Fifth ODI: Pakistan beat England by four wickets, avoid whitewash
Sarfraz Ahmed played for a responsible fifty after two quick lossed. PHOTO: AFP
England, sent in to bat first, managed 302-9 in their 50 overs of play. Jason Roy's 87 and Ben Stokes' 75 were instrumental.
For Pakistan, Hasan Ali bagged four scalps while Mohammad Amir accounted for three batsmen.
In their reply, Azhar Ali's men, unusually, didn't panic and chased the total down with four wickets and 10 balls to spare.
Sarfraz Ahmed's 90 and Shoaib Malik's 77 were the game-changer for the visitors who will now play the hosts in one-off T20I on September 7 at Manchester.
For England, Mark Wood and debutante Liam Dawson picked two wickets each.
Over 48.2: PAK 304-6
Over 48: PAK 300-6
Over 47: PAK 292-6
Now, 11 off 18.
Over 46: PAK 286-6
Over 45: PAK 279-6
Over 44: PAK 276-6
Twenty seven off 36 now.
Dawson.
Over 43: PAK 266-6
Imad Wasim walks in. Last recognised pair for Pakistan.
Over 42: PAK 266-5
Five runs off the over, 37 off 48 needed now.
Dawson to Rizwan now.
Over 41: PAK 261-5
FOUR! Drive wide off mid-off by Rizwan.
Over 40: PAK 256-5
Over 39: PAK 244-4
Over 38: PAK 240-4
Mohammad Rizwan to play his first match in this series.
Liam Dawson on now. can the spinner break this partnership? Sarfraz nearing his ton, he is in the nervous ninties now.
Over 37: PAK 238-3
Over 36: PAK 230-3
He caught Sarfraz's six over midwicket off Woakes.
Over 35: PAK 228-3
Over 34: PAK 216-3
Over 33: PAK 207-3
Over 32: PAK 198-3
Over 31: PAK 192-3
Six runs and this mix-up in the over.
Over 30: PAK 186-3
Wood.
Over 29: PAK 181-3
Over 28: PAK 174-3
Over 27: PAK 168-3
Six runs off the over.
Over 26: PAK 162-3
Over 25: PAK 149-3
Over 24: PAK 141-3
Dawson.
Over 23: PAK 130-3
FOUR! Inside edge off Sarfraz runs down to the fine leg boundary.
Over 22: PAK 123-3
Over 21: PAK 117-3
Over 20: PAK 113-3
Over 19: PAK 103-3
100 up for Pakistan with only four runs off the over.
Over 18: PAK 99-3
FOUR! Short and pulled by Malik in front of square leg.
Over 17: PAK 91-3
Over 16: PAK 84-3
Five runs off the over.
Wood again.
Over 15: PAK 79-3
Only a couple of singles from the over.
Over 14: PAK 77-3
Two new batsman in. T20I captain Sarfraz Ahmed and veteran batsman Shoaib Malik.
Over 13: PAK 75-1
Over 12: PAK 68-1
Just one off the over.
Over 11: PAK 67-1
Just three runs off the over.
Over 10: PAK 64-1
Over 9: PAK 56-1
FOURx2! Babar Azam punches it towards square on off and then gently nudges it towards third man.
Over 8: PAK 43-1
FOUR! and this is what happened afterwards.
Willey runs in again.
Over 7: PAK 36-1
FOUR! Short and on off and Azhar pulls it towards square leg.
Woakes in for his fourth.
Over 6: PAK 28-1
Six runs off David Willey's over.
Over 5: PAK 22-1
Babar Azam is the new man in at number three.
FOUR! Muscled over mid-off by Sharjeel.
Over 4: PAK 18-0
Over 3: PAK 11-0
Over 2: PAK 4-0
And Willey bowls a maiden to Sharjeel Khan. Quite unbelievable from Sharjeel's hitting standards.
Over 1: PAK 4-0
Four runs off the over.
Azhar Ali and Sharjeel Khan open for Pakistan as Chris Woakes bowls the first over.
Over 50: ENG 302-9
End of the English innings as they cross the 300-run mark and Pakistan were once again not able to send all their batsmen back to the pavillion.
SIX! Chris Jordan luanches it straight.
Gul to bowl the last over.
Over 49: ENG 291-9
FOUR! Can England get 300 or will Pakistan get them out for the first time in this series.
First ball result.
Over 48: ENG 283-8
Only two off the over. This must be the slowest England have played throughout this series.
Over 47: ENG 281-8
Four runs off the over.
Amir in for his last over.
Over 46: ENG 277-8
Hasan Ali gives only two in his over.
Over 45: ENG 275-8
Over 44: ENG 272-7
Six runs and a wicket off the over.
BOWLED! Slow ball and Hasan Ali has his third. Inside edge and Woakes stumps are rattled.
FOUR! Lofted over the bowler's head by Woakes.
Hasan Ali.
Over 43: ENG 266-6
Six runs off the over. Good over by Amir.
Mohammad Amir with a hurt right-hand finger.
Over 42: ENG 260-6
Five runs and a wicket off the over.
Stokes gone and Chris Woakes joins Liam Dawson.
Over 41: ENG 255-5
Two boundaries to end the over.
and then...
Nawaz in for the first over of the last powerplay.
Over 40: ENG 236-5
Stokes hurt but still firing.
Over 39: ENG 227-5
FOUR! Outside off and Stokes sends it towards extra cover to get his fifty off 63 balls.
Over 38: ENG 221-5
OUT! Bairstow lifts one up for the gully fielder. Gul has a wicket.
Meanwhile, Bairstow is busy. Slams a short and slow ball towards midwicket.
In the box! England players share a laugh on the incident.
Over 37: ENG 214-4
Over 36: ENG 212-4
Over 35: ENG 206-4
Over 34: ENG 203-4
Over 33: ENG 193-4
Over 32: ENG 187-4
Eight from the over.
Over 31: ENG 179-4
Nine off the over, another expensive one.
Over 30: ENG 170-4
Only a single off the over.
Over 29: ENG 169-4
Goes for only three in the over.
Over 28: ENG 166-4
OUT! Amir strikes when Pakistan needed him to. The partnership was looking good. In comes Jonny Bairstow.
Over 27: ENG 159-3
Over 26: ENG 150-3
Only four off the over.
Mohammad Amir is back for a spell to break this partnership.
Over 25: ENG 146-3
Over 24: ENG 142-3
Over 23: ENG 134-3
Over 22: ENG 133-3
Over 21: ENG 128-3
Just three off it.
Over 20: ENG 126-3
Expensive over, 13 from it.
Over 19: ENG 113-3
Only three and a close LBW appeal.
Over 18: ENG 110-3
Over 17: ENG 104-3
100 up for England with a single off the first ball of Imad Wasim's over.
Over 16: ENG 99-3
Important fifty runs from the opener off 49 balls.
Over 15: ENG 94-3
Captain Morgan departs. Ben Stokes walks in.
Over 14: ENG 91-2
Five runs off the over. England scoring at a very good rate here, nearly 7 runs an over.
Over 13: ENG 86-2
Only three off the over.
Over 12: ENG 83-2
FOURx2! Struck hard past wide mid-off and then played late past the slip.
Hasan Ali.
Over 11: ENG 70-2
Over 10: ENG 69-2
Root departs for 9 off as many balls. Captain Morgan walks in.
Hasan Ali now.
Over 9: ENG 64-1
FOUR! Another one. The fine leg fielder went wide towards square leg and Root beats him to the boundary.
Over 8: ENG 54-1
Seven runs off the over.
Hasan Ali in for his second. This young lad promises a lot for Pakistan in the future.
Over 7: ENG 47-1
Five runs off the over.
Amir continues.
Over 6: ENG 42-1
FOUR! Byes but England will take all four of them.
Hasan Ali to replace Umar Gul now.
Over 5: ENG 37-1
CAUGHT! Alex Hales quick start for England comes to an end as he chips it to mid-on. Malik takes an easy catch. Amir is ecstatic, he was not happy with all those boundaries.
FOURx3! Hales punishing Amir.
Over 4: ENG 25-0
Gul in for his second.
Over 3: ENG 17-0
Amir makes a comeback with three dots.
Over 2: ENG 13-0
FOUR! Short again from Gul and this time it pulled towards fine leg. Sloppy from Gul.
Umar Gul to share the new ball with Amir.
Over 1: ENG 5-0
Five off the over.
FOUR! Inside edge and Roy finds the fine leg fence.
Mohammad Amir has the new ball while Alex Hales and Jason Roy will be opening the batting for England.
Toss
Azhar Ali has won the toss and elected to bowl first in overcast Cardiff conditions.
Two changes: Mohammad Amir replaces injured Mohammad Irfan and Shoaib Malik is fit and back in the team to replace misfiring opener Sami Aslam.
Pitch and weather
There has been a lot of rain in Cardiff yesterday so both captains will be looking to bowl first today in the overcast conditions. Toss will be important today.