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England beat Pakistan by 14 runs in 1st T20, lead series 1-0

Dunya News

It was an excellent performance by England, pulling off a victory from 19 for 3

DUBAI: (Web Desk) - England have defeated Pakistan is the first Twenty-20 by 14 runs and now lead the series 1 games to Nil in the 2-match series. England did it brilliantly after losing first 3 wickets for just 19 runs. Eoin Morgan was brilliant in his role, anchoring the innings and letting the youngsters play around him while Billings and Vince sent Pakistan bowlers for big runs.

Pakistan on the other hand never looked like chasing the target. After losing their first wicket for just 8 runs, Pakistan kept losing the wickets in regular intervals and finally ended up 14 runs short of the England total. That too was courtesy some late heroics by Sohail Tanvir and Anwar Ali, otherwise by the time Shahid Afridi got out, they were already 74 for 6, losing Sohaib Maqsood 1 run later to get 75 for 7. The effort was never really up to the task and they were all out on the last ball of the innings for 146.

England now lead the series 1-0 and Pakistan batting needs to get its act together if it wants to draw the 2-match series.

Earlier:

England has on Thursday won the toss in the first Twenty of the 2-match series and is going to bat first. Eoin Morgan, England captain, says that the track looks good to bat and therefore, batting first would be the right decision on this pitch.

Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi said that he was happy to bowl first on this track since tehre was rain in the city and the pitch remained covered for 3 days prior to this match and Pakistani bowlers, he hoped, would be able to make use of the conditions.

Pakistan received major setback just before the start of the game since opener Ahmed Shehzad is unfit while Shoaib Malik was also unlikely to play.

Pitch report:

Former England captain Nick Knight analyzed the pitch and said that the pitch had more cracks on it today and thus was going to favour the spinners. He thought that the pitch wasn t impossible to play on but there was certainly going to be some spin for the bowlers as well.

Pakistan squad:

Rafatullah Mohmand, Sarfraz Ahmed (w), Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Rizwan, Sohaib Maqsood, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi (c), Anwar Ali, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz, Imran Khan (jnr)

England squad:

Alex Hales, Jason Roy, James Vince, Eoin Morgan (c), Sam Billings (w), Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Chris Jordan, Liam Plunkett, Stephen Parry, Reece Topley

Pakistan innings

20 overs: Pak 146

19.6 overs: OUT! Imran Khan edges that one to the keeper and Pakistan are all out, falling 14 runs short off England s total.

19.3 overs: OUT! Wahab Riaz tried to hit that out of the park but couldn t get it quite right. It s over now, anyways.

19.2 overs: FOUR! Not over yet.

18 overs: Pak 131 for 8 and need 30 runs off the last 2 overs.

17.3 overs: SIX! Sohail Tanvir has struck a beatiful blow here. That s flat and sweet.

Now this is a real tough one. 

15 overs: Pak 100 for 8

14.6 overs: OUT! Anwar Ali departs. Can t say what he was trying to do there. Ended up ballooning it to Eoin Morgan who takes a simple catch.

What Rooney is to Manchester United, I guess.

14.5 overs: Pakistan have finally completed their 100 runs. 

13.6 overs: SIX! And he has done that again. Anwar Ali hits another one over the boundary. Quite similar to the last one.

13.3 overs: SIX! Anwar Ali has launched it over the Long On fielder for a six.

12.1 overs: OUT! After getting Umar Akmal out, now Sohaib Maqsood has got himself stumped. Moeen Ali saw him coming down the stumps and fired it wide. Billings grabbed the ball and dislodged the bails in no time. Pakistan now 75 for 7.

12 overs: Pak 74 for 6

No heart feelings though 

11.4 overs: OUT! Afridi has done yet again what he does best: Gone for a duck on the 2nd ball of his innings. Pakistan 74 for 6 now and Anwar Ali is on the crease.

11.2 overs: OUT! This is ridiculous. Sohaib Maqsood has got Umar Akmal out for nothing at all. It was his call and watching the fielder going for his end, Sohaib returned to his crease and Umar Akmal was given out just after hitting a massive SIX on the first ball of the over. Pakistan are now 74 for the loss of 5 and in deep, deep trouble.

Bakhtawar is watching the game too.

9 Overs: Pak 52 for 3

8.6 overs: SIX! Sohaib Maqsood has brought this Dubai crowd back to life with that gigantic hit over the Long On boundary for six.

7.4 overs: OUT! What are they doing out there? Rizwan has now been cleaned up by Stephen Parry. Trying to heave it away for a massive hit, Rizwan missed the ball completely and is back in the pavilion now.

6 overs: Pak 32 for 3

5.1 overs: OUT! And Plunkett has finally put Rafatullah out of his misery. Pakistan are 25 for 3 already and don t seem to be knowing what they re doing out there.

Rafatullah hasn t timed even a single ball well enough as yet.

 

3.6 overs: OUT! Hafeez has hit that one well but straight to the only fielder patrolling the leg-side boundary. He departs after scoring 9 runs and Pakistan are in all sorts of trouble now with 22 for the loss of 2.

3 overs: Pak 17 for 1

2.6 overs: FOUR! That s classy by Mohammad Hafeez. Lovely flick off the pads and the ball races to the boundary.

1.3 overs: OUT! Sarfraz departs. He went over the top, trying to hit the maximum but ended up hitting it straight to Plunkett at Deep Backward Square Leg.

0.4 overs: Rafatullah flashed hard on the third ball and the ball went over the first Slip for FOUR!. The very next ball, he went for it again and this time, the keeper, Billings, got a hand to it but missed the chance. Rafatullah ran for two and just made it in time, diving full length to get to the crease before the ball was there. Pakistan 6 for no loss and there s plenty of action already.

Rafatullah has opened the innings for Pakistan along with Sarfraz and has almost lost his wicket thrice so far in 4 balls.

England innings

Ohh yes, definitely! Pakistan will have to bat extremely well to chase this down.

20 overs: Eng 160 for 5

England have batted brilliantly, especially considering they were 19 for 3 only in the 4th over. Morgan held the innings together scoring 45 runs off 38 balls while Vince and Billings sent Pakistan bowlers for many. Billings was superb. Pakistan now have to chase 161-run target and this is going to be tough.

19.6 overs: OUT! Billings is Run Out on the last ball of the innings as Morgan missed the ball and Sarfraz hits bull s eye as the batsmen try to sneak a run. England are 160 for 5 and the innings is over.

19.1 overs: And that s FIFTY for Billings off just 24 balls. This has been an exceptional innings and may even prove to be a match winner for the visitors. 

18.5 overs: Wahab Riaz takes the beating as England reach 150 mark. A FOUR! and a SIX! on the first 2 balls of the over. Billings has been brilliant.

18 overs: Eng 138 for 4

England are all set for a massive total now, as Omar S Bhatti had suggested earlier. 138 for 4 already and still 2 overs to go. Imran Khan Jr. has been taken to the cleaners in the 18th over.

17.3 overs: 2 boundaries and now a SIX! Imran Khan has been billed heavily by Billings.

16.1 overs: And Imran Khan (Jnr) has dropped a sitter here. No pace in the ball, got both the hands to it and then dropped it. Ridiculous!

15 overs: Eng 101 for 4

14.5 overs: England are 100 up. They ve lost 4 wickets in the process but it is a phenomenal recovery after losing 3 wickets for just 19 runs. And Morgan is still there, batting extremely well.

 

13.6 overs: OUT! Wahab Riaz has knocked Vince over. It was a fantastic comeback by the Pakistani pacer. After going for plenty in his first spell, he has given away only 1 run in this over and has now cleaned Vince up on the final ball of the over.

13.5 overs: Wahab Riaz has bowled this over brilliantly. Four dot balls and finally a single.

Good over for England. 14 runs came off it.

12.4 overs: FOUR! No mercy from Vince either. He has also swept it for a boundary.

12.2 overs: SIX! Skipper is being punished here by his English counterpart. Morgan has slammed it into the crowds.

12 overs: Eng 80 for 3

England seem good to put a fairly competitive total if they continue like this. Despite losing first 3 wickets for just 19 runs, they seem placed quite well for 150 or even more. But couple of wickets can change things completely.

That s certainly coming from a Pakistani fan of Manchester United.

10.5 overs: FOUR! Lala should be thankful to Vince for not sending that one out of the park. Nice juicy full toss right in the slot and Vince has hammered that towards the mid-wicket boundary for four.

9 overs: Eng 56 for 3

England are now steadying the things up. Morgan seems to be in good touch. 

6 overs: Eng 40 for 3

Wahab Riaz goes for 15 runs including 3 boundaries. England finally have some breathing space. 

5.2 overs: Just enough bat on this one t

5.0 overs: FOUR! A welcome boundary for England as James Vince smashes Anwar Ali through the Covers.

It s up to Eoin Morgan now to hold this innings together and pave the way for England to score a reasonable total.

3.5 overs: OUT! England lose another one. Moeen Ali tries to hit Sohail Tanvir uppishly but hits it straight towards Umar Akmal who caught a clean catch as this one was traveling.

 

3 overs: Eng: 18 for 2

Pakistan fans are delighted.

2.3 overs: OUT! Hales is gone too. England lose their second wicket as Alex Hales, who had just got a new life in the last over has now edged it straight to Mid-Off where Shahid Afridi takes a simple catch. England 18 for 2 now.

Pakistan celebrate roy s departure

1.6 overs: OUT! And Roy is gone. He has misplayed it again and that goes right into Imran Khan (Jnr) s hands who was waiting at the Mid-On. England are 16 for 1.

Hales celebrated the new life with a boundary and a single. Jason Roy, the other opener also hits a boundary on the very next ball.

1.2 overs: Sohail Tanvir has dropped the first catch of the innings and that too twice on one ball. He banged it short and Hales had no idea wheat he wanted to do with it. Coming straight to Tanvir, the ball popped out of his hand and became much easier to catch since the first touch had taken the speed out of the ball but he overran a small step and found the ball heading straight into his eye. Under pressure, he dropped the catch.

Jason Roy and Alex Hales open the innings for England.

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