That’s it from me. Unfortunately my feed didn’t have the post match presentations. Apologies for that. Will rectify that come Sunday as I’ll be watching on from a different venue. Keep an eye out for Andy Bull’s report which should be with you shortly.
The series is still in the balance with England edging it 2-1 at present. If they play like this, they’ll walk the rest. No guarantees though. Bring on Sunday!
Here’s the report from the game:
Updated
That was emphatic by England. After losing by 10 wickets last night, the tourist roared back with a crushing 63 run win built by three batters who bolster England’s depth. The first was debutant Will Jacks who opened the batting and unfurled 44 off 22 balls. Then Ben Ducket swept his way to an unbeaten 70 in an unbroken stand of 139 for the fourth wicket alongside Harry Brook, the star of the show with a blistering 81 off 35 balls. He is surely nailed on for that number five slot at the World Cup.
Pakistan needed their star openers to replicate last night’s heroics but it wasn’t to be. Mark Wood’s extra pace saw to Babar Azam – caught at deep third – and Reece Topley bowled Mohammad Rizwan.
Wood would collect another two scalps with Adil Rashid underlining his worth with two of his own. Shan Masood’s counterattacking 66 not-out off 40 balls was commendable, but immaterial. England were simply too strong.
Silver linings
The only positive tonight for Pakistan - Shan Masood's batting and proof that he can support Babar and Rizwan in the current T20I batting line-up #PAKvENG #Cricket
— Saj Sadiq (@SajSadiqCricket) September 23, 2022
England win by 63 runs as Pakistan falter to 158-8
That is emphatic from England as they go 2-1 in the series. Topley’s final over goes for nine with the last ball carved to the cover boundary by Hasnain.
Shan Masood ends unbeaten on 66 off 40 balls. That would ordinarily deserve more attention but it wasn’t enough as England’s bowlers backed up their batters and bagged early wickets.
20th over: Pakistan 158-8 (Shan 66, Hasnain 6)
19th over: Pakistan 149-8 (Shan 63, Hasnain 0) Wood closes out with figures of 3-25 from his four overs. Four of those runs came courtesy of an outside edge from Rauf but the next ball was skied and ended in his demise. Oh, also a run-out in that over. A good one for England.
WICKET! Rauf c Curran b Wood 4 (Pakistan 149-8)
Wood deserves all the wickets. Maybe not all, but a few at least. There’s one more. It’s a wild slog that catches the edge of Rauf’s swinging blade and Curran takes the easy catch in the ring on the off side.
Updated
“Former 80s/90s NZ batsman and arguably the original early doors blaster during the 1992 ODI wotld cup. A lame nickname from his own name, simply “Batch”. But the Aussies did better, always referring to him as “Scones””
That’s from Bernards Ben. Nice addition, mate.
WICKET! Qadir run-out (Ali) 0 (Pakistan 143-7)
That’s lazy running to be frank. It’s tip and run for Qadir from his first ball and the England skipper collects and underarms it straight at the stumps at the bowler’s end. Clinical.
WICKET! Nawaz c Brook b Rashid 19 (Pakistan 142-6)
Fair enough. Nawaz looks to plonk Rashid’s final ball of the game for six down the ground but the bat turns in his hand so he doesn’t catch it in the meat. It loops tamely to Brook down at long off and he pouches it without fuss.
Earlier in the over Shan creamed a six over cow corner.
That’s figures of 2-32 for Rashid. Handy.
18th over: Pakistan 142-6 (Shan 61, Qadir 0)
Updated
There’s a review for lbw. Shan is reverse sweeping and I thought it hit the bat but Rashid is convinced it hasn’t. Definitely bat. We move.
17th over: Pakistan 133-5 (Shan 54, Nawaz 18) Topley back at it and he keeps it tidy. No boundaries, four singles and a two. We’re sleepwalking to the close here.
Matt Guthrie from Phoenix Arizona os doing his bit:
“Alan “Windsor” Knott
Geoff “Benedict” Arnold (infamous Revolutionary War traitor)
Michael Vaughn “Williams”
“You know nothing” John Snow”
16th over: Pakistan 127-5 (Shan 50, Nawaz 16) Shan Masood brings up his first T20 international 50 by welting Curran for six with a flat bat over long on. It’s a cracking knock regardless of the context. Unfortunately context matters and it’s almost completely irrelevant. That was an untidy set from Curran that included two wides and cost 12. But with the required rate now above 25, it’s no biggie.
Anyone want to help with my award winning piece?
John Starbuck is happy to do so:
“With that assembly of nicknames it might be worth doing a piece on nicknames in general, but sports in particular. You could distinguish between those provided by team-mates and those dubbed by the crowd/audience. This idea needs work, but why not?”
Keep ‘em coming folks.
15th over: Pakistan 115-5 (Shan 41, Nawaz 15) Not the best return for Wood who has maybe lost a little bit of that zip from earlier. Not sure. I don’t trust the speed gun. Either way Nawaz helps himself to two fours, one with a dab off his hips and the other with a belligerent ping through extra cover on the charge. That second one was really sumptuous.
Re nicknames. I’m getting a few that are quite rude. They’re brilliant. I’m just not sure if I can share them. But please do keep them coming. I’m loving them!
14th over: Pakistan 105-5 (Shan 41, Nawaz 5) Shan Masood has quietly gone to the 40s from just 24 balls. Sadly it’s not enough. And with the returning Curran conceding just five runs from this over – all in singles – few will remember this knock, even if he gets to his fifty.
13th over: Pakistan 99-5 (Shan 38, Nawaz 2) Tidy from Moeen who is now just accelerating things to their inevitable conclusion. A four to start from a galloping Shan who carves it past long off but then it’s neat with five more from the set.
On nicknames, here’s a cracker from my Guardian colleague, John Windmill.
“Not cricket related but still one of the best nicknames, Billy Twelvetrees or 36 to his pals.”
Get it? 12-threes.
12th over: Pakistan 91-5 (Shan 33, Nawaz 0) A first wicket of the night for Rashid who is one of the most difficult bowlers to face in these circumstances. Three singles and a leg-bye before that wicket forced Khushdil’s hand and he lost his head trying to launch the ball into orbit. Tough ask for the new man Mohammad Nawaz.
WICKET! Khusdhil c Brook b Rashid 29 (Pakistan 90-5)
That was always on the cards. Pakistan basically need at least one six an over. And with four balls having already passed without a boundary, Khushdil tries to force one off Rashid. He gets his body in a tangle and skies it for Brook who takes an easy catch. Looked the googly which wasn’t picked. Five to go for England.
Updated
11th over: Pakistan 86-4 (Shan 31, Khushdil 27) So close to a wicket. Inches in it. Ali’s final ball is heaved towards the leg side and Duckett positions himself under it But it just evades his grasp as it goes over his head for six. Otherwise a good over from Ali that goes for four singles and a leg-bye.
10th over: Pakistan 75-4 (Shan 24, Khushdil 24) Curran is back and he’s bustling towards the wicket like an angry man late for the bus. He’s sticking with the short stuff which is fine as long as he doesn’t stray with his line. But he does and Khushdil swivels and pulls it for six fine of deep square. He closes out the over with a clever scoop that goes for four. 15 from that one three singles and a well-run two. 147 needed off 60. They couldn’t, could they?
What’s in a nickname?
“I heard Liam Dawson being called Dawsy on TMS: why are England so dreadful at coming up wirh interesting names... Belly, Colly, Stokesy; Rooty...”
That’s from Tom v d Gucht.
“They could be so much more imaginative. Dawson could be called Creek after the 90’s teem show! Or they called be more creative and call him Dorsey rather than Dawsy then that could be turned to Gerry Dorsey the real name of Englbert Humperdink. Imagine if they called him Englebert! Or even Humper or Dinky!! Now that’s creative
“Wood shouldn’t be Woody: he should be Buzz, or Mr Potatohead, Bullseye or another Toy Story character. Colly should be Wobbles and Belly should be Pork.”
Look, as someone who was nicknamed ‘Stan’, because it rhymed with Dan, in university, I’m the last person to pass judgment over monikers.
9th over: Pakistan 60-4 (Shan 17, Khushdil 16) Quality batting from Shan, who is an opener by trade. He’s not afraid to use his feet to Rashid and gets it over cover for four. Rashid then serves a juicy full toss and Shan gives it the business and cracks it for six over long leg. Two singles close out the over. That’s more like it from Pakistan.
8th over: Pakistan 46-4 (Shan 4, Khushdil 15) Spin from both ends with the skipper Moeen Ali joining the party. Pakistan need to get a move on and Khushdil understands the brief, skipping down the track and lofted a swishing cover drive for six. Three singles before that a couple after means it’s a productive over. But 11 ain’t good enough. They need a lot more than that.
7th over: Pakistan 35-4 (Shan 2, Khushdil 6) Adil Rashid into the attack and what an opportunity for him to exert control on things. Not that Khushdil will let him have it all his own way. A well timed reverse takes four behind square to close out the over.
6th over: Pakistan 29-4 (Shan 1, Khushdil 1) That’s the end of the powerplay and needless to say, England won that one. The required rate is north of 13 and four of the top five are out. A good start for Sam Curran who backs up his pace buddies with a wicket and just five runs.
Gremlins in the speed gun maybe douses that talk of Wood’s record breaking speeds.
Sam Curran clocked at 86 is making me suspicious
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) September 23, 2022
WICKET! Iftikhar c Topley b Curran 6 (Pakistan 28-4)
Pakistan are crumbling. A bowling change has Sam Curran join the action and though he’s dispatched for four through midwicket, he follows it up with another shortish ball. He’s met with a strange stroke by Iftikhar who flat bats it straight to the man at mid-off. Not a good shot and not a good scene for Pakistan. They’re in deep trouble here. Perhaps they’ve already lost it?
Updated
5th over: Pakistan 24-3 (Shan 1, Iftikhar 2) According to Ben Gardner, digital editor of Wisden, that could be the fastest over ever bowled by an English bowler. I believe it. That was searingly quick from Wood who is so strong through the crease, hammering the deck, rushing the batters. He takes a wicket and concedes just three runs. Superb.
Also, I do apologise for the inconsistency with the Pakistan names I’m using. I’ll stick with the TV feed.
WICKET! Ali c Rashid b Wood 3 (Pakistan 21-3)
Two wickets in two balls! England all over their hosts here. Extra pace from Wood does the trick again. He rushes Ali who can only spoon an ungainly pull shot towards the leg side. Rashid at midwicket isn’t the most mobile in the field but he does well to reach this with a tumble.
Updated
WICKET! Rizwan b Topley 8 (Pakistan 21-2)
They scored an unbeaten 203 last night but now both of Pakistan’s openers are back in the shed with a pair of 8s. Topley hits the top of leg as his skidder beats Rizwan for pace.
Just three runs off the over means Pakistan’s chase is faltering.
4th over: Pakistan 21-2 (Ali 3, Masood 0)
Updated
3rd over: Pakistan 18-1 (Rizwan 7, Ali 1) What a return for Wood. Honestly, having met him a few times (purely in a professional capacity) I can tell you that he’s a splendid guy and has battled through a spate of injuries to get back on the field. Well he’s successful with his fourth ball as he gets the big fish. Babar collected four two balls earlier by hitting through the line but the extra pace proved his undoing.
WICKET! Babar c Topley b Wood 8 (17-1)
Mark Wood has a wicket on his return to international cricket, his first game for his country since March. It’s short but it’s fast and rushes Babar Azam and his cut shot takes the top edge and flies down to Topley at deep third. Massive wicket.
Updated
2nd over: Pakistan 12-0 (Rizwan 8, Babar 4) Almost an early wicket for Reece Topley who gets it full from his meaty left arm. It’s off the second last ball and Babar tries to play across the line and gets a leading edge. It squirts towards extra cover and Malan can’t quite get his hand around it as hi launches himself skyward. Could be a huge moment but a good start for Topley who concedes just five.
PS – I’ll be using Babar instead of Azam from no one as that’s what the Sky feed uses. I’m assuming they know more than me on this one.
1st over: Pakistan 7-0 (Rizwan 6, Azam 1) England start with spin and it’s Liam Dawson with the new nut. He’s skiddy and whippy but Rizwan gets a boundary with a cross-bat swipe towards midwicket. Three singles elsewhere means it’s a win for the tourists. Remember, we’re starting with a required rate of 11.
More love for that Harry Brook knock
Struggling to think of many more eye-catching maiden England fifties than this in any format
— Nick Friend (@NickFriend1) September 23, 2022
Here we go. Pakistan need 222 to win. Much will depend on their openers. Can England nab one (or both) of them before they do any damage?
Here’s a bit of correspondence on the IPL and it’s impact on the world game:
“Hi Daniel. The impact of IPL on Indian Cricket is quite obvious. It has attracted loads of talent but produced a band of mercenaries loyal to no one and cricketers who are busy striking ‘deals’ during drinks breaks.
In between India’s ouster from the Asia Cup and before the series against Australia Virat Kohli has leased another prime property in Mumbai for yet another restaurant.
We have sown the wind. We shall reap the whirlwind.”
That’s from JP Murty. Look, it’s a chat that won’t go away.
England post 221-3 after 139-run partnership
Just the 10 off the final over which included a cheeky ramp from Brook who was just sublime for his 81 from just 35 balls. Read that again. 81 from 35. Outrageous.
Duckett was no slouch as he posted 69 off 42. Their partnership of 139 off 72 balls means Pakistan will have to chase down their biggest ever target in T20 cricket.
A whopping 69 runs were scored off the last 30 deliveries as Pakistan’s seamers were whacked around the ground. Debutant Will Jacks reached 40 as Usman Qadir claimed two expensive wicekts.
It’s a lively deck and Pakistan will back themselves.
I’m off to grab a cuppa. Catch you soon.
Don’t get up in my grill(e).
As John Starbuck rightly points out from the Pedantry Corner, “a grill is what you cook steaks on, while a grille is part of a helmet (not just cricket gear, but an arms & armour term too).”
Thanks John. Right you are.
Updated
19th over: England 211-3 (Duckett 64, Brook 76) Sensational. Stupendous. To steal a cliche I really am running out of superlatives. Brook starts this penultimate over by driving a full toss through the covers for four. He then clatters a six down the ground with the shot of the innings. A cute dab through to deep third gives him another four. What a knock this is. Just wonderful.
18th over: England 192-3 (Duckett 64, Brook 59) I’m pretty sure that’s Duckett’s first boundary not scored from a sweep. Either way, it’s a crunching pull shot from a Hasnain half tracker and he cracks it for six in front of square. A couple to deep square and then a single towards that same area gets Brook on strike and a leg-bye gets Duckett on again. He rounds out the over with another pull (show off) and takes four. This partnership is now worth 110. To think these two might not even be in England’s best XI.
Updated
17th over: England 178-3 (Duckett 50, Brook 59) Duckett has his fifty with a nurdle towards the leg side as Rauf continues. After copping on in his grill, Brook launches the ball over cover for four. There are two wides which could have been four but for Rizwan’s smart work behind the stumps.
There’s a break in play because Harry Brook has caught a ball in his grill. I don’t mean he’s been hit by a bouncer. I mean the ball has ricocheted off his bat onto his pad and gone up towards his face where it’s remained lodged in his grill. He’s OK. All the players share a laugh. Here’s where I say something about the game being played in the right spirit.
Updated
16th over: England 169-3 (Duckett 49, Brook 53) Brutal from Brook as he records his first half century for his country. He starts with a couple and then guides one to a vacant deep third boundary. Then he thwacks a mighty six 88m back from a back of a length ball. He brings up his milestone with a lovely drive through cover point as he opens the face. A wonderful contribution for a very talented young cricketer. Not a great return to the attack for Dahani who goes for 16.
Updated
15th over: 152-3 (Duckett 49, Brook 37) Just a normal cricket shot. Hasnain, back in the attack, follows Duckett who moves across his stumps towards the off side. The ball is very wide but Duckett fetches it and scoops it with a ballerina’s pirouette and spoons it down to fine leg and takes four with one bounce. Weird, wonderful, whacky! I love it. Who’d be a bowler though? An expert steer from Brook takes another boundary wide of deep third. A half dab, half late cut. More conventional than his mate and equally effective.
Updated
14th over: England 139-3 (Duckett 43, Brook 31) Tired of watching his spinners get swept for fun, Babar gets Rauf back in the action. His second ball, though, is sent sailing over long leg as Brook gets underneath the bouncer and whips it with disdain. Cracking ball striking. Five singles off the five remaining balls as this partnership climbs past 50. I think pace on the ball is the way to go on this strip. You might go for runs but it seems to be troubling the batters more. Will be interesting to see how Mark Wood goes.
I don’t necessarily endorse this message, but it’s a good line from Gary.
T20Is are like London buses @danielgallan. They all look the same except for the numbers.
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) September 23, 2022
13th over: England 128-3 (Duckett 40, Brook 23) Duckett goes into the 40 with a sweet sweep that he meets on the full and Brook goes into the 20s with a sweet sweep shot that he swivels behind square after it bounces. Those two fours were the 17th and 18th of the innings to go along with two sixes. England eying up something big here and it looks like they’ll get there sweeping. Although, 200 might not be enough as Pakistan proved last night.
12th over: England 116-3 (Duckett 34, Brook 17) Two sweeps from Duckett. Two fours. Two different areas of the ground. The first is off the top edge and loops over the ‘keeper and trickles to the boundary. No doubt about the second as it screams off the middle. He plays it really well, doesn’t he? Four singles has England accelerating through the gears.
11th over: England 104-3 (Duckett 24, Brook 15) Get some of that! Perfect balance from Brook as he comes down the track and times it over long on for the first six of the night. Great hands through the line. OH WOW! That one is even better to end the over. Inside out over extra cover. Excellent batting from Brook who has a PSL hundred to his name. Another expensive over from Usman Qadir with three singles taking it to 15.
10th over: England 89-3 (Duckett 22, Brook 2) Just the five from this Nawaz over. He’s having a good game. There’s a run out chance but actually there’s no run out chance because Duckett is super quick and dives home with plenty of time to spare. Time for a drink as we’re half way theeeere…
9th over: England 84-3 (Duckett 18, Brook 1) A successful over for Pakistan started with a delicious reverse sweep from Duckett that screamed to the boundary (now is that the backward point boundary or the one at backward square leg?) A conventional sweep brought Jacks on strike but his slog sweep nestled in the hands of Nawz at deep midwicket. A couple of singles saw out the set with Harry Brooke taking on for himself and getting off the mark.
WICKET! Jacks 40 c Nawaz b Qadir 40 (England 82-3)
Jacks will be annoyed with himself. He goes down to slog sweep a loopier delivery but doesn’t catch all of it and he watches as Nawaz takes a good catch down by his ankles at cow corner. Still, a contribution of 44 from 22 balls is a solid debut knock. Qadir might be expensive but he gets wickets and that’s an important one.
Updated
8th over: England 77-2 (Jacks 40, Duckett 12) A comparatively uneventful over with no boundaries but six singles. Nawaz won’t mind that. England are cantering along and this stymies things a touch.
I’m not going to fact check that one.
Will Jacks' 38* is (probably) the highest men's international score in Pakistan for a batter born in Chertsey, Surrey since Ashley Giles' 37* at Lahore in 2000
— Mark Puttick (@GryllidaeC) September 23, 2022
7th over: England 71-2 (Jacks 37, Duckett 9) 4-w-4. It was an eventful start to Usman Qadir’s opening over with Malan reverse sweeping a boundary and then holing out in the deep. Ben Duckett was welcomed to the crease with another half tracker but he found the gap and it kept in on the ground to get off the mark with a boundary. Two singles for both batters meant Duckett was on strike to close out the over and he tickled it fine for the third four of the set.
WICKET! Malan c Ali b Qadir 14 (England 61-2)
What a game. Malan just reverse swept a good ball for four and then he’s heading back to the shed after toe-ending a half tracker straight to the man at deep midwicket. A filthy wicket but they all count.
Updated
Ali’s a fan. If you’re asking me (and no one has) I’m not. Call me old fashioned but I like my national teams wearing the right colours. Though I do hvae love the red number South Africa wore for a series against Australia in the mid 90s.
Pakistan’s kit is 👌🏻
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) September 23, 2022
6th over: England 57-1 (Jacks 36, Malan 10) Oooh, extra zip off the surface. Dahani digs in a bumper and it skids through at a rate. Malan does well to get under it. He’s got wheels, does Dahani. I like it. He strays a couple of times, once with an overstep and another time with a leg side wide, but he’s showing a willingness to steam in and let it rip. Jacks is up for it. He gives himself room and clatters one through the covers with a flourish. He tries to sign off the over with the same shot but Dahani bowls a slower and deceives the batter. It goes for four as well, but a moral victory for the bowler.
5th over: England 45-1 (Jacks 27, Malan 8) A bowling change and Haris Rauf enters the scene. His right armers are tidy until Jacks digs out a very full ball and manages to muscle it with a flourish back past the bowler for four. Terrific shot. His next boundary is streaky and is helped by some comical fielding on the leg side. Jacks’ hack across dribbles towards and then past a diving midwicket and trickles to the boundary.
4th over: England 36-1 (Jacks 19, Malan 8) Babar scraps the early spin experiment and gets Shahnawaz Dahani into the attack. He bowled Malan round his legs last night but this first ball is wide outside the off stump. Malan throws his hands at it and a thick edge takes it to the deep third boundary. Dahani rectifies his line and Malan can’t help himself and pokes at it. He’s lucky that lifter from a good length didn’t catch the edge. He’s more assured off his hips and whips a three through midwicket. Jacks takes four through deep third as well but where was the slip? Pakistan may regret that. Never mind that, the over ends with Jacks clattering a boundary down the ground. 15 off the over.
3rd over: England 21-1 (Jacks 11, Malan 1) Jacks was on strike after the wicket as the batters crossed (I think that rule will change soon) and he gets a single with a tap and run. There’s a wide and the new batter Dawid Malan is off the mark with a dab down to deep third, but otherwise it’s a good cluster for Hasnain as he bags the early wicket.
WICKET! Salt c Nawz b Hasnain 8 (England 18-1)
Salt tries to smash this into a different state but only catches a top edge. It flies into the muggy Karachie air and three fielders converge on it. For a moment it looked as if they’d run into each other. Nawaz clings on though despite Hasnain almost getting in his way. Either way, Salt has to go.
Updated
2nd over: England 18-0 (Salt 8, Jacks 10) Spin with the new ball but Salt doesn’t mind as he peppers the cow corner boundary with the first delivery from Mohammad Nawaz. Salt uses his feet and takes a single wide of long-off. Jacks registers another single and Salt does likewise with a chip to the leg side. Jacks then ends the over by heaving a drag down to long leg. Not a great set from the Pakistan offie.
Updated
1st over: England 7-0 (Salt 2, Jacks 5) Mohammad Hasnain has the ball and he’s looking to get it up in the blockhole. His first two balls are squeezed behind square for a couple of singles which means Will Jacks has his first run in international cricket. Salt takes another single with a push towards mid-off. Hasnain pulls his length back a touch and gets one to skid low past Jacks but the opener isn’t flustered. He whips the last ball up and over midwicket for four. Good start for the youngster.
Right then. The players are scampering out. Pakistan in blue (is that blue), England in red, national colours are irrelevant, we’re all set to tuck in. Should be tasty.
[Eye emoji] That’s outrageous actually.
A pair that can pull off any chase 💪 #PAKvENG pic.twitter.com/g04blAmDyU
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) September 23, 2022
How about the XIs, eh?
Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Babar Azam (c), Haider Ali, Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Shahnawaz Dahani, Mohammad Hasnain, Haris Rauf, Usman Qadir
England: Phil Salt (wk), Will Jacks, Dawid Malan, Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, Moeen Ali (c), Sam Curran, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood, Reece Topley.
Pakistan openers are top of the pops. The top two run scorers in T20 cricket over the last two years are Pakistan’s leading men. Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam are top of the pops. They’re also first and fourth on the ICC’s rankings, respectively. Handy.
Pakistan win the toss and bowl first.
Unsurprising, after his heroics last time out, Babar gets the coin flip and chooses to chase again. His team is unchanged from their win last night.
Moeen would have bowled first as well but says he’s “not too disappointed” to front up with the bat. Three changes for England. Jacks, as we said, makes his debut. Mark Wood is back! That’s right folks. Sound the alarm. The quick man is back! One more change sees Reece Topley in the side.
Will Jacks to debut. According to Matt Roller from ESPNCricinfo, it’ll Will Jacks. The 23-year-old off-spinning batter from Surrey. What a week it’s been for the south London club. After clinching the County Championship with a thumping win over Yorkshire, there’s another England cap for one of their youngsters.
Someone’s getting a new cap
Alex Hales and David Willey haven’t travelled to the National Stadium tonight. England about to present a cap
— Matt Roller (@mroller98) September 23, 2022
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the live OBO report of the 3rd T20 international between Pakistan and England from Karachi. We’re all square in the series after Alex Hales bashed a breezy half century on his return match to get things going for the tourists before Babar Azam unfurled a majestic ton in an unbeaten opening stand of 203 to get the hosts on the scoresheet in emphatic fashion.
It’s been a fascinating match-up with England ably skippered by Moeen Ali, who told our man Andy Bull that he’s proud to lead his country:
It’s not just the England players who are making waves in Pakistan. A couple of English coaches have cast their gaze around 3,875 miles east. You can read all about that from our head honcho Ali Martin over here:
If you’re so inclined, and you don’t mind a bit of self indulgence on my part, you can take a gander at this week’s Spin column. In it I examine the ramifications of a new T20 franchise tournament, crammed into an already stuffed calendar, and why a national team captain has been forced to watch on from the outside.
Those three pieces should keep you occupied for now. I’ll be back with the toss and team reports in around 30 minutes (unless of course you get in touch with an email or tweet).
First ball is at 7:30pm local time/3:30pm BST.
Catch you in a few.
