After the embarrassment of their English summer this was a welcome sight for Pakistan. A contest in front of their own, no Ollie Robinson to wobble down a lethal Dukes ball, and a format they are far more comfortable with. The result was an impressive victory against England, who fell 87 runs short in their first match of this one-day international tri-series.
At the centre was Arafat Minhas, playing only his fifth ODI but already making a serious splash, finishing with astounding figures of six for 40. Oh, and he can bat too. The 21-year-old began with a half-century from No 7, resuscitating Pakistan’s innings alongside another newcomer, Hasan Nawaz, as 81 for four turned into a total of 302.
