Lancashire spiker hits first ball of the match to derail Pakistan, which is out by just 141 before Dawid Malan and rookie Zak Crawley facilitate England’s home with 169 balls to play; Ben Stokes’ team wins 1-0 despite introducing new XI after COVID-19 outbreak in original team
Saqib Mahmood’s career best figures of 4-42 sent Pakistan to a nine-wicket loss to New England in the first Royal London Series ODI in Cardiff.
Mahmood, in his fifth ODI, easily eclipsed his previous best of 2-36 with an impressive display of paced bowling, as tourists were packed for 141 in just 35.2 overs.
England, which deployed a hastily assembled replacement XI after the original ODI squad as a whole was placed in isolation on Tuesday following a COVID-19 outbreak at the camp, approached its target in 21.5 overs in the part rear of an uninterrupted 120-race stand. between Zak Crawley (58th) and Dawid Malan (68th).
The association was the highest in Cardiff for the second wicket of any ODI international entry, topping the 92 posted by Australians Mark Waugh and Ricky Ponting against Pakistan in 2001.
Crawley was one of five rookies in the home lineup, alongside starter Phil Salt, off-roader Lewis Gregory, fast pitcher Brydon Carse and wicketkeeper John Simpson, led by Ben Stokes, who rushed back to the team earlier than planned. after fracturing. a finger in the Indian Premier League.
Stokes was in a jovial mood after winning the draw, joking that England had made 11 changes before forgetting the names of two of the five debutants: Crawley and Gregory, the unfortunate duo.
Days after England’s camp was in disarray, Pakistan’s batting lineup was in crisis when Mahmood set the tone by eliminating Misbah-ul-Haq lbw with the first ball of the match and then had Babar Azam catch Crawley. on the second slip with his third. delivery.
A 0-2 score quickly became 17-3, then 26-4 when Mohammad Rizwan nibbled on a Gregory pitch that drifted away and Mahmood beat Saud Shakeel for the pace to catch the rookie lbw by five.
Fakhar (47) was unflappable, displaying full drives and powerful pulls, but no hit was as devastating as Sohaib Maqsood’s six on extra coverage by Craig Overton (2-23).
The Pakistani pair countered some penetrating bowling from England with a push hitting game, forging a position of 53 in the fifth wicket only for Maqsood (19) to be eliminated by James Vince at the non-forward end after his partner team would sell you a mannequin.
Eleven runs later, Fakhar’s flamboyant punch came to an abrupt end when he tried to score a short, attractive pass from Matt Parkinson (2-28) over the point only to find Crawley’s hands.
Pakistan topped 100 before Faheem Ashraf became the seventh man to leave: Mahmood picked up his fourth wicket courtesy of a simple snick to Simpson.
At 101-7, the tourists decided to go completely on the offensive with Shadab Khan (30 of 43 balls) pitching Parkinson’s for six and Hasan Ali (six) swinging the bat, all with little success as he was caught deep by Malan de Parkinson after being dropped by the same fielder in one.
Malan was back in business in the deep square when Shadab failed to hand Overton his first ODI spot in his second appearance and the Somerset bowler doubled over when Shaheen Afridi, dropped the ball early, skipped a simple opportunity. for Stokes halfway.
England bristled with early intention at the beginning of their answer: Salt crushed Hasan through the covers by four only to cut the first slip in an ambitious attempt.
Crawley had his stumps ripped apart by a Hasan yorker when he only had one, knowing it was a free throw, and he had the best view when Malan hit Shaheen four with his back foot before deflecting a second limit.
Pakistan’s luck held out, Crawley taking a lead over coverage with 14 as the pair pulled off a fifty-run tie with 45 balls before Malan hit a run to fifty from a lower edge limit.
Crawley scored her ODI 50 as a single in the debut with 44 balls courtesy of her seventh four, a home run pulse behind the point, at which point the result was a formality.
Watch the second ODI between England and Pakistan live on Sky Sports Cricket starting at 10.30am. M. From Saturday.
