Home ›› 30 Sep 2022 ›› Sport

Rizwan help Pakistan down England

AFP . Lahore
30 Sep 2022 00:00:00 | Update: 29 Sep 2022 22:40:49
Rizwan help Pakistan down England
Pakistan’s players celebrate a wicket during their fifth T20I against England in Lahore on Wednesday – AFP Photo

Prolific opener Mohammad Rizwan hit a fighting half-century before debutant all-rounder Aamer Jamal starred with the ball as Pakistan beat England by six runs in another last-over finish in the fifth T20 international in Lahore on Wednesday.

Rizwan’s 46-ball 63 was the cornerstone of Pakistan’s 145 all out in 19 overs after express pacer Mark Wood grabbed 3-20 to derail the home team who were asked to bat first at Gaddafi Stadium.

England’s stand-in skipper Moeen Ali smashed a brilliant undefeated 37-ball 51, with four sixes and two fours, but failed to score the 15 needed off the final over as England managed 139-7.

Jamal kept his cool despite being hit for a six off the third ball, conceding just eight to give Pakistan a 3-2 lead in the seven-match series.

England won the first and third matches while Pakistan took the second and fourth, all played in Karachi.

Pakistan needed wickets to defend a below-par total and all six bowlers responded with at least a wicket each, with Haris Rauf grabbing 2-41.

Openers Alex Hales (one) and Phil Salt (three) were gone by the fourth over before the dismissals of Ben Duckett (10) and Harry Brook (four) left England struggling at 54-4.

Dawid Malan stopped the slide with a patient 35-ball 36, studded with six boundaries, before Ali raised his team’s hopes of victory. But the asking rate climbed with 40 needed off the last three overs. Moeen reached his seventh T20I fifty off 35 balls.

“I will give credit to the bowlers who defended a not-so-big total,” said Pakistan skipper Babar Azam. “I think Jamal showed great character by bowling the last over and his confidence got him over the line.”

Ali, meanwhile, said England should have chased down the target.

“Disappointed we didn’t chase those runs, we’re a better team than that but we got strangled by the spinners in the middle overs,” said Ali.

×