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28 March 2024

Pakistan vs England 1st T20: Billings stars as England beat nervy Pakistan

Published
By Cricket Correspondent and Agencies

A new-look England beat clumsy Pakistan by 14 runs in the first Twenty20 international to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series in Dubai on Thursday.

England scored a challenging 160-5 in their 20 overs with Sam Billings hitting a maiden half century before Pakistan were bowled out for 146 off the last ball in another rollercoaster batting display at the Dubai International Stadium.

It was an impressive performance by England considering they rested master blaster Jos Buttler and dependable Joe Root, opting instead to give new players a chance.

Sohail Tanvir, who topscored with 25 not out, added 25 for the eighth wicket with Anwar Ali (20) and 45 for the ninth with Wahab Riaz (21) to give England a scare but 20 runs off the last over proved too much for Pakistan's tail.

With a modest eight runs an over chase Pakistan lost wickets at regular intervals after losing Sarfraz Ahmed (one) and Mohammad Hafeez for seven.

Raffatullah Mohamand made 16 and Mohammad Rizwan six.

Umar Akmal (19) and Sohaib Maqsood (24) took the total to 74 when Umar was run out in a most bizarre fashion.

Umar's miscued shot was well fielded by Adil Rashid as both batsmen ended at the non-striker's end in an attempt to take a single.

Pakistan also lost skipper Shahid Afridi for a second-ball duck and Maqsood stumped - three wickets falling off six balls with the addition of just one run.

Pacemen Liam Plunkett (3-21) and Reece Topley (3-24) shared the bowling honours for England.

Billings (53) and Eoin Morgan (45 not out) lifted England with a 65-run partnership for the fifth wicket to help their team score 59 off the last five overs.

England had lost Jason Roy (nine), Alex Hales (eight) and Moeen Ali (nought) for just 19 runs by fourth over with left-arm paceman Tanvir taking 2-31.

Debutant James Vince struck a 36-ball 41 with a six and six boundaries and added 76 for the fourth wicket with Morgan before he was bowled by fast bowler Riaz in the 14th over.

Billings hit two towering sixes and five boundaries off 25 balls and was run out off the final delivery. Morgan hit three boundaries and a six during his 38-ball knock.

Pakistan were forced to leave out all-rounder Shoaib Malik with a finger injury and opener Ahmed Shehzad with an upset stomach.

Mohmand was handed his Twenty20 debut, becoming the oldest player from a Test playing country to make his debut in the shortest format at 39 years 20 days.

India's Rahul Dravid was the previous oldest to make his Twenty20 debut at 38 years and 232 days when he played against England at Manchester in 2011.

The remaining matches in the three-game series will be played in Dubai (Friday) and Sharjah (Monday).

Imran is the last man out caught behind as Pakistan are all out for 146 as England win by 14 runs to go 1-0 up in the three-match series.

Wahab attempts a big one but fails to clear long on. Pak 145-9, 19.3 overs.

Wahab Riaz c Ali b Topley 21 (13b 4x4)

Tanvir hammers a six off Topley while Wahab cracks two consecutive boundaries off Jordan to keep Pakistan in the hunt. Pak 141-8, 19 overs.

Plunkett completes a superb spell returning figures of 4-0-21-3. Pak 121-8, 17 overs.

OUT! Ali's cameo comes to an end and with that Pakistan's last hope. Pak 100-8, 15 overs.

Anwar Ali c Morgan b Plunkett 20 (14b 2x6)

Anwar Ali smashes a couple of sixes off Parry to keep alive Pakistan's hopes. Pak 95-7, 14 overs.

OUT! Seven down as Maqsood is brilliantly stumped by Billings after a clever piece of bowling by Ali. Pak 75-7, 12 overs.

Sohaib Maqsood st Billings b Ali 24 (16b 1x4 1x6)

OUT! Parry has struck again getting the big wicket of Afridi who chips tamely to midoff. Pak 74-6, 11.4 overs.

Shahid Afridi c Roy b Parry 0 (2b)

OUT! Akmal hammers a massive six off Parry but is run out next ball after a terrible mix-up with his partner with both racing to the same end. Pak 74-5, 11.2 overs.

Umar Akmal run out 19 (14b 1x4 1x6)

England hold the edge at the halfway stage with Pakistan needing 101 off 60 balls. Pak 60-4, 10 overs.

SIX!  Maqsood is unfazed by the fall of wickets thumping Moeen for a six over long-on. Pak 56-4, 9 overs.

OUT! Rizwan gives Parry the charge but is beaten by a ripper. Pak 42-4, 7.4 overs.

Mohammad Rizwan b Parry 6 (9b 1x4)

OUT! Plunkett strikes again as Rafatullah is undone by a short ball nicking behind. Pak 25-3, 5.1 overs.

Rafatullah Mohmand c Billings b Plunkett 16 (20b 1x4)

Hafeez is gone pulling Plunkett straight to square leg. Pak 22-2. 4 overs.

Mohammad Hafeez c Topley b Plunkett 9 (7b 2x4)

OUT! Topley strikes as Sarfraz sweeps him straight to midwicket. Pak 8-1, 1.3 overs.

Sarfraz Ahmed c Plunkett b Topley 1 (2b)

Rafatullah scores his first runs in international cricket by swatting Jordan over the slip cordon for a boundary and is let off next ball by the keeper. Pak 6-0, 1 over.

England innings

Billings slams joint second fastest 50 off 24 balls as England recovered after a poor start to finish on 160-5.

Big over for England as Imran goes for 18 with Billings hammering two consecutive boundaries and a six. Eng 137-4, 18 overs.

Sam Billings on fire here in Dubai Cricket Stadium, hits Imran Khan for 15 in 4 balls.

England reach 119 for the loss of 4 wickets after 17 overs. Anwar Ali completes his 4-over quota. 4-0-19-1

DROPPED: Morgan's catch droppedby Imran Khan at short third man.

OUT!  JM Vince b Wahab Riaz 41 (36b 6x4 1x6)

Pakistan are right on top as another one falls rather tamely. Eng 19-3, 3.5 overs.

Moeen Ali c Umar Akmal b Sohail Tanvir 0 (6b)

OUT! Ali strikes as the dangerous looking Hales is caught off a leading edge. Eng 18-2, 2.3 overs.

Alex Hales c Shahid Afridi b Anwar Ali 8 (9b 1x4)

OUT! Roy perishes after smashing a boundary lobbing a catch to mid-on. Eng 16-1, 2 overs.

Jason Roy c Imran Khan b Sohail Tanvir 9 (6b 1x4)

FOUR! Hales hits the first boundary of the match pulling Tanvir through midwicket after the bowler spilled a chance previous ball.

Wicket keeper batsman Rafatullah is the oldest T20 international debutant at 39 years.

Pakistan will be missing Ahmed Shehzad and Shoaib Malik through injury.

Jos Buttler is not in the English side.

Teams

England: AD Hales, JJ Roy, JM Vince, EJG Morgan, SW Billings, MM Ali, AU Rashid, CJ Jordan, LE Plunkett, SD Parry, RJW Topley

Pakistan:  Rafatullah Mohmand, Sarfraz Ahmed, Mohammad Hafeez, Mohammad Rizwan, Sohaib Maqsood, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Anwar Ali, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz, Imran Khan Junior

England have won the toss and elected to bat first.



Preview

Former champions Pakistan will face England in a three-match Twenty20 series in Dubai from Thursday as they begin to settle their squads for next year's World Twenty20.

Pakistan finished runners-up in the first edition of the World Twenty20 in 2007 before winning the crown two years later in England and are now ranked number two in the shortest and the most popular format of the game.

They need to win the series, at least by a 2-1 margin, to maintain their standings - a fact Afridi believes will spur on his team.

"We want to settle down before the World Twenty20," said Afridi of the event to be held in India from March 11-April 3.

"Besides that we are ranked number two so it's an important series for us in many ways and we will do our best to win it."

Pakistan are likely to get two to three Twenty20 matches if their series against India is held next month before they head to New Zealand for another three matches.

Before the sixth edition of the World Twenty20 they will also feature in the Asia Cup to be held in Bangladesh in February.

Pakistan are hampered by the absence of ace spinner Saeed Ajmal, who is struggling with a new bowling action which needed alteration after it was deemed illegal.

Besides Ajmal, the highest wicket-taker in all Twenty20 cricket with 85, paceman Umar Gul (joint second highest with 83 wickets) was also not selected as he is recovering from injury. Opening batsman Mohammad Hafeez is also banned from bowling.

But Afridi, who also has 83 wickets, hopes his young team will fight hard.

England, who won the World Twenty20 in 2010, are ranked eighth in the shortest format but coach Trevor Bayliss believes their 3-1 one-day success over Pakistan last week will give the squad good confidence.

"England players should have a lot of confidence from the way they've played going into the three T20 matches, knowing they can play in these conditions against this quality of opposition," said Bayliss whose team lost the Test series 2-0.

Bayliss, from Australia, said the series will help his team prepare for the World Twenty20.

"It's another step on the way to that World Twenty20 in March-April. We want to play this T20 series and win that as well as we possibly can, but it's also a bit of a testing ground."

The remaining two matches will be held in Dubai (Friday) and Sharjah (Monday).

Squads (from):

Pakistan
: Shahid Afridi (captain), Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez, Rafatullah Mohmand, Shoaib Malik, Sohaib Maqsood, Umar Akmal, Mohammad Rizwan, Sarfraz Ahmed, Anwar Ali, Bilal Asif, Imran Khan junior, Mohammad Irfan, Sohail Tanvir, Wahab Riaz, Aamer Yamin

England: Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Chris Jordan, Alex Hales, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, James Taylor, Reece Topley, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Liam Plunkett

Officials for first match:
Umpires: Ahsan Raza (PAK and Shozab Raza (PAK)
Tv umpire: Ahmed Shahab (PAK)
Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)