nawaz 60, Arafat Minhas 8) Sometimes the drinks break takes a wicket, and sometimes things continue just as before. Hasan shimmies down the track to hit Rashid’s first ball for six, again: he does love to start an over with a statement.
Drinks! It’s England v Hasan
32nd over: Pakistan 161-5 (Hasan Nawaz 52, Arafat Minhas 7) And so to the second drinks break, with Hasan on song but England still on top. It’s been a team effort with all the bowlers chipping in – Jacks and Overton with their thrift, Atkinson, Baker and Rashid with wickets, and Curran with two fine catches.
Fifty to Hasan Nawaz!
Hasan glides Overton for four to reach the first fifty of the day. He’s been more confident than any other batter, more fluent and more entertaining, making 50 off 46 balls with four fours and three sixes.
31st over: Pakistan 154-5 (Hasan Nawaz 46, Arafat Minhas 6) Hasan likes that six so much, he does it again off his next ball, off Rashid. Even with three dots at the end of the over, the partnership is 21 off 21.
