England have been undone by the all-round excellence of Arafat Minhas as they began their winter and one-day worldwide tri-series in Pakistan with an 87-run defeat in Rawalpindi.
Pakistan, who started the match by beating Sri Lanka on the weekend, lurched to 133 for 5 however have been bailed out by Arafat’s 59 and Hasan Nawaz, who belted 4 sixes and 5 fours in his 79.
Harry Brook’s facet bowled properly, though fielding errors led to Pakistan racking up 302 for 9 earlier than Tom Banton and Ben Duckett shifted the momentum in England’s favour with a 91-run opening stand.
However Arafat turned the tide once more by dismissing the in-form Banton and the 21-year-old, in simply his fifth ODI, breached the defences of Brook, earlier than the sluggish left-armer took out England’s decrease order.
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PICTURES: Anjum Naveed/AP
Arafat’s career-best figures
Arafat claimed a career-best six for 40 and effected the run out which sealed Pakistan’s win as England collapsed from 197 for 5 to 214 all out in 38.4 overs – lengthy earlier than the dew grew to become any sort of issue, which had prompted Brook to subject upon profitable the toss.
Gus Atkinson struck with the primary ball of the match, persevering with Pakistan’s platinum duck theme from their abject 3-0 loss in Assessments to England final month, as Fakhar Zaman clipped a leg-stump half-volley to Joe Root.
It set the tone for Pakistan’s top-order as they crawled to 81 for 4 within the nineteenth over, with Babar Azam tucked up for room and bowled by way of the gate by Will Jacks both facet of Saim Ayub and Salman Agha, a centurion in opposition to Sri Lanka on Sunday, falling to cross-batted pictures.
Nawaz stars
Nawaz hit a first-ball six, one in every of three off the returning Adil Rashid, however ought to have been on his method for 30 – just for Atkinson to spill a working likelihood within the deep.
Atkinson atoned by snaring Saad Baig to finish a 52-run stand with Nawaz, who made full use of his let-off alongside Minhas.
Overton, who conceded simply three fours and 38 runs in a pacy 10 overs, produced a terrific yorker to fortress Nawaz with 10 overs left.
Nawaz’s efforts laid the foundations and Pakistan added 91 within the final 10 overs.
Jordan Cox, deputising behind the stumps for Jos Buttler, put down a few troublesome possibilities to reprieve Arafat earlier than he holed out off Sonny Baker, who collected three for 65.
Respectable begin for vacationers
England’s openers have been initially measured in opposition to Pakistan’s vaunted quicks though Banton latched on to Naseem Shah’s brief balls, twice pulling for six, in a breezy union with Duckett, who fell when he was bounced out by Haris Rauf for 45.
Banton reached a 3rd successive fifty however perished for 57 after lashing a brief ball from Minhas to midwicket.
The sluggish left-armer then cleaned up Brook with one which gripped within the floor, turned and clipped the highest of off-stump, a magnificence to prise out a participant who averages 70 in Pakistan.
Root and Sam Curran rebuilt in opposition to Pakistan’s spinners however have been dismissed when the quicks got here again.
Naseem skidded by way of the defences of Root, who performed on to 1 that stored low for 33, whereas Curran lacked conviction with a pull off Rauf, the ball maybe stopping within the pitch, as he holed out for 27.
England collaspe
England’s hopes seemingly rested completely on Cox and Jacks of their first of at the very least 10 ODIs on the highway this winter as they construct in the direction of the 50-over World Cup in southern Africa in 12 months’ time.
However as soon as Cox was overwhelmed on the within edge and given lbw off Arafat, England have been left circling the drain as they capitulated.
Overton and Jacks provided easy catches to provide Arafat his five-for and he had his sixth when Rashid departed leg-before.
A messy finish was epitomised when Atkinson was run out after he and Sonny Baker discovered themselves on the non-striker’s finish, with Arafat recovering the ball after a fumble and throwing down the stumps.
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