- Over by over updates from the second ODI as England chase 251 to beat Pakistan by four wickets
- Bustling Joe Root guides England to win and 2-0 series lead over Pakistan
Related: Bustling Joe Root guides England to win and 2-0 series lead over Pakistan
And just to wrap things up from Florida, West Indies have won a T20, in which 489 runs were scored, BY ONE RUN!
If your Ben Stokes’ dad, look away now...
Seems I've had a better day than my old man...great win today,bowers were excellent,@root66 and @Eoin16https://t.co/nq2oFtP0le
If you’re a Pakistan fan, look away now...
Pakistan last 11 ODIs versus England:
Lost
Lost
Lost
Lost
Lost
Won
Lost
Lost
Lost
Lost
Lost#Cricket#EngvPak
48th over: England 255-7 (Ali 21, Woakes 7) Woakes cuts away a short ball from Shah and that’s the ball game!
47th over: England 250-6 (Ali 20, Woakes 3) A single to Ali and then Woakes gets three with a skewed shot over the head of midwicket. A free hit, brought about by another third umpire spotted no ball, sees Ali edge a slower ball on the bounce through to Sarfraz Ahmed. What an anticlimax. Much like this game I supposed. A sharp single sees out the over. Even Moeen gestures that he would have been out with a direct hit...
46th over: England 242-6 (Ali 16, Woakes 0) Hmmmm just one from the over - a leg by from the first ball as Woakes drives straight to fielders or the bowler, Amir, who finishes his 10 overs. With Wahab done, too, Hasan Ali will return... England need 10 from the last four overs...
45th over: England 241-6 (Ali 16, Woakes 0) Asharp bouncer is negotiated by Ali for two. Off the top hand, mind, but they all count. Root goes for a brilliant innings that’s pretty much sealed the match. It’ll be left to Birmingham’s own Mo Ali and Chris Woakes.
Root tries to go over midwicket but gets a leading edge high into the north London sky... well taken by Shoaib Malik.
Super from Root. Now give him a nice big rest
Meanwhile, back in Florida, it looks like India are going to chase down 246! Scorecard here.
44th over: England 236-5 (Root 88, Ali 12) Moeen Ali drives through cover point for four to mean there are 16 runs left to get and 12 remaining for Joe Root’s ton. Interesting... Can’t imagine the Root will want Ali to keep his personal milestone in mind. Win the game.
43rd over: England 231-5 (Root 87, Ali 8) Good over from Riaz. Perhaps unlucky no to have Ali’s wicket given the movement he was getting, but it has given these two something to think about.
Moeen Ali is smacked on the pad with a huge in-ducker. The umpire raises the finger, Ali reviews and it turns out it swung a bit too much. Umpire’s call on impact and sliding down leg stump.
42nd over: England 231-5 (Root 86, Ali 8) Moeen Ali hit the most gorgeous extra cover drive off the last ball of Mohammad Amir’s over and now I can’t remember a time before it. Sorry. England need 21 from 48.
41st over: England 223-5 (Root 84, Ali 3) Wahab Riaz into the attack for his last three overs and immediately the team has a reward as Buttler goes without hitting a boundary. New man is Moeen Ali and Riaz immediately tries to shock him with a bumper. A yorker is flicked over square leg and, well, that’s a very sharp two... the bails are off but the replays show Ali is well in.
Root taps and goes, Buttler’s not ready and is caught short at the striker’s end by a good throw and direct hit from Yasir Shah.
40th over: England 219-4 (Root 83, Buttler 4) Joe Root hobbling up and down the crease. Luckily, it’s mostly been boundaries for the last half-an-hour. Four leg byes start the over as he fails to get bat on a ball aimed at his hip. Just 33 to get in the last 10. Plenty of time and runs for Root to nab a hundred. Unless Buttler has plans this evening.
39th over: England 212-4 (Root 81, Buttler 3) Shah is searching for the breakthrough here and giving the ball a good rip. But it means he’s loosing a bit of control and a delivery on leg stump is swept fine by Root for four.
38th over: England 204-4 (Root 75, Buttler 1) A fine counter-attack from Ben Stokes continues on with a brace of fours through midwicket. No muscle involved, just timing, as Hasan Ali strays onto leg stump. He gets some revenge though, bowling Stokes with one that nips back. Here’s Jos! England need 48 from 72.
Ben Stokes tries to finish it himself but is bowled trying to cart Hasan Ali into Maida Vale. Timber disturbed – Hasan Ali’s first ODI wicket...
37th over: England 194-3 (Root 74, Stokes 34) First six of the innings goes to Ben Stokes – Yasir Shah tosses one up and Stokes obliges, skipping down hitting back over the bowler’s head for a biggie!
36th over: England 184-3 (Root 72, Stokes 26) OOOOOOOSSSSSHHHH – what a delivery that was! Hasan Ali replaces Wahab Riaz and immediately gets one to lift on Ben Stokes. The batsman is all at sea and edges just over the head of slip, as he looks to play and evade at the same time. And a bit of history! A no ball is called by the third umpire, as part of the ICC’s new initiative to get them right. The free hit is a dot but delivery after is flicked around the corner for four.
35th over: England 174-3 (Root 73, Stokes 17) Root takes on some pills before the over, bringing curious looks from Imad Wasim and Yasir Shah. Think the Olympics has put everyone on edge. “Don’t worry,” says Root, “they’re just paracetamol.” Satisfied, everybody goes back to where they were and we get on with the over. Four from it.
34th over: England 170-3 (Root 70, Stokes 15) Tidy over from Riaz but the magic ball – the hooping inswinger to the left hander – ends up racing away for four as it does too much. He nearly gets it right with the final delivery (92mph!) but Stokes is quick enough to whip it off his two for two.
33rd over: England 161-3 (Root 68, Stokes 8) Stokes gets his first boundary as Imad strays onto the left-handers pads and is swept brutally through square leg for four. Root decides to take the delicate approach, switching grip and dabbing the left-arm spinner to third man.
32nd over: England 152-3 (Root 65, Stokes 3) A fine shot to the fourth ball of a solid over from Riaz. The left-armer, still around the wicket, bowls into Root’s pads and is clipped through midwicket for an easy three.
31st over: England 148-3 (Root 62, Stokes 1) Morgan goes, falling to a shot he had nailed previously. Perhaps it was fuller than the previous delivery – he certainly seemed rushed as he went through with the failed attempt to pierce extra cover. Ben Stokes is the new man in and gets off the mark with a single from his second delivery.
A breakthrough for Pakistan, as Morgan tries to give himself room by moving leg side of a full ball but doesn’t anticipate the extra pace on the ball. Bowled.
30th over: England 146-2 (Root 61, Morgan 68) Unsurprisingly, with a whiff of reverse in the air, Azhar Ali tosses the ball to Wahab Riaz. He was warned for running on the pitch in his earlier spell and, after two balls, umpire Erasmus is casting a glare at that danger zone. As a result, Riaz decides to come around the wicket. Not ideal, but it’ll at least ensure he’s not pulled form the attack. Two runs from the over. England require 106 from the last 20 overs.
29th over: England 144-2 (Morgan 67, Root 60) Imad Wasim comes in and, despite getting the ball to hurry on, Morgan is able to give himself room and smash in front of point for four through extra cover. Hasan Ali, patrolling the cover fence, can’t get anywhere near it. Looks like he’s cramped up, too, has Ali.
Seven fours in @eoin16's 30th ODI half century. ENG 136-2 (28.1) #highlightshttps://t.co/0PSv6Dewl7
28th over: England 134-2 (Root 57, Morgan 60) Amir to continue – Pakistan in desperate need of a wicket – and it’s a maiden. Whisper it, but it looks like the ball is beginning to reverse...
27th over: England 134-2 (Root 57, Morgan 60) Vintage Morgan as he reverse sweeps Yasir Shah over fine leg for four. Remember when he used to do that for fun? Off quicks, too...
26th over: England 128-2 (Root 56, Morgan 55) Warm applause for Morgan as he cuts down to third man to move to fifty off 63 balls. The over ends with a full toss hooping into Morgan that tickles around the corner, under Sarfraz Ahmed, for four.
25th over: England 120-2 (Root 55, Morgan 48) You can sense, throughout the over, that Root, the dressing room and everyone else in the ground knows how important a Eoin Morgan half-century is. He finishes the over on 48, while Joe Root nearly causes himself a mischief as he sweeps over the ball but, luckily, gets an under-edge on the ball before it hits his front pad.
24th over: England 115-2 (Root 54, Morgan 46) A delay to the start of this over – Amir’s bowling it by the way – because Eoin Morgan has something in his eye. Liam Dawson, 12th man, gave Morgan’s eye a look but couldn’t do anything to help. Pfffft some allrounder he is.
#highlights of @root66 classy 16th ODI half century. ENG 111-2 (23) #ENGvPAKhttps://t.co/K5IHfNpdBd
23rd over: England 111-2 (Root 52, Morgan 44) An optimistic shout of “CATCH!” as Morgan gets on one knee and smashes Yasir Shah square for four. The partnership going well, too – currently 76 off 84.
22nd over: England (Root 50, Morgan 38) Better off Shoaib Malik this time as the pair rotate the strike before Morgan thumps Malik through midwicket, all along the floor for four. Root gets to 50 off 56 balls.
21st over: England 83-2 (Root 46, Morgan 33) Morgan drops one into the leg side and sets off for what looks a boneheaded single. Had square leg hit, he’d have been out at the nonstriker’s end by a few yards. Both these batsmen are looking comfortable, right until they start working together.
20th over: England 89-2 (Root 43, Morgan 31) Shoaib Malik into the attack. Pace off the ball is the way it’s going to be for foreseeable future. Just a single from this one.
19th over: England 87-2 (Root 42, Morgan 31) Root sweeps Shah hard away to the square leg boundary, while Morgan decides to dab for a couple. Their collective seven is a sound over’s work.
18th over: England 80-2 (Root 37, Morgan 29) It’s like déjà vu all over again as Wahab Riaz is warned for running on the pitch. “I get the impression that he talks a lot but doesn’t listen,” says Nasser Hussain, as my Georgraphy teacher’s parents evening comments come screaming back to me.
17th over: England 77-2 (Root 25, Morgan 28) Yasir Shah into the attack and immediately he gets on the back foot and times brilliantly through midwicket for three. Back in Florida...
Projected scores in a T20s game. pic.twitter.com/sUkFIhUrDn
Drinks here. An opportunity to draw your attention to goings on in Lauderhill, Florida. No, the Guardian don’t have an X-Games live blog running, but West Indies are hosting India in a T20 there. West Indies are currently 189-1 after 14 overs and Evin Lewis, whose only previous T20i returned a duck, is 97 off 45 balls...
16th over: England 72-2 (Root 31, Morgan 27) Riaz bangs one short again and Morgan is “in” enough to hook just behind square on the leg side for four. But still, there’s enough to keep Riaz and Pakistan interested as he tries to pull another but misses completely. Seems that he misjudged the length, too.
15th over: England 66-2 (Root 30, Morgan 22) A four through cover looks to have Morgan settled until he nearly repeats his error of the first ODI and almost runs out Root! Luckily, the throw from short fine leg is wide of the stumps...
14th over: England 58-2 (Root 29, Morgan 15) Morgan gets another short ball from Wahab and this time he uses his bat rather than his glove to work it away, fine, for four. The rest of the over is spent being wary of the full delivery. Good contest between these two southpaws...
13th over: England 53-2 (Root 28, Morgan 11) A first boundary to Morgan, but hardly convincing. He gets the reverse sweep out and gets just a smidge of bat on the delivery from Wasim, which just beats Sarfraz’s left pad.
12th over: England 47-2 (Root 27, Morgan 6) Here we go – Wahab Riaz, crusher of dreams, is into the attack and immediately testing Eoin Morgan’s nerve. His first delivery to the England captain rears up at forehead height and Morgan fends it away behind square on the leg side. Luckily, there’s not a fielder in sight.
11th over: England 41-2 (Root 23, Morgan 4) The action looks innocuous and flawed, by Imad Wasim’s able to get enough pace and grip on the ball to keep Root and Morgan on the crease. Another tidy over – two from it.
10th over: England 39-2 (Root 22, Morgan 3) Just four from the final Power Play over. I think you’d probably hand that to Pakistan. Hasan Ali, after a poor first over, corrected his lines and length. Both openers back in the hutch, 213 needed from 40 overs. Good game we’ve got here...
If you have kids with you, tell them to look away now
WICKET: Imad bowls Hales for 14. ENG 35-2 (9): https://t.co/XbFzNuRrnwhttps://t.co/bhmlhZgZkX
9th over: England 35-2 (Root 21, Morgan 0) Time for some turn, as Imad Wasim, who nabbed 63 and a dead knee in the first innings, comes on with some left-arm spin. He strikes with his fifth ball as Hales, stuck in a rut, heaves across the line and is bowled. Two runs and a wicket.
It was coming... a straight delivery and Hales wipes across the line and is bowled. Garbage shot, that.
8th over: England 33-1 (Hales 13, Root 20) Oooooooo Hasan does Hales on the inside edge, having just pushed him back with a delivery that went the other way. He pinches a single into midwicket but Hales is struggling. Root finds two to midwicket to finish the over.
7th over: England 30-1 (Hales 12, Root 18) Amir strays onto Hales hip again and this time is worked beyond fine leg, who is up in the 30-yard circle. Four. Amir livid.
6th over: England 24-1 (Hales 7, Root 17) Nevermind, TH is back. To be fair, Hasan is giving him no width whatsoever, but Hales makes no attempt to manufacture a single. The over ends with TH trying to drive square and missing. One from the over.
5th over: England 24-1 (Hales 7, Root 16) Just as I was starting to wonder if Test Hales – the one who ambles around for a few overs and then nicks off – had kidnapped White Ball Hales and handcuffed him to a radiator, the man in question plays a lovely controlled pull through square leg for four.
4th over: England 18-1 (Hales 3, Root 15) Safe to say that Hasan Ali has learned his lesson after the previous over: brings his length back and zips a couple passed the outside edge. Root ensures the 22-year-old has a bit more to think about by stepping down the pitch and punching him through extra cover for four. That was class.
3rd over: England 13-1 (Hales 3, Root 10) Just a single apiece. Both are very wary of Amir, as if he’s the Artful Dodger giving them a security check at the airport.
2nd over: England 11-1 (Hales 2, Root 9) The chants of “Amir! Amir!” make way for “Roooooooooooooooooot” as Joe blitzes Hasan Ali through cover point for two consecutive fours, off the front and then the back foot.
1st over: England 3-1 (Hales 2, Root 1) Chants of “Amir! Amir!” ring around HQ as the left-armer sees off Jason Roy with the second ball of the innings. Looks like Roy was anticipating some movement away that never came. Joe Root dashes a single into the off side before Alex Hales punches two off the back foot through cover point.
Oh my... Amir has uprooted Jason Roy’s leg stump, via a healthy inside edge!
The rains have stopped! The umpires have ushered away the covers and play is due to commence...
Back to the Plunkett love-in, here’s an interview with him from last week. He spoke to the Guardian’s Paul Weaver:
“As I get older I learn to look after my body better. I eat better, think smarter, and it’s paid off because I feel better than I’ve ever done. I want to get more powerful and quicker and I think I can do that, though I’ll have to work hard at it. Mitchell Johnson was at his best at 32-33. I feel I’m in the best nick I’ve ever been in, the quickest bowler in the country when it all clicks, and can get better still.”
Related: Liam Plunkett: ‘I am the fastest bowler in England but I can be quicker’
Some bad news from Lord’s brought to you, well, by Lord’s...
Oh dear, from nowhere there's a sudden flurry of rain, and we won't be restarting on time ☹️ Let's hope it clears soon. #EngvPak
“Just joining, Vish,” writes William Hargreaves. “Brew in hand, curtains not drawn and Etta James might have to wait, but thanks for the tip to watch the Plunkett catch - a beaut!” He has previous, does Plunkett. Here’s one he took earlier this summer, off his own bowling, to remove Darren Stevens in the quarter-finals of the Royal London Cup...
Afternoon all! Vish here to bring you the England chase. Pakistan’s 251 should be a doddle on this track. I’d say they’re about 50 short. That being said, Pakistan have good memories of running through England here in the first Test and could ramp up the pressure on Alex Hales and Eoin Morgan, who are seriously short of runs. In the meantime, make yourself a brew, close the curtains, put on some Etta James and watch Liam Plunkett’s catch on loop...
WATCH: He leaps like a salmon for a big man. Amazing catch @liam628https://t.co/0oZPf6mgUW
It’s been a riveting day so far, a sort of triple duel between England’s gang of proper fast bowlers and Pakistan’s spirited middle order of Sarfraz, Shoaib and Imad. The England triumvirate look like being on the winning side again, but you never know. Vish will be here shortly to see what happens next.
So Pakistan get their 250, which is a rousing recovery from the depths of 2-3. England made a scintillating start, but then Morgan rather took his foot off the throat. Wood, Woakes and Plunkett finish with 8-138, Rashid and Moeen with 1-105, so maybe it was the selection that was at fault: should Chris Jordan have played?
50th over: Pakistan 251 all out (Imad 63) Amir chips a nonchalant four over mid-of before being run out off the last ball as he and Imad end up at the same set of stumps. Imad has done well though, joining Sarfraz in making a game of it.
49th over: Pakistan 245-9 (Imad 62, Amir 2) Nine off the over from Woakes as Imad flips a nice four over his shoulder to the long-stop boundary. He has grown up in front of our eyes in this innings.
@TimdeLisle Just realised they to don't do 'What happened next?' anymore. God, and I thought Brexit was bad... What is the world coming to?
Yasir hits Wood straight up in the air. A bit brainless.
48th over: Pakistan 236-8 (Imad 56, Yasir 0) Woakes returns, Wahab plays a classy cover-drive for four, and Imad is struck on the knee trying to play a ramp-lap from somewhere near cover point. Painfully funny. Then Wahab departs, felled by a moment of inspiration from Plunkett.
An email arrives from Adam Hirst. “Did you notice Buttler turning Ali around to look at his number, then showing him a red card?” I didn’t.
Wahab flays Woakes’s slower ball into the covers and Liam Punkett flies through the air with the greatest of ease to swallow it.
47th over: Pakistan 229-7 (Imad 55, Wahab 1) Wood returns and Imad backs away so far, he takes one ball on the backside, in a vignette that may end up on A Question of Sport. The batsmen scrabble a few to keep 250 in their sights.
46th over: Pakistan 223-7 (Imad 51, Wahab Riaz 0) At last! Imad slashes Plunkett for six, clubs him for a straight four, and then threads him for four more through extra cover. He loses Hasan, but as Hasan was the sleeping partner, that may even be in Pakistan’s best interests.
Hasan chips Plunkett, Root races in, so does Rashid, they collide, but Root clings on. A brave catch as well as a fine one.
45th over: Pakistan 208-6 (Imad 36, Hasan Ali 0) Another three-run over, from Rashid. These young Pakistanis seem to think it’s a 60-over game.
A curio, this: Imad plays the ball down and Buttler snaffles it, one hand one bounce, in the great beach-cricket tradition. Unlike on the beach, he asks for a review, thinking the ricochet might have been off Imad’s boot. It wasn’t.
44th over: Pakistan 204-6 (Imad 32, Hasan Ali 0) Plunkett restricts the batsmen to three. Another little misfield, from Moeen: England have been oddly untidy. Hasan Ali is an allrounder, playing his second one-dayer, who is officially 22 but looks about 15.
43rd over: Pakistan 202-6 (Imad 31, Hasan Ali 0) Without Sarfraz, Pakistan made 2-3. With him, 200-3. What can they manage without him now?
Sarfraz finally goes, holing out to Hales at deep square. A flat end to a fabulous innings.
42nd over: Pakistan 198-5 (Sarfraz 103, Imad 29) Sarfraz survives, which is good for the game and great for Pakistan. He is their first one-day centurion at Lord’s.
It was missing leg stump. Well played Sarfraz, again.
For LBW – Sarfraz was given out on the field. He’s not happy.
Sarfraz Ahmed flicks Plunkett off his hip for four and goes to a superb century, his second in one-day internationals. And he came in at 2-3.
41st over: Pakistan 191-5 (Sarfraz 97, Imad 28) Adil Rashid returns and concedes only four.
40th over: Pakistan 187-5 (Sarfraz 95, Imad 26) Imad is away now, chipping Moeen over mid-on for four. Moeen finishes with 0-53 and deserves a little better.
"If you were an England cricketer, would you go to Bangladesh?" The dangerous moment is crossing the carpark at the airport @TimdeLisle
39th over: Pakistan 177-5 (Sarfraz 93, Imad 18) Facing Woakes, Imad plays like a tailender, either missing or edging. But then he suddenly finds his feet, latching on a short one and pulling it to the midwicket boundary, with a sound like a gentle gunshot. That’s his first four.
38th over: Pakistan 170-5 (Sarfraz 91, Imad 13) Imad fluffs another attempted big hit, slogging Moeen close to long-off’s right hand. Sarfraz remains serene. The Wasp is saying Pakistan will get 248, which should give them a chance.
37th over: Pakistan 165-5 (Sarfraz 89, Imad 10) Imad has barely made a run in one-day internationals except for a 61* against Zimbabwe, and it shows. But Sarfraz can cope. They’ve added 40 off 10 overs or so.
36th over: Pakistan 162-5 (Sarfraz 87, Imad 9) Imad, facing Moeen, tries to deliver that big shot but merely mis-times an off drive for a single. There’s another misfield in the deep, from Woakes this time, just to prove that he’s human.
35th over: Pakistan 157-5 (Sarfraz 83, Imad 8) Chris Woakes comes back, springy as ever. You couldn’t wish for a bouncier trio than Woakes, Wood and Plunkett. Imad gets away with a loose flash wide of slip. He has only 8 off 24 balls and needs to find some big shots. Meanwhile, a self-deprecating tweet comes in.
@TimdeLisle Don't the Stones only date blondes? If so, Thatcher would've been be more up his street. I do apologise for that thought worm.
We have a game, thanks to one man – Sarfraz Ahmed. He has 79 off 99 balls.
34th over: Pakistan 150-5 (Sarfraz 78, Imad 6) Sarfraz goes down the track for the umpteenth time, and gets it wrong for the first time, failing to reach the pitch as Moeen drags his length back – but he adjusts so well that he still gets four, with an improvised loft-waft over mid-off. He has been the man of the match so far, pipping even the pacemen.
33rd over: Pakistan 146-5 (Sarfraz 74, Imad 6) Sarfraz knows he has to get a hundred here, so Plunkett keeps him quietish. The only thing making any noise is the odd MCC member’s outfit. Those colours of theirs are lovably hideous.
@TimdeLisle Any sign of Jeremy Corbyn? Probably sitting on the floor.
32nd over: Pakistan 142-5 (Sarfraz 71, Imad 4) Moeen, fast becoming Morgan’s favourite spinner, continues. Sarfraz has a mow, and Jason Roy, diving at deep midwicket, misfields, so it’s four. Sarfraz then attempts a reverse sweep and misses. A rare chance to say: bad cricket all round.
31st over: Pakistan 135-5 (Sarfraz 66, Imad 3) Liam Plunkett replaces Wood, which is the dictionary definition of like-for-like. He finds some inswing but doesn’t trouble Sarfraz, who likes it on his pads. For Imad, who is left-handed, it’s outswing, and he plays and misses with an airy waft.
30th over: Pakistan 132-5 (Sarfraz 64, Imad 2) More tidiness from Moeen, but the batsmen find ways to nick a single. The ground is so quiet you could hear a champagne cork pop, which is tricky for the more affluent spectator as MCC has said it is outlawing the practice on the grounds that it’s a danger to the players. Cue harrumphing from Ian Botham.
29th over: Pakistan 129-5 (Sarfraz 62, Imad 1) Another one-run over, bowled by Wood. Pakistan have worked out that this is now all about whether they can stick around long enough to use the full 50 overs.
28th over: Pakistan 128-5 (Sarfraz 61, Imad Wasim 1) Moeen is now so used to being under fire that it doesn’t bother him. He turns in his second good over in a row and concedes only a single. Time to ponder wider issues: if you were an England cricketer, would you go to Bangladesh?
27th over: Pakistan 127-5 (Sarfraz 60, Imad Wasim 1) Wood has his second wicket, and England’s three quicks have a five-for between them: 5-65 off 17 overs, whereas the spinners have 0-57 off 10. Different class.
Meanwhile, watching in the stands are a Rolling Stone and a prime minister: Charlie Watts and Theresa May. Not together.
The switch to Wood brings its reward as Shoaib, pinned back by the extra bounce, nicks one to give Buttler a comfortable catch.
26th over: Pakistan 124-4 (Sarfraz 58, Shoaib 28) A fine over from Moeen goes for just a single. “Does Sarfraz have his name spelt wrong on his shirt?” wonders Andrew Goudie. “It’s not such a howler as LA Galaxy thinking their new singing was Steven Gerrad.” Indeed not, but sitting here at The Guardian, I get a vague feeling that I may be in a glass house.
25th over: Pakistan 123-4 (Sarfraz 57, Shoaib 28) Eoin Morgan hears my plea and brings back Mark Wood. Nasser Hussain detects some reverse swing. Is the collapse about to resume? Not if Sarfraz has anything to do with it: he chips the ball over the infield like Wayne Rooney on a good day.
24th over: Pakistan 122-4 (Sarfraz 56, Shoaib 28) Moeen beats Shoaib outside off with his arm ball, but then concedes four as Shoaib places a cut with surgical skill. Then there are a couple of singles. Come on Eoin, do something.
23rd over: Pakistan 116-4 (Sarfraz 55, Shoaib 23) Rashid continues, so England have spin at both ends, when they should have it at neither. Maybe Eoin Morgan wants to see a full day’s play. A few more singles, a two, and another fifty partnership, off 56 balls.
22nd over: Pakistan 111-4 (Sarfraz 52, Shoaib 21) Moeen Ali comes on from the Nursery end and immediately elicits a leading edge from Sarfraz, who plays for spin that isn’t there. He gets a single for it, whereupon Shoaib helps himself to a six with a lofted off-drive. Pakistan’s policy remains in place from the Test series: if in doubt, have a mow at Mo.
21st over: Pakistan 101-4 (Sarfraz 50, Shoaib 13) Right on cue, Sarfraz plays the first big hit of the whole innings, lofting Rashid towards the Tavern for four. He pokes a single to cover to reach a fine fifty off 61 balls. Even England fans may well be willing him to get fifty more.
20th over: Pakistan 93-4 (Sarfraz 44, Shoaib 11) Not even Plunkett’s pace is making things happen. There hasn’t been a boundary for ten overs now, but Pakistan have kept the scoreboard ticking through Sarfraz’s energy.
19th over: Pakistan 90-4 (Sarfraz 43, Shoaib 9) Even this match may have its quiet middle overs. Shoaib Malik, after a sedate start, does his best to enliven them with a lovely late cut for three, poaching Rashid’s googly out of Buttler’s gloves.
18th over: Pakistan 84-4 (Sarfraz 41, Shoaib 5) Sarfraz is still dancing down the pitch to Plunkett and working him into the leg side, like a cut-price Viv Richards.
An email lands from Trevor Smith. “Ditch Hales,” he urges, “and give Bairstow a bash at the top of the order – can’t drop Stokes.” That’s the sort of interesting innovation that selectors never seem to go for. It’s true that Stokes has a touch of the talisman about him – but then so does Bairstow.
17th over: Pakistan 79-4 (Sarfraz 37, Shoaib 4) Rashid continues to hand out the singles. You wonder if Morgan just wants to give him a good bowl in a relatively gentle situation.
16th over: Pakistan 74-4 (Sarfraz 34, Shoaib 2) Three off the over from Plunkett, and the only talking point is this:
Proper Jimmy McNulty five o'clock shadow beard from Liam Plunkett. You have to say that's superb #EngvPak
Pakistan have done extremely well to recover from 2-3. England’s opening bowlers did extremely well to get them there. Lord’s is getting some excellent entertainment.
15th over: Pakistan 71-4 (Sarfraz 33, Shoaib 1) A few singles off Rashid. If Morgan wants to go for the kill here, he should take Rashid off and bring back Woakes.
14th over: Pakistan 68-4 (Sarfraz 34, Shoaib 0) So Plunkett joins in the fun and a superb counter-attack is halted. The partnership between Babar and Sarfraz was 64 off 63 balls. Sarfraz is great at making 40 when it’s needed, but can he make 140?
@TimdeLisle Sarfraz or Sarfaraz? Surely not a misspell on his shirt.
Plunkett keeps bowling yorkers, and it pays off as Babar is late with a defensive prod. He played beautifully while he lasted.
13th over: Pakistan 64-3 (Babar 29, Sarfraz 28) More milking of Rashid. England could do with Ben Stokes, who is playing purely as a batsman, and flattered by it, admirable as he is in most ways. Isn’t Jonny Bairstow, at this moment, the better batter?
12th over: Pakistan 58-3 (Babar 25, Sarfraz 26) Liam Plunkett replaces Woakes. Sarfraz comes down the track to his first ball too – it’s his signature manoeuvre, and a sure sign of fearlessness against a bowler of Plunkett’s pace. The batsmen take a few ones and twos. The fifty partnership comes up, off only 49 balls, and it’s worth a hundred. The Wasp, which makes predictions so that mugs like us don’t have to, is saying Pakistan will make 240. Not sure about that.
11th over: Pakistan 51-3 (Babar 25, Sarfraz 18) Morgan turns to spin, in the form of Adil Rashid. The batsmen seize their chance for a little light milking. Sarfraz dances down the track to his first ball and pushes confidently to long-off for a single. Babar takes a single through the covers, then Sarfraz pulls straight past the standing umpire for two. Game on, just.
10th over: Pakistan 46-3 (Babar 24, Sarfraz 15) Someone had to spoil Woakes’s figures, and Babar is more than up to the task, off-driving for four and then easing a good ball past cover’s left hand for four more. He has 24 from only 23 balls. If he carries on like this, the sub-editors’ eyes are going to light up and there’ll be an elephant on the page.
9th over: Pakistan 38-3 (Babar 16, Sarfraz 15) Another feast as Wood bowls a full length but strays leg-stump-ish. Babar plays a wristy flick for three, and Sarfraz, less wristy, follows suit for two, before pulling for four. Out of despair, hope for Pakistan.
8th over: Pakistan 28-3 (Babar 13, Sarfraz 8) Sarfraz survievs another LBW appeal – only brushing the leg bail, so it would have been umpire’s call if England had reviewed. Woakes has been almost as good as his figures, 4-2-7-2, would suggest, but Babar finds a way to middle a cover drive. On Sky, Nick Knight describes the close field, two slips and a gully, as “very attacking”, which is very puzzling.
Here comes John Starbuck, picking up on my aside about Mark Wood (1st over, below). “If the imaginary horse does show up today, TMS has Aggers back on commentary, all ready to criticise it as dressage exercise, now he’s become such an expert. Looks like someone’s been plotting this.”
7th over: Pakistan 22-3 (Babar 9, Sarfraz 7) A bouncer from Wood hands Pakistan four byes, each batsman pushes a single, and then Babar cuts for four. He looks well cast in the role of the boy stood on the burning deck.
6th over: Pakistan 12-3 (Babar 4, Sarfraz 6) A maiden from Woakes, who has primary-school figures of 3-2-1-2. Sarfraz lives dangerously, surviving a yorker only by inside-edging it into his ankle. England have three slips, and you wonder why they don’t have five.
There’s hardly been time for an email, but here’s one from Neil Withers. “It’s 11 years to the day since the greatest moment in cricket history,” he notes. “Gary Pratt running out Ricky Ponting. Happy ‘cheating effing cees’ day everyone!”
5th over: Pakistan 12-3 (Babar 4, Sarfraz 6) Sarfraz lives up to his billing by punching Wood through the covers for the first four of the day, and Babar joins in with a Joe Root back-foot drive, also for four. After the first four overs, this is a feast.
4th over: Pakistan 3-3 (Babar 0, Sarfraz 1) Sarfraz Ahmed, a handy bustling No.7, has come out at No.5 and it’s not even 11 o’clock yet. If anyone can counter-attack their way out of this, he can. He gets off the mark by wafting Woakes just wide of Stokes at slip. The crowd are cheering England, but they won’t have much of a day if this continues.
Big queues outside Lord's North Gate 20 mins before the start with not many in the ground. Why are we starting at 10.30am? @TimdeLisle
Woakes’s golden arm produces a peach – bouncing, moving away, taking the edge. The score looks awful, but two of the three deliveries were unplayable.
3rd over: Pakistan 2-2 (Azhar 0, Babar 0) Wood beats Babar Azam outside off. Morgan posts a short leg.
A fast length ball from Mark Wood pitches outside leg, confounds Sharjeel and doesn’t so much hit the off bail as destroy it. A great sight and sound for the crowd, but a drag for the game – Pakistan are already in deep trouble.
2nd over: Pakistan 2-1 (Sharjeel 0, Azhar Ali 0) So Sami is snookered by Snicko and Simon Fry, the third umpire, and Chris Woakes has a wicket maiden. His golden summer just carries on.
Sami is gone, caught behind, on the grounds that the TV umpire saw “a tiny little spike” as the ball passed the glove. Whether that was enough to eliminate any doubt is another matter.
England reckon Chris Woakes has got Sami Aslam, strangled down the leg side.Looks optimistic...
1st over: Pakistan 2-0 (Sami 1, Sharjeel 0) Mark Wood opens up and his imaginary horse nearly gets an early outing as Sami Aslam plays outside a length ball, but Jos Buttler fumbles it anyway. The only runs are a wide and a nurdle to long leg.
Pakistan’s coach, Mickey Arthur, reacted to defeat by wielding the stick more than the carrot, and sure enough he’s made three changes. Sami Aslam replaces Mohammad Hafeez, just as he did halfway through the Test series; Yasir Shah, Pakistan’s London ace, trumps Mohammad Nawaz; and Hasan Ali comes in for Umar Gul. Hasan is so little-known that our friends at Cricinfo link to a profile of a man of 48. Well, it works for Misbah.
Azhar Ali wins it and decides that Pakistan will bat first. Eoin Morgan says he would have bowled anyway, so both captains are happy. There’s a tinge of green in the pitch, and a shimmer of rain in the air. England’s seamers, now with added pace from Mark Wood, could enjoy this.
Morning everyone. The sun is out, the sky is blue, and to be an England fan is to feel a rare sensation: vertigo, because your team are playing so well. On Wednesday they went 1-0 up in this five-match series without a run from Jos Buttler or anything at all from Jonny Bairstow, who has now been handed back to Yorkshire. To be a Pakistan fan is, as so often, to be experiencing two extremes at once – top of the world in Tests, languishing at ninth in the 50-over game. And to be a neutral is to be hoping for a Pakistan win today, so the series doesn’t become a procession.
The central figure in the drama looks like being a man whose entrance has been delayed: Yasir Shah, Pakistan’s big-grinning, leg-spinning record-breaker. In the Test series he was a superstar in London, a spear-carrier everywhere else. So there was a certain logic to his being left out at the Ageas Bowl and held back for Lord’s, where he took ten wickets in the first Test, most of them with straight balls (four bowled, four LBW). But then today he will be facing a team with something missing from England’s Test side: a middle order.
Vish will be here shortly.
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