6th over: England 30-3 (Duckett 18, Cox 0) Just for a second Duckett’s heart was in his mouth as he hoiked a short ball from Razaullah down to fine leg. If the fielder was on the rope, as he should have been, it would have been a simple catch. Instead it sailed over his head for six. The bowler sends a death stare down to his mate. His mood sours as Duckett punches the next ball for four backward of point and then he scampers up the other end with a single. That brings new man Cox on strike who is watchful across an over worth 11 runs.
Replays show that Brook slipped as he turned at the non-striker’s end. Without it he might have made his ground. Still, that never looked like two to me.
WICKET! Brook run-out Razuallah 1 (England 19-3)
The England captain has just run himself out! Why on earth did he come back for a second? A thick inside edge off Shaheen had the ball squirt down to fine leg, but it was pretty much straight to the debutant who got his throw away quickly after a swift one-handed pick-up. Brook ran the first one hard and then called Duckett back for the second. He was running towards the danger end but that was self destructive! If the throw and pick-up from the keeper were clean, as they both were, he was never making his ground. England in real trouble now.
5th over: England 19-3 (Duckett 7)
4th over: England 18-1 (Duckett 7, Brook 0) Good wheels from Razaullah who beats Ducket with genuine pace. But Duckett won’t go in his shell and throws his hands at some width as he gets it up and over the infield on the off side. Duckett then shows a bit more control as he pings a drive on the up in front of cover and adds two runs to his score.
3rd over: England 11-2 (Duckett 1, Brook 0) This couldn’t be going better as far as Pakistan are concerned. Shaheen’s angle across the right-hander has done for Banton and now Root, who timed his cut shot well but couldn’t find a gap either side of Saim at backward point. Brook, the new man, lets an in-swinger go that wans’t too far away from nipping back onto his off stump. The skipper has a big job to do here.
WICKET! Root c Saim b Shaheen 5 (England 11-2)
Loose from Root! Oh my, that’s two in two for the Pakistan skipper. This was short and wide and begging to be hit. Root obliged but he thwacked it straight at Saim at backward point who made a sharp catch low down look routine. The ball before Root had flicked Shaheen through square leg for four but falls this time, admonishing himself as he leaves the scene. What a start for Pakistan!
2nd over: England 6-1 (Duckett 1, Root 1) Razaullah on ODI debut opens up from the other end. Right arm, bustling to the crease, quick arms whirring in a chaotic, slingy action, he’s seems plucked from central casting and I’m here for it! He finds a thick edge of Duckett’s wayward drive, but it flies down to deep third for one. Root gets off the mark before Duckett looks to carve a shorter ball over the infield, but hits nothing but air.
1st over: England 4-1 (Duckett 0, Root 0) What a start for Pakistan. Shaheen was looking for swing and went full for most of the over, but it was the one just a touch shorter that saw to Banton as he went looking for a booming drive on the up. Root, in much earlier than he’d have liked, gets a full in-swinger than thwacks his pads, but it was always going down leg. Top work from the home team.
WICKET! Banton c Arafat b Shaheen 4 (England 4-1)
A wicket in the first over! It’s a tame dismissal. Having whipped a half volley for four through mdwicket two balls earlier, Banton was looking to drive through cover. But it stands up in the pitch just a touch and wasn’t quite full enough to simply throw his hands at it. In the end he scoops a simple catch to Arafat at short extra cover. Pakistan up and running thanks to their skipper’s 150th scalp in this format.
It will be the captain, Shaheen Afridi, all 6’ 6” of him, who will open up.
Banton will face the first ball.
The Pakistan players, in bright pink, are gathered on the side of the field, engaged in a team talk and ready to let rip at England.
England’s openers, in blue different hues of blue, have bumped fists and are making their way to the middle. Can they get their team off to a decent start this time?
Mark Butcher is touching the surface now.
Looks a road. But what do I know? The last time England played here they failed to defend 352 against Australia.
Runs, runs and more runs is what I foresee on a fast and true deck.
Chris Woakes is on my screen speaking like a veteran pundit.
Good opportunity to share this from his co-author, our very own Ali Martin:
Pakistan team
Two changes from their last game.
Pace bowler Razaullah makes his debut and Shadab Kahan returns to the side. Naseem Shah dislocated his finger in the warm up, though his skipper says he’ll be fine for the next match. Faheem Ashraf misses out today as well.
Pakistan: Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Babar Azam, Saad Baig (wk), Salman Alo Agha, Hasan Nawaz, Arafat Minhas, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Razaullah, Haris Rauf.
England team
A bowler was always going to get the axe and its Josh Tongue who misses out.
In comes Henry Crocombe to make his debut. Inexplicably, Adil Rashid continues to warm the bench.
England: Tom Banton, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Harry Brook (c), Jordon Cox (wk), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Gus Atkinson, Henry Crocombe.
Pakistan win the toss and bowl
Shaheen Afridi gets the coin flip go his way and wants to bowl.
He cites the ‘fresh’ surface as a reason for his decision, wanting to get a look at it before having a bat.
Anyone else seeing a red glass on the bottom right corner of their screen?
I promise I’m not at a pub!
Anyway, here comes the toss…
There’s been a late call up for Maaz Sadaqat to the Pakistan squad. He replaces the injured left-arm spinner Sufyan Moqeem.
Oh, worth also mentioning that Pakistan will wear pink today, taking a lead out of South Africa’s book as they change from their natural green to raise funds and awarness for breast cancer.
Reports are it’s nice and sunny in Lahore. Should be a belter of a day. Expect loads of runs.
While you settle in, why not catch up on some reading (Barney’s piece on Temba Bavuma is quite excellent)":
Preamble
For the past two days, I’ve not been able to get Harry Brook out of my mind.
What has been going through his head since he clobbered and caressed his way to the fastest double-century in ODI history, a staggering 202 from 116 balls, only to watch his bowlers fail to defend 430?
What’s the equivalent in another sport? Scoring six goals in football only for your defence to concede seven in the second half? Hitting every fairway in golf, then four-putting every green?
Brook is back in action as England face Pakistan for the second time in this tri-series. Pakistan won the teams’ previous meeting by 87 runs, with Brook making five as England’s batters folded against Arafat Minhas’ six-for; bowled out for 215.
A win would send Pakistan into the final with a game to spare, and they have the chance to do it at their Lahore HQ. For England, a third straight defeat in this format, less than a year before the World Cup, would deepen the questions. They need to put together a complete performance.
Will they do it? We’ll find out when things get going at 8am UK time.
Got your coffee and toast? Let’s get stuck in!
