Show only key events Please enable JavaScript to use this feature 20th over: England 199-5 (Moeen 55, Curran 10) England are running strong out there, picking up two runs to start the final over of the innings. Hasnain gives a free hit after an over, but Moeen can only get a single away. Curran dismisses himself after a dot before Moeen plays a stunning stroke. Holds still and just blasts a fuller ball for a six over deep midwicket. And then another SIX to finish! Mo, this is unreal. This one is short, but it also stays a little low and the pull goes away. What a knock from the England captain, who went to fifty with that final shot off just his 23rd delivery. England have been really great with the bat here. 19th over: England 180-5 (Moeen 38, Curran 9) Sam Curran, now a two-time Championship County winner, starts Rauf’s final over with a rampage for four. But Rauf manages to limit the damage elsewhere, with just four more runs to go in the set. 18th over: England 172-5 (Curran 2, Moeen 37) Moeen moves down the leg side and Dahani follows but the left-hander moves away to find four at deep midwicket. A shorter ball follows and Moeen hits it straight to Khushdil Shah at deep mid off, who… drops it! Awww, this really should have been taken. Moeen lifts for four through the fine leg region to complete the over.
WIRELESS! Brook b Rauf 31 (England 160-5)
Rauf goes short and Brook hooks it to fine leg for another six. But Rauf ends the fun by bowling Brook, who was trying to get a very ambitious scoop. 17th over: England 160-5 (Moeen 27, Curran 0) 16th over: England 151-4 (Moeen 25, Brook 24) Mo flies! Gets over a short ball from Hasnain to send the ball racing to the square leg boundary. Buries a yorker off a single next ball, but Brook completes the over with an unreal six! It’s a slower ball from Hasnain, which Brook makes room for to go wide, over the rope. These two are having a lot of fun. 15th over: England 133-4 (Brock 13, Moeen 18) Back-to-back sixes from Moen to end the over! Both times he keeps it simple: down on the knee to smash it over deep mid off. Moeen against spin in this format is always a hell of a watch. 14th over: England 114-4 (Moeen 1, Brook 12) An upbeat review from Pakistan goes nowhere before Brook follows up a couple with a hook from Dahani for a six! 76 meters long from the Yorkshireman. 13th over: England 103-4 (Brooke 3, Moine 1) Pakistan back in the game here with the dismissals of Salt and Duckett. Time for Mo to go.
WIRELESS! Duckett b Nawaz 43 (England 101-3)
Great, great discovery. After another boundary, Duckett shuffles his crease again to open up the area behind square on the leg side. But Nawaz eventually got his revenge, getting the ball to straighten and hit over the stumps. The big. Ben Duckett goes for 43. Photo: Alex Davidson/Getty Images Updated at 16.41 BST 12th over: England 96-3 (Brooke 1, Duckett 39) Harry Brooke is in and early to show solid forward defense to Rauf before guiding one to third man for a single. Above the rip.
WIRELESS! Salt b Rauf 30 (England 95-3)
Babar decides to get back into pace, calling on Haris Rauf who goes straight and fast to beat Salt. Much needed wicket for Pakistan. Phil Salt bowls for 30. Photo: Alex Davidson/Getty Images Updated at 16.37 BST 11th over: England 93-2 (Salt 28, Duckett 39) Another top sweep! Duckett goes hard on Qadir’s Googly to pick another four, and then… another one! This time it’s the leg-spinner and Duckett smashes it on the rope at deep mid-off. For this couple stands fifty. 10th over: England 80-2 (Salt 26, Duckett 28) Duckett looks really good at the sweep – and can play all kinds. He goes orthodox to get a boundary off Nawaz’s first ball and then plays a fine ramp for a couple. The left-hander swings back and nails a pull a few balls later for two, and finishes with a reverse slap for four. 9th over: England 66-2 (Duckett 15, Salt 25) Qadir starts to hold the surface properly. Duckett shows off his sweeps (orthodox and reverse) before Salt fails to put a bat to sharp leggie. 8th over: England 62-2 (Salt 24, Duckett 12) Very cheeky from Salt as a reverse sweep/tackle brings him a couple from the offside. But Duckett gets past him with Nawaz’s last ball, nailing the ramp for four over the keeper’s head. This was great. 7th over: England 53-2 (Duckett 7, Salt 20) Usman Qadir’s spin comes into play. He’s great to watch when he gets that rag. Nothing too deadly about it, but it only goes for five. 6th over: England 48-2 (Duckett 6, Salt 16) Ben Duckett survives the hat-trick ball and takes a couple down leg to get himself. Dahani ends with a cutter that Duckett isn’t fooled by – he plays a controlled pull to grab his first boundary. Still, a rift for Pakistan.
WIRELESS! Malan b Dahani 0 (England 42-2)
He pinned him around the legs! Malan shows his leg stump and misses the strike as Dahani, over the wicket, puts himself on a hat-trick. Fast and straight forward – the game is quite simple at times. Outside! Photo: Alex Davidson/Getty Images Updated at 16.14 BST
WIRELESS! Hales b Dahani 26 (England 42-1)
Hales luck finally runs out as Dahani returns to rattle the stumps! Alex Hales is bowled by Shahnawaz Dahani. Photo: Anjum Naveed/AP Updated 16.06 BST 5th over: England 42-0 (Salt 16, Hales 26) Harris Rauff somehow hasn’t bowled Hales there – the right-hander is nowhere near him when he pulls a shot at the low one. Hales then opens up the off side to hit the ball over backward point, the ball rolls away for another four. 4th over: England 32-0 (Salt 11, Hales 21) Dahani on the attack with this very straight line of his. Hales after missing a third pull ball goes for a huge rise and continues to enjoy some luck – another thick edge flies to the keeper’s right for four. He’s in smash-mode tonight. Salt drills through mid on for a single to end the over. 3rd over: England 24-0 (Salt 9, Hales 15) After a few dots, Hales manages to hit leg and take four behind square. He uses his crease again on the next ball, getting away with a thick edge that flies for a six over the third rope! 2nd over: England 13-0 (Salt 9, Hales 4) Shot by Salt! He greets Mohammad Nawaz’s left-spin with a six over long-off. Hales is also trying to get to the ground, but he’s still looking for the middle tonight. 1st over: England 3-0 (Salt 2, Hales 1) Hasnain on the pads first up, and Salt’s drive to fine leg gives him one. Some great shape away from the right-hander to Hales next ball, who gets off point with his second. Strong start from the 22-year-old, Pakistan’s only change from the other night. Then, we are about to begin. David Gower is on comms, Mohammad Hasnain has taken the ball and Phil Salt is on strike. Let’s play. A wonderful welcome from John Starbuck: “Just a line to welcome the wonderful world of OBO, where all views can be enjoyed from all over the world.” Thanks for having me! Elsewhere, Surrey won the County Championship! Rory Burns smashed 30* off 16 balls (!) to take his side over the line in a chase of 55 against Yorkshire at The Oval. Tanya Aldred is there and taking it all. Team’s: Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Haider Ali, Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Usman Qadir, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Shahnawaz Dahani England: Phil Salt (wk), Alex Hales, David Malan, Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, Moeen Alli (c), Sam Curran, David Willey, Adil Rashid, Liam Dawson, Luke Wood
England won the toss and will bat first
Moeen wins the toss again – but England get to bat first tonight. One change: out comes Richard Gleeson’s pace, in comes Liam Dawson’s left-arm tweak. Only one change for Pakistan as well: Naseem Shah is replaced by the also very quick Mohammad Hasnain.
Preamble
Hello hello hello. We’re back in Karachi for the second of seven – seven – T20Is between England and Pakistan. A new-look England put in a thoroughly professional display on Tuesday: debutant Luke Wood looked the part, bowling briskly to take 3-24, while Alex Hales marked his return from three years’ exile with a half-century. Harry Brook played the best knock of his international career so far, claiming 42* off 25 in a comfortable six-wicket win. Pakistan, on the other hand, had little to smile about beyond a scintillating 85-run stand between their two men at the top, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. But it was also one of those nights when the game was secondary. England returned to play Pakistan for the first time since 2005. The gradual return of international cricket to these shores means a lot to the cricket-loving people of this nation, and so there was much to celebrate during the series opener, even if the hosts were inferior. “Karachi put on a show tonight,” Hales said afterwards. And now the fun continues at NSK. expect another electric atmosphere. I’ll be back in a bit with the toss and the groups. It’s also my OBO debut, so guys (someone solve my cap presentation please). DM me @tahahash or drop me a line at [email protected] Updated at 15.18 BST
