Match Report – ENG vs PAK 2nd T20I, May 25, 2024

uk 183 for 7 (Butler 84, Shaheen 3-36) Pakistan 160 (Fakhar 45, Topley 3-41) 23 runs

But he struck with the first ball of the next over when Azam Khan was chipped at short cover – smiling broadly after months of rehabilitation – and effectively sealed the win when Imad Wasim was caught at deep point in the final over. He conceded a solitary boundary in his last three overs and regularly clocked speeds in excess of 90mph/145kph.

Pakistan kept the required rate manageable while chasing 184, largely thanks to Fakhar’s innings of 45 for 21 at number four. But they lost wickets too regularly, couldn’t even last 30 balls and were eventually bowled out. Four balls were not used.

Butler goes through the gears

But Shadab’s introduction brought about a change in Buttler’s approach. He bowled the first ball of the legspinner in four overs and the last ball was long gone. Buttler looked through his repertoire and deftly scooped Haris out for a six between a reverse-sweep and a reverse-slog sweeping Shadab. Fours and sixes. He got off 40 of the 15 balls he faced.

England’s middle-order slide

After the Jacks had hit Rauf to point, Jonny Bairstow, after conceding four runs off his first 10 balls, got Shadab for six in the final over, costing him 20 runs. He hit Shaheen at extra cover for four and then hit a full toss to score six. However, the top edge pull to deep square leg collapsed at about 5 for 25 off 25 balls.

Imad, who had scored just 19 runs from four miserable overs, was bowled by Harry Brook as he fell back on the second ball, while Buttler was looking for the death when he mistimed Haris’ slow ball to long-on. His score of 84 was his highest score in international cricket since his 100 against South Africa in February 2023.

Shaheen struck twice in the final over, with Moeen Ali caught wide long-on and Chris Jordan top-edged at short leg. England, who looked 200, were at least 180 thanks to Archer’s cameo, but Pakistan were in the match when Liam Livingstone was able to toe-end the last ball of the innings back to Amir.

Moeen’s tight start

Fourteen months after his last match against England, Archer had to wait another five overs before being inserted into the attack. Buttler instead bowled the new ball to Moeen, who was caught in the trap by Mohammad Rizwan. After defending the first two balls of the innings, Rizwan rushed down to bring Moeen down leg side, but could only pick out Livingstone at short midwicket.

Archer’s Return

Archer’s first ball was hit at a speed of 86mph/138kph but he was out for 15 off the sixth ball of his first over as Fakhar made 27 off his first nine balls. However, Babar fell without making much of a dent on the target and was caught lbw on 32 off 26 balls in Moeen’s sweep. This is the kind of innings that sparks debate about his role in Pakistan’s T20I team.

Fakhar continued to attack, taking Moeen up to the third tier of the pavilion, but struggled to land any attacks. Adil Rashid, playing his first match since February’s ILT20, conceded seven runs in his first two overs and had a difficult afternoon in place of Shadab, whose difficult afternoon ended with a misplaced sweep to long-on.

Azam (Khan) got Jordan through point with back-to-back boundaries, but England went back into the lead when he miscued Archer to short cover. Archer’s second over cost just 1 and after Fakhar was dropped for 45 (swinging Livingston to long on) the rate needed increased to 12.

Imad and Iftikhar briefly threatened as they both fired high sixes, but England’s seamer put things to rest after the latter denied Topley. Jordan, Archer and Toffley allowed the solitary boundary between them in the last 20 balls of the innings, with Shaheen trapped at deep midwicket to leave Pakistan bowled 24 runs short of the target.