England Wins
Cricket

England goes 2-1 up in the seven-match series, defeating Pakistan by 63 runs in the third T20I

England leads the series 2-1 as Harry Brook and Ben Duckett put on an unbroken 139-run partnership to help the tourists record 221-3; Pakistan falls to 158-8 as Mark Wood excels on his comeback.

For the first time in the series, Pakistan captain Babar Azam won the toss and elected to bowl, as both captains appeared to misjudge the quality of the surface. With Jacks making his international debut in place of the rested Alex Hales after establishing a solid reputation for Surrey in recent years, there was additional drama at the start of England’s innings.

In the third over, Pakistan made an early breakthrough when Phil Salt miscued an attempted scoop towards mid-off, with Mohammad Nawaz doing exceptionally well to hang onto a catch which both he and the bowler, Hasnain, dived for.

Dawid Malan, who had been despatched first ball 24 hours earlier, scraped to 14 from 15 balls before being taken at deep mid-wicket by Usman Qadir.

Malan’s troubles added to Jacks’ pressure, and he responded with a succession of boundaries that enabled England conclude the powerplay at 57-1.

Jacks’ debut batting was brought to an end in the ninth over, as he fell short of hitting Qadir over mid-wicket, prompting Nawaz to collect another superb catch. That brought Duckett and Brook together in the ninth over, with England at 82-3.

The pair stayed conservative until the midway point of the innings, when Brook signaled his intentions by hammering Qadir for two sixes, the second of which was a beautiful drive over extra cover, in the first over after drinks.

The following over, Duckett continued England’s momentum by hitting the previously frugal Nawaz for consecutive boundaries with his preferred sweep stroke. Babar bowled brilliantly, but nothing could stop England, with Duckett adding his solitary six with a beautifully-timed pull off Hasnain.

Brook even had time to atone for his dismissal in the previous game, securing the solitary boundary of the last over with the ramp shot that had gotten him out on Thursday, as England set a total that would undoubtedly be beyond Pakistan’s reach.

The English bowlers made it difficult for Pakistan’s openers, with Babar escaping in Topley’s first over when Malan missed a tough chance at extra cover. Wood removed the Pakistan skipper in the following over, with Topley collecting a brilliant catch on the third-man boundary.

Topley assured there would be no more heroics from Rizwan by bowling the second Pakistan opener with a slower ball in the following over. Pakistan’s plight rapidly deteriorated when Wood, who bowled at rates of up to 97mph, had Haider Ali caught by Adil Rashid to give England two wickets in two balls. The following over, Sam Curran dismissed Iftikhar Ahmed, leaving Pakistan at 28-4 with the game effectively finished. Shan Masood and Khushdil Shah tried a comeback, but their 62-run partnership was cut short when Rashid removed the latter in the 12th over.

Shan fought on, ending undefeated on 65 from 40 balls, but Rashid scalped Nawaz and Moeen ran out Qadir to help England keep absolute control.

England WinsWood completed his stunning recovery by dismissing Haris Rauf in the last over, leaving Topley to seal a triumph that had long been inevitable. Pakistan only managed 158 runs at the conclusion of the innings, losing the game by 63 runs.

“It was extremely good to get out there and have a match-winning performance tonight,” said Harry Brook. “It was very similar to the previous night. Every pitch has been somewhat similar. Simply striking through the line of the ball and attempting to play as much on the front foot as possible. I was simply trying to get Duckett on strike Because he’s extremely brilliant against spin.”

Moeen Ali remarked: “Brooky, ideally he develops into one of those top, top players. The PSL gave everyone some experience, and Jacks took it to the bowlers. England’s future looks bright. Wood bowled some tremendous pace; it’s terrific to have him back; he’s a huge part of our team.”

“First game for England since March, one club game for Ashington,” says Mark Wood. “Toppers produced a beautiful over, allowing me to attack, and the Pakistan audience was quite enthusiastic. Babar and Rizwan performed incredibly well last time, so a significant wicket. I’ve spent a lot of time in the gym and a lot of time jogging, but nothing compares to a game. You’re usually a little rusty after seven months off, but can I keep those speeds up? What matters now is that I don’t push myself too hard and end up being unprepared for Australia. Today was a terrific day, and the crowd was flying, but can I say that again?”

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