Pakistan were at their exhilarating best in Cardiff, routing England by eight wickets after a stunning bowling performance
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I don’t know what to say. Even by Pakistan’s standards, that was quite astonishing. England look shocked as they leave the field. They didn’t play well but even their A-game might not have been enough. Pakistan did what only Pakistan can do, summoning an irresistible force with the ball before batting - the loose cannon Fakhar excepted - with an almost contrary calmness.
It’s a sad day to be an England fan. It’s a beautiful day to be a cricket fan. Whether it’s mid-innings or mid-tournament, there’s nothing in sport quite as exhilarating as a Pakistan surge. They are on one now, and will take some beating in the final. Or they’ll lose by 200 runs. Thanks for your company. Commiserations to England. Zindabad Pakistan!
Zindabad Pakistan! Hafeez pulls Stokes for four to complete a staggering victory. The most compelling team in the history of sport have defied all logic, yet again.
37 overs: Pakistan 211-2 (Babar 38, Hafeez 27) The scores are level. Pakistan have given England an almighty tonking.
36th over: Pakistan 202-2 (Babar 38, Hafeez 18) This win reaffirms Pakistan’s status as the great logic-deniers of world sport. There are some impressively sophisticated and accurate cricket games around, but there is no computer in the world that would come up with this scorecard. It is turning into a bit of a humiliation for England. Morgan has a 3/6 field for the new bowler Stokes; you can’t do that, so it’s a no-ball and a free hit - which Hafeez slaughters over long on for six. The next ball is called wide, and then Babar drives magnificently through extra cover for four. Stokes has figures of 3-0-34-0; he and England are seething with impotent rage.
#BenStokes sums up England's day: he scored 34 off 64 balls, and has conceded 34 off 18 #ENGvPAK
35th over: Pakistan 187-2 (Babar 33, Hafeez 10) Hafeez times Ball through point for three, with Bairstow saving the boundary with an admirably futile dive.
34th over: Pakistan 183-2 (Babar 32, Hafeez 7) Azhar’s 76 is Pakistan’s highest individual score in this tournament. They’ve laughed in the face of death hitting and the rest of the received wisdom about ODI batting in 2017. Hafeez survives a stumping chance when he runs past one from Rashid - Buttler should have taken it - and bleaches the wound by driving the next ball over long off for six.
33rd over: Pakistan 173-2 (Babar 31, Hafeez 1) If Pakistan have a mental block against India, they have the opposite against England, Whatever that is. A mental tailwind? A mental force? A mental BLOODY ABILITY TO RUIN MA WEDNESDAY? They really do love pooping England’s party, from the 1992 World Cup final to those thrashings in 2005-06 and 2011-12 that brought England straight back down to earth.
Azhar’s superb innings ends when he drags a slower bouncer back onto the stumps. It’s not even a consolation wicket for England.
32nd over: Pakistan 173-1 (Azhar 76, Babar 30) “How often can you say that an innings of 31 has transformed a nation’s fortunes?” says Dileep Premachandran. “Till Fakhar played that innings against SA, Pakistan’s batting was of (bad) 1980s vintage. With him alongside Azhar, they look a modern side.”
Yes, it was like he reminded the whole team that they were Pakistan.
31st over: Pakistan 169-1 (Azhar 73, Babar 29) Eoin Morgan is going down funkily, with three men on the drive for the returning Jake Ball, who gets one to pop past Azhar’s attempted dab.
30th over: Pakistan 166-1 (Azhar 72, Babar 27) Babar drives Rashid high over extra cover for three. It’s an elephantine ‘if’, but if they play this well in the final I think they’ll win it, even against India. It’s been an almost flawless performance. bar drives Rashid high over extra cover for three. It’s an elephantine ‘if’, but if they play this well in the final I think they’ll win it, even against India. It’s been an almost flawless performance.
29th over: Pakistan 163-1 (Azhar 72, Babar 24) A really good over from Plunkett ... until Azhar drives the last ball immaculately down the ground for four. He has played a superb innings in the circumstances: one part Test match, two parts ODI. Pakistan need 49 from 21 overs for a monumental victory.
28th over: Pakistan 157-1 (Azhar 67, Babar 23) Babar belabours Rashid into the leg side for his first four. Eoin Morgan prides himself on his poker face, but it’s being tested now by a combination of frustration and bewilderment. What the flipping hell is going on?
“I share your pain, having experienced a similar event when the underdog Pakistan batted a brilliant second innings to beat the hosts NZ in the semi-final of the 1992 World Cup,” says Giles. “Like England, we (NZ) had been on a rampage through the tournament, led by the late, great Martin Crowe’s brilliant batting and innovative captaincy (remember his opening the bowling with the offspinner, Dipak Patel?). Grown NZ men cried that day - and not just on the field.”
27th over: Pakistan 152-1 (Azhar 67, Babar 19) Plunkett plugs away to no particular effect, positive orr negative. England’s bowlers haven’t sulked or thrown the towel in; they’ve just had a rotten day on the second worst possible day.
“Neon parachute pants!” says Chris Drew. “As in…”
26th over: Pakistan 149-1 (Azhar 65, Babar 18) Rashid is milked for six, mostly through that off-side gap that Brendon McCullum wanted to close. It’s over, you don’t need to tell me. It’s a bad day for England, a shocking one, but let’s not be too one-eyed: this is a staggering performance from Pakistan.
“England are very reliant on Morgan, Root and Buttler to assess a surface and get them to a score,” says Adam Pervoe. “When they fail the rest can lack the nous to get them to a competitive score. Everyone can have a bad day and more often than not one of those three have come through in the last two years. The bowling is improving, Bairstow deserves a run. Let’s just put it down to Pakistan and move on without too much of a post-mortem.”
25th over: Pakistan 142-1 (Azhar 63, Babar 13)
24th over: Pakistan 138-1 (Azhar 61, Babar 12) Babar Azam charges Rashid and drives the sweetest straight six. Plenty about Babar suggests a future star, not least a fledgling ODI average of 53. Brendon McCullum, commentating on Sky, is giving a lovely demonstration of his captaincy brain: “That single’s too easy (a cut to the cover sweeper). At this point in time when you’re chasing wickets you’ve got to ask them to play at a different level of risk. To me you bring Morgan across, you stack the off side, you open up a gap on the leg side and you ask the batter to play against the spin. We’ve seen a bit of spin and bounce. Ask them to hit in different areas and it may present a catching opportunity.”
23rd over: Pakistan 128-1 (Azhar 59, Babar 3) Wood continues. This is his eighth over, which isn’t ideal, but then nor is an equation of 90 needed from 28 overs. They have no real choice but to push for a second wicket right now. Wood doesn’t quite have the same oomph or belief as he did in his superb first spell, and the over passes peacefully for Pakistan. Fakhar’s assault caught the eye but Azhar has played the situation almost perfectly.
“The references to mid-90s ODI tactics puts me in mind of something I read about Greece winning Euro 2004,” says Tom Hopkins. “Something along the lines that they used ‘outdated’ tactics and by the time other teams remembered how to counter them it was too late. In sport, as in other things, forgetting history seems to be ill-advised.”
22nd over: Pakistan 122-1 (Azhar 55, Babar 1) Rashid is bowling nicely, and England’s only hope of beating Pakistan is by turning into Pakistan through the wrist spin of Rashid and the pace of Wood.
“This is all the more bitter because it is inevitable that Pakistan will fold like a marzipan deckchair in the final,” says Ben Timpson. “This is just winning for winning’s sake. Heartless.”
Glory be. Rashid strikes with an excellent googly that turns past Fakhar’s attempted assault, allowing Buttler to complete a routine stumping. Fakhar played a wild and often brilliant innings of 57 from 58 balls.
21st over: Pakistan 118-0 (Azhar 52, Fakhar 57) Azhar reaches a calm, classy half-century, guiding a short ball from Wood past slip for four. England’s only hope is to take
ten wickets, real gooda wicket and slowly squeeze the life out of the new batsmen on this slow pitch. Their desperation manifests itself in an unsuccessful review when Fakhar tries to pull Wood and the ball ends up in the hands of Buttler. There was a sound, but it hit the back pocket rather than the bottom edge. You can understand why they went for it.
“As an Australian now living in Germany (I lived in London for eleven years), I think I can use the word ‘schadenfreude’ in its truest sense,” says Edward Wilson. “That’s the problem with cricket in England - there’s never rain around when you need it! Mwah hah hah...”
20th over: Pakistan 111-0 (Azhar 47, Fakhar 56) Rashid spits an authentic jaffa past Azhar’s forward lunge and then grubs one under an attempted lap. The ball hits Buttler’s feet and rebounds onto the stumps, so England appeal for the stumping. Azhar’s back foot was fine. Pakistan need 101 from 30 overs; England need snookers.
“I think we can stop blaming the pitch now and just praise the Pakistan bowling,” says Billy Mills. “They bowled on the same pitch as England are, but they bowled well.”
19th over: Pakistan 108-0 (Azhar 45, Fakhar 55) Mark Wood returns ahead of schedule, such is England’s desperation for a wicket. Wood has been the best England bowler by a mile in this innings and beats Azhar for the fourth or fifth time in the innings. He’s had precisely bugger all luck.
“It is one of those days when England, having batted poorly, have come against a team playing well,” says Lee Smith. “Every now and again it will happen, I think it is a sign of the times that we can be disappointed in today’s performance as a one off, rather than a return to the old shite England.”
18th over: Pakistan 105-0 (Azhar 42, Fakhar 55) Moeen replaces whoever was bowling at this end before him. I’ve lost the will to check. The remarkable Fakhar makes room to belt another boundary over extra-cover. Truly, I cannot believe this is happening. If you’d said to me before the game that one team would be bowled out for 211 and the other would be 102 for nought after 18 overs, I would have nodded sagely. Another easy victory for England.
17th over: Pakistan 99-0 (Azhar 41, Fakhar 50) Fakhar reaches a frenzied, hugely important fifty from 49 balls. You couldn’t make this up: England finally caught up with the rest of the ODI world and now Pakistan are beating them with cricket from 1996: pinch-hitters, reverse swing, scores in the low-to-mid 200s. This is an almighty kick in the tender place for England. I thought they would win this game easily. I do think they would be right to be a bit unhappy about the pitch, but that isn’t the main reason for them losing this match.
16th over: Pakistan 95-0 (Azhar 39, Fakhar 48) Fakhar swivel-pulls Plunkett superbly for four. He has had some lucky moments but he is starting to time it a lot better now, and the way he has played has got right under England’s skin.
15th over: Pakistan 88-0 (Azhar 37, Fakhar 43) Adil Rashid replaces Ben Stokes. Pakistan play spin superbly but England have to take the risk. Fakhar gives him the charge and thrashes a drive down the ground for a one-bounce four. This is absolutely extraordinary: the worst Pakistan ODI team for decades - as they were 10 days ago - are trouncing the best England ODI team for at least 25 years.
14th over: Pakistan 81-0 (Azhar 36, Fakhar 37) Plunkett continues. Fakhar steals a single to mid-off, with Hales’s throw missing the stumps. He would have been home anyway. It must be time for Adil Rashid.
“Well, this is just dandy,” says Guy Hornsby. “Lest it be said that for those of us of a certain age (ok, all of us) this is a ‘vintage’ England performance. We’ve bulldozed so many before us in the last 24 months so impressively, but strangled on a difficult pitch, we’ve been found wanting, and now we’ve just lost all our shape to a rampant, exuberant Pakistan. Wickets don’t just come through wanging it down as hard as you can. I feel for them though, this must be a tough day, even if it’s not quite over yet. The big shame is that India will probably hammer them in the final. Cricket, bloody hell.”
13th over: Pakistan 78-0 (Azhar 34, Fakhar 36) Azhar tries to lap-pull Stokes and top-edges it over Rashid at fine leg for six! Stokes it all over the place here: a wide half-volley is blazed through point for another four by Azhar, and that’s 19 from Stokes’s two overs. England are waist deep in the malodorous stuff.
“Getting to be too painful to watch now,” says Reg Gorczynski. “How quick a fall from grace this has become... and how hard to swallow after all that hype over the last few months.”
12th over: Pakistan 66-0 (Azhar 23, Fakhar 36) If England are to win this game, I suspect Liam Plunkett will have a lot to do with it. He’s coming on to replace Jake Ball and FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE his third ball is touched off the pads for four by Fakhar. Azhar Ali, who has judged his innings perfectly, drives three more through extra cover to make it 10 from the over. Pakistan need 146 from 38 overs. England are in a deal of trouble.
11th over: Pakistan 56-0 (Azhar 19, Fakhar 30) Ben Stokes replaces Mark Wood. I think it’s the right decision but it is a gamble; Stokes could take a hat-trick or Fakhar could whack him for 25 in two overs. It’s a poor first over from Stokes, with Azhar swivel-pulling deftly round the corner for four. Here’s Adam Hirst. “Is it cowardly to pray for a classic Pakistan run-out farce? Or three.”
10th over: Pakistan 49-0 (Azhar 14, Fakhar 28) That’s a storming stroke from Fakhar, who wallops a short ball from Ball through midwicket for four. That made a beautiful sound. England, right now, are a collection of affronted coupons - especially as Fakhar is riding all kinds of luck. He has another grotesque yahoo at Ball, slicing it high towards third man. The ball is in the air for an age but somehow lands safely between Wood and Buttler. This is priceless stuff from Fakhar - not just the runs and the speed of those runs (28 from 28 balls) but the impact it is having on England’s equilibrium.
9th over: Pakistan 41-0 (Azhar 13, Fakhar 21) Azhar and Fakhar, the Test right-hander and the T20 left-hander, make chalk and cheese seem like siblings. It can’t be easy to bowl to them. Fakhar hooks Wood high in the air for four, not a perfect stroke but another stiff-fingered jab into England’s breastbone.
Modern odi cricket: not only do u need big 100s,but u need quick 100s.
Pak: how abt we reach a tournament final without anyone scoring 70?
8th over: Pakistan 35-0 (Azhar 12, Fakhar 16) The first two overs were a bit ropey from England but since then their accuracy has been beyond reproach, even if some would argue they have been executing the wrong plans. Saying which, Ball drops one shirt and Azhar plays an excellent back-foot drive to the point boundary. Who do you turn to next? Plunkett? Stokes? Like Pat Mustard’s babies in Father Ted, this is getting a bit too hairy for comfort.
“Pakistan are going to find yet another way of being brilliantly surprising here,” says Phil Harrison. “This time they’ll just stroll, composed and ruthlessly efficient, towards this target. And they’ll get them, without any alarms, with about 5 overs to spare for about three wickets. That’s the only surprise that’s left to them now.”
7th over: Pakistan 30-0 (Azhar 8, Fakhar 15) If England lose this, a lot of people will be unhappy about the pitch and the crowd. No home advantage here. I still think they’ll win but it’s getting unpleasantly tight now. Wood is bowling superbly now. He hits Fakhar on the helmet with a bouncer and then beats Azhar Ali outside off stump three times in four deliveries. That length, just full of good, is the one that Shaun Pollock has been advocating.
“Could I politely suggest that people show a bit of faith in England?” says Ian Copestake. “Surely they have earned that.”
6th over: Pakistan 29-0 (Azhar 8, Fakhar 15) A misfield from Rashid allows Azhar to come back for two. Azhar is playing watchfully and will, as usual, try to bat through. He has eight from 20 balls, Fakhar has 15 from 16. England need a wicket quicksmart; Ball almost gets it with a cracking delivery that beats Azhar’s attempted drive.
5th over: Pakistan 26-0 (Azhar 6, Fakhar 14) Shaun Pollock, who knows very little about seam bowling, suggests England have been a bit too short so far. If you are ever going to pitch it up on this pitch, the first few overs is the time to do it. Azhar Ali looks very comfortable; Fakhar less so, but that’s his brief.
4th over: Pakistan 23-0 (Azhar 5, Fakhar 11) The left-handed Fakhar charges Ball and heaves a pull behind square for four, an exceptionally ugly and extremely effective stroke. He has a tremendous List A record - average 50, strike-rate 95 - and in his debut tournament he has batted with vicious intent. England’s bowlers have settled into a decent rhythm, but they only have 188 more runs to play with.
“I’ve just had all my hair cut off so I look pretty much like I did in 2011 (i.e. like someone likely to be fronting a 1990s experimental electronic music outfit) and with that apparently comes the need to email the OBO, also much like 2011,” says Kat Petersen. “Those were the days.”
3rd over: Pakistan 18-0 (Azhar 5, Fakhar 7) The dangerous Fakhar launches into another hook at Wood, this time dropping it not far short of Ball at long leg. Wood then snaps a beauty past Azhar Ali’s outside edge to complete an excellent over. England desperately need an early wicket, ideally Fakhar.
2nd over: Pakistan 16-0 (Azhar 4, Fakhar 6) A brilliant stat on Sky - all 15 of Pakistan’s dismissals to seam bowlers in this tournament have been to short balls. It may not matter because England have had a dreadful start to this innings: Ball swings a delivery down the leg side for five wides. It’s been a slightly hotheaded start from England, which is a concern because their bowlers are at their best when they are cold and clinical.
“That’s what is so amazing about this England batting line-up,” says Adam Hirst. “Despite having six or seven of the finest one-day batters that England have ever produced, they can turn into England at any point.”
1st over: Pakistan 10-0 (Azhar 3, Fakhar 6) Mark Wood starts the innings with a wide. Great stuff. Azhar Ali then pulls confidently for three, to loud cheers from the Pakistan supporters. There’s a worry that England will lose their heads and try a bit too hard; they really need to start well and change the mood. They also need to dismiss Fakhar because he could finish this game in an hour - a point he reaffirms by top-edging his second ball over Buttler’s head for six! He was beaten for pace by Wood but went through with the hook and it went all the way.
One thing has been missing from this Champions Trophy: the coruscating OBOs of our friend Dan Lucas, who died in March at the age of 31. Dan’s girlfriend Liz is organising a cricket match in his memory to raise money for Diabetes research. It’ll be in London (venue tbc) on Sunday 13 August and all OBOers are welcome – they have enough players, but there will be afternoon tea, BBQ, music, a quiz and oodles of goodwill and geekery. You might even meet a Guardianista!
If you’d like to go along, on your own or in a group of OBOers, send me an email and I’ll forward it to Liz. Or, if you prefer, you can donate here.
Hello all. I used to think Pakistan were the most interesting team in the history of sport. I now realise they’re the most interesting thing in the history of mankind. Their ability to teleport between farce and genius is unparalleled, and at their best they are like watching sport directed by David Lynch. Nothing makes a blind bit of sense, key characters appear out from nowhere, supernatural forces are at work and inanimate objects can talk. All you can do is run with the mood and the madness.
If Pakistan win this Champions Trophy by knocking out England and India, the hosts and the holders, they might as well retire the national team because not even they will be able to top that.
A lot of emails are coming in along the lines of this one from Sam Hedges: “... this new England, doesn’t matter if they lose a few wickets.. .they bat deep. They know how to put runs on the scoreboard... not such thing as SB pressure to them... What? .... Oh. How far could this performance set us back? Or has the pitch got something in it for the bowlers, even with such a low total. to defend?”
There is something in it for the bowlers, certainly, and England have what it takes to win this game still but all the English self-criticism is rather overlooking just how well Pakistan performed in the field just there. There were no weak links in the bowling, from the reliable slow accuracy of Hafeez to the thrilling menace of Hassan, who’s now the tournament’s leading wicket taker with 10, and deserves to be. He’s some talent.
49.5 overs: England 211 (Wood run out 3, Ball 2*) Junaid is given the last over, as he had the first, and begins uncharacteristically sloppily with an overstep and a no-ball. The free hit is squandered as No11 Ball steps back, makes space to cut – and misses completely. Two more attempted yorkers bring two more dot balls before Ball gets hold of one in the way few higher up the order did, but his high straight slog doesn’t quite go the distance and lands just short, bringing two runs as it’s well retrieved in tandem by the ropes. Ball then swings and misses, they run anyway, but Wood’s never going to make his ground and it’s an easy run out for Sarfraz.
49th over: England 207-9 (Wood 2, Ball 0) Wood plays and misses at Raees, before getting off the mark with a glance down to third man before – at last! - a boundary, the first since the 39th over, an inelegant slash and edge down to the third man boundary from Plunkett, who perishes next ball with a high pull to backward square leg where Azhar Ali takes a fine catch at shoulder height. Raees ends with figures of 2-44 from nine overs.
Plunkett pulls high and not quite handsome on the legside and Azhar Ali, on the run, takes the catch smartly.
48th over: England 201-8 (Plunkett 5, Wood 0) Hassan Ali begins his final over by blotting his copy-book with a front-foot no ball, giving Plunkett a free hit. which he can only inside-edge down to fine leg for a hasty two (he’d have been run out had the fielder hit). Plunkett adds another single before Stokes endures more frustration as angled slower ball follows him and beats him as he steps outside leg-stump. His torment is ended next ball when he scoops up a slower ball to Hafeez, who takes an easy catch. It’s Hassan’s third wicket, and even that stat barely does justice to just how compellingly well he’s bowled today. He finishes here with figures of 10-0-35-3.
Stokes’s torment is over, foxed by a slower ball from Hassan that he can only scoop up to extra-cover where Hafeez is waiting to take an easy catch.
47th over: England 196-7 (Stokes 33, Plunkett 2) Stokes is trying for the bigger hits now, but only gets a two followed by a one off the first two balls of Raees’s over. The debutant pegs Plunkett back with a brilliant inswinging yorker from around the wicket. Raees mixes it up with a bouncer at Stokes that is called wide, and another single completes the over. Drink this stat in: Ben Stokes has 33 from 61 balls with no (count ‘em) boundaries
46th over: England 190-7 (Stokes 30, Plunkett 1) Stokes is denied a two off Hassan when he slips at the non-striker’s end after completing the first run following a drive to long-on. The new man Plunkett is tied up by Hassan giving him absolutely nothing, room-wise, angling it in at him. Even his loose full tosses can’t be dealt with, as Hassan fields smartly from Plunkett’s attempted swipe. A slice to third man then brings a single, but England just can’t step on the gas here.
45th over: England 187-7 (Stokes 27, Plunkett 1) Stokes still can’t get his timing right, toe-ending another cut in front of square off Raees for a mere one – almost as if he’s channeling Boycott and Brearley in the 1979 World Cup final here. Plunkett pulls for one to get off the mark before Stokes turns a low full toss down to deep square leg for a swiftly-run two. A single to long-on then at least enables him to keep the strike.
@tomdaviesE17 Either my jinxed OBOed tweet or Moeen’s wicket has now made Pakistan favourites
Eng 6/5 Pak 4/6
44th over: England 182-7 (Stokes 23, Plunkett 0) Hassan the man is back, digging one i in short from round the wicket at Stokes, who can’t get his pull shot onto it in time and just bangs it back into the ground. The next one he does get hold of, but can only pull it to deep backward square leg for a single. Rashid is then run out after trying to dig out Hassan’s inswinging yorker and darting towards the other end, failing to beat Shehzad’s direct hit. A single to Stokes is all England can eke from the remainder of the over.
“Is it all right to laugh?” asks Romeo. It’s probably the best medicine.
Hassan has an lbw shout at Rashid after spearing one into his pads – they rush a single, it’s unwise, as Shehzad the sub fielder picks up and throws down the stumps with a direct hit and Rashid is out of his ground.
43rd over: England 180-6 (Stokes 21, Rashid 7) Imad Wasim has had to leave the field, having incurred some kind of knack when (mis)fielding that Stokes clip for two in the previous over. Raees replaces Junaid, and does Rashid like a proverbial (or even actual) kipper with an angled outswinger, following it up with a quicker ball that jags into his midriff but enables Rashid to pick up a scurried single. A bouncer is then called wide, prompting pantomime boos from Pakistan’s supporters. Stokes can’t find the gap with a forceful pull towards mid-on, and can only add a single with a hurried push to mid-off from a slower ball. This has been a tremendous display in the field from Pakistan.
42nd over: England 177-6 (Stokes 20, Rashid 6) Shadab continues to bowl tightly, conceding a couple of pushed singles. Stokes just can’t cut loose, with Shadab following his footwork and cramping him up when the left-hander tries to give himself space wide of the crease. He does get two courtesy of a misfield though, but still no boundaries.
41st over: England 173-6 (Stokes 17, Rashid 5) Middle-order collapses have been something of a feature of this tournament, a feature from which England looked immune until today. They’re still struggling to get on the front foot against the lively Junaid, who yields only four singles from his eight over. He’s gone for only 37 today. We could be heading for a low-scoring classic here. Proper Cricket.
40th over: England 169-6 (Stokes 15, Rashid 3) Rashid steers Shadab elegantly behind point to get off the mark with two. Another single brings Stokes to the strike, but he can’t fully master Shadab’s combinations, and there are only four runs from the over. And we go into an intriguing last powerplay.
“Ells bells, what a carry on,” worries Andrew Benton. “What’s hampering England? They play as if they went on a picnic with a huge Harrods hamper and stuffed and drank themselves happy, and have just realised there is an important cricket match to play. The only alternative - this could be an example of “covfefe”, snatching success from the brink of failure, aka Andy Murray.”
39th over: England 165-6 (Stokes 14, Rashid 0) We still have pace at one end, as Junaid continues and, after a Stokes single, strikes, inducing Moeen to hook a short ball down to Fakhar at deep square leg who takes a brilliant catch. There’s a big responsibility plonked on Ben Stokes’s sturdy shoulders now – England couldn’t half do with having Woakes fit right now – as a couple more singles complete the over.
@tomdaviesE17 Just checked match odds on Paddy Power and they surprisingly still have England slight favourites to win.
Moeen hooks into the deep and Fakhar Zaman takes a magnificent high running catch, and Pakistan have another treasured scalp.
38th over: England 161-5 (Stokes 10, Moeen 11) Spin returns to the attack, in the form of the redoubtable Hafeez (there are suggestions Hassan might have a touch of cramp). Moeen and Stokes each crack a single before Moeen properly gets holds off one, scooping high over midwicket off the front foot for four. England have no option but to seek to attack the spinners now.
37th over: England 155-5 (Stokes 9, Moeen 6) There is plenty of movement both in the air and off the seam at the moment, which England’s own bowlers are going to have to take succour from, because their batsmen are continuing to struggle to assert themselves. Stokes tries to attack Junaid but can’t time anything past the infield – four very good dot balls are followed by a quick single as a forced back-foot off-drive is fumbled at mid-off before Moeen pulls another single to deep square leg. Notions of reaching a 300+ total look particularly fanciful right now.
36th over: England 153-5 (Stokes 8, Moeen 5) The over starts with a rash play and miss by Moeen at an away-swinger from Hassan, who produces an even better one next ball, angled in and jagging away, just missing the batsman’s edge and the top of off-stump. Proper “that were too good for thee” stuff. Brilliant. Four dot balls are followed by a much-needed boundary, a not wholly convincing square drive for four but it was timed well enough by Moeen even if not quite where he aimed it. He’s not had much batting time in this tournament and it shows at the moment, though he’s up against some bowling of the highest class from Hassan.
35th over: England 149-5 (Stokes 8, Moeen 1) Junaid joins in the fun, finding a low edge to remove England’s big late-overs dangerman, Buttler, first ball after the break. There’s pressure on Stokes and the new man, Moeen, now. Moeen’s off the mark with a bunted single through the legside off a full toss before Stokes plays away three dot balls and opts to leave a short sharp lifter outside off-stump. Stokes has eight runs off 23 balls, but England need him to stick around now until well beyond the 40th over.
Junaid strikes, first ball after drinks, moving one a fraction off the seam and Buttler edges low to the keeper. England in some bother now.
34th over: England 148-4 (Stokes 8, Buttler 4) More probing assertive stuff from Hassan, from which England can winkle out only two more singles. I think they’re going to pause now, while jugs of orange squash and plastic cups are brought out by whoever’s turn it is to do the teas today. Drinks.
“Googling ‘Anti-Yorkshire Space Lizard Conspiracy’ gets only one hit, this OBO” writes Robin Hazlehurst, revealing the fruits of his productive morning, “while googling ‘Anti-Yorkshire Conspiracy’ gets more, all of which are denying there is a conspiracy. Absolute cast-iron proof right there that there is one, and it must be run by space lizards as nobody had earlier accused them. Obviously. That’s how conspiracy theories work isn’t it?” I couldn’t possibly tell you either way, Robin, otherwise …
33rd over: England 146-4 (Stokes 7, Buttler 3) Sarfraz, buoyed, brings back Junaid Khan to his attack. He concedes a couple of singles before zinging a brilliant bouncer past the advancing Buttler. They take two more ones before Buttler swings and misses at another delivery that certainly offered some lateral movement. Can still be a bowler’s game, this.
32nd over: England 142-4 (Stokes 5, Buttler 1) Hassan returns, with six overs still to bowl, this time from the river end. He gets some bounce and pins Morgan back, and after an unhurried single, Hassan finds the edge of Stokes’s bat, but it brings only a single to third man. The edge Hassan finds next ball is rather more decisive though, Morgan attempting a fearsome back-foot drive against one that jags away from him off the seam and only edging to the keeper. Hassan has done it again against the left-handers. Buttler, in earlier than England would have liked, gets off the mark with a cover drive for one. England’s two most exciting batsmen are now in, against Pakistan’s most exciting bowler. It’s must-watch stuff (if you’ve got access for paid-for telly)
“As a conspiratorial space lizard,” croaks Bob O’Hara, “I just want to apologise to Durham for the mess-up last season. I’m afraid our galactic ray mis-fired after a seagull dropped a stick of rhubarb on the secondary emissions regulator. We would also like to know if you have any knowledge of the whereabouts of a Mr Gary Naylor, as he seems to have absconded with 16 trillion Arcobills.”
And another! Hassan does it again, inducing Morgan to slash and edge outside off-stump in frustration, and the keeper takes it easy. This is a major scalp.
31st over: England 139-3 (Morgan 32, Stokes 4) The all-spin continues, with a let-off for Morgan off Hafeez, who hacks and misses outside leg stump. It misses the stumps by a whisker, ricochets off the keeper and lands in the hands of the man at leg-slip. Hafeez continues to offer neither variation nor easy hits to England, and it’s working, in terms of stemming the flow of runs. Three singles are all that this over yields.
@tomdaviesE17 "Anti-Yorkshire Space Lizard Conspiracy" sounds like a Charlie Stross novel from the Laundry Files. https://t.co/Um9NAd6rj8
30th over: England 136-3 (Morgan 30, Stokes 3) Shadab tucks up Morgan for a couple of balls before the left-hander gets forward and assertively reverse sweeps high off the front foot for four through the vacant third man area. Masterful cricket from the captain. Six from the over in total.
29th over: England 130-3 (Morgan 25, Stokes 2) Neither Morgan nor Stokes can get Hafeez away, and a languid Stokes single is all that England can muster. Slow and steady is doing the job for Hafeez here, for the moment.
But…
Be careful, Pakistan. In the final 10 overs Eng's SR is 140, way above the global avg of 116...#engvpak#ct17
28th over: England 129-3 (Morgan 25, Stokes 1) Shadab breaks the partnership. Root, who had gently shimmied towards a half-century without attracting much attention, edges behind on 46, having hit only two boundaries. Will we have a gear change now Stokes is in? He’s defensive off his first two balls, the second of which is a wonderful googly pitched outside leg stump, before getting off the mark with a push straight on the offside for a single. For all my pre-match eulogies to Pakistani pace, more than half their overs so far have been spin, and it’s been pretty damn effective.
This one IS out. Root steps back and tries to cut Shadab, but the pace and bounce foxes him and he edges behind.
27th over: England 127-2 (Root 46, Morgan 24) Root, who’s been in a bit of a backseat role so far, takes a single off Hafeez, who continues to just probe an accurate line, conceding one more single and a ramped Root two.
“Being a Yorkshireman (in exile),” writes Ben Powell. “I obviously fully concur with the possibility of an Anti-Yorkshire-Space-Lizard-Conspiracy. I note YJB scored, though, in excess of Roy’s tally from 3 innings so am more than happy that England haven’t stuck with the stable line-up option. I’m more worried that this match looks as if the clock has been turned back 20 years or so to a late ‘90s approach to ODI batting. Or am I just spoilt rotten by recent batting displays?” You’re being spoiled a bit really – plenty of time to come yet, and Pakistan have bowled decently.
26th over: England 123-2 (Root 43, Morgan 23) Another England escape. Morgan is given out after sweeping and nudging behind to the keeper but reviews. And hot-spot shows it didn’t hit the glove, just his arm. They check for the lbw, but it’s going well over the top, and the captain survives. He celebrates by lashing the last ball of the over through the covers for four.
“I saw Anti-Yorkshire Space Lizard Conspiracy supporting Sons of Ishmael at The Wigan Den in 1991,” quips Aidan Taylor. “Not as good as their early demos suggested.”
25th over: England 118-2 (Root 42, Morgan 19) Hafeez comes on at the other end, replacing Hassan after four overs. He drops one short and is punished by a rare boundary of pedigree, a forceful pull past midwicket to the ropes. The quick singles are being well run too, and there’s a feeling that the England captain is setting himself up nicely here. England reach the halfway stage having hit only 10 boundaries, but you wouldn’t bet against them trebling that tally, at least, in the remainder of the innings.
24th over: England 111-2 (Root 40, Morgan 14) Shadab comes back into the attack, and gives little away either – three singles, but no wickets, so there is a real sense that this one could go either way.
“I’m not having a slow day at work,” writes Paul Billington, while his boss is having a coffee break, “so have only had a reasonably short space of time to contemplate why Roy was dropped. I had thought it was because he wasn’t playing very well, but now I’m starting to wonder if the anti-Yorkshire-space-lizard-conspiracy is actually the reason.” Anti-Yorkshire Space Lizard Conspiracy would be a decent name for a novelty political party standing in a high-profile by-election, I reckon. You read this idea first here.
23rd over: England 108-2 (Root 38, Morgan 13) The boundary famine is ended, in less than convincing fashion, as Morgan’s miscued pull goes past the diving wicketkeeper Sarfraz and races down to the short boundary at the River Taff End. Hassan continues to bowl excellently though, varying his pace and not offering anything loose. Root’s well-timed, clipped single completes a more productive over for England however.
22nd over: England 101-2 (Root 36, Morgan 8) Root punts Hafeez down the ground for a single, Morgan flicks another. Two more ones take England to three figures, but boundaries continue to elude them. None of which means a big 300+ total is yet beyond them, as long as batting pairs stay together.
“It’s all very well Chris Drew and the other 6,457 thundering their unhappiness at my rather flippant remark. Yet I think they’re all non Yorkist supporters who were thinking it anyway,” continues Lee Smith, who seems to be having a slow morning at work. “The Yorkies are now distracted from the England match and are contemplating why Roy was dropped.”
21st over: England 96-2 (Root 33, Morgan 6) Root takes a quick single off Hassan, who continues to cramp Morgan up intelligently by spearing it into the left-hander from a wide angle. The England captain, now past 5,000 career ODI runs, can only deal in ones at the moment, as can Root. Only three from another high-calibre over, meaning England have now gone seven overs without a boundary.
20th over: England 93-2 (Root 31, Morgan 5) Sarfraz’s strategy of aggressive pace at one end and defensive spin at the other is earning plaudits from Ricky Ponting, who’s been something of a find as a pundit in this tournament. A couple of singles precede a rather hasty reverse-sweep attempt by Morgan, nudged from bat to pad, prompting a hopeful shout from Hafeez, but they’ve used their reviews anyhow. Two singles and a square-cut for two from the England captain is the hosts’ yield from the over.
19th over: England 89-2 (Root 30, Morgan 2) Hassan is relishing the chance to zip a couple of angled deliveries across the left-handed Morgan, who eventually gets a single with a low cut behind square for single. Hassan then sends a snorting lifter past Root, but it serves only to get extras off the mark at last, as it’s called wide. Root then square drives for two.
18th over: England 84-2 (Root 27, Morgan 1) Another bowling change, spin for spin, with Hafeez on for Shadab. He is milked for three singles before hemming Morgan in with a couple of stifling straight accurate balls. A potential momentum shift to Pakistan here, if they can keep it tight and claim another scalp or two.
“I’m blaming Lee Smith for the fall of the Bairstow wicket,” thunders Chris Drew, and 6,457 others.
17th over: England 81-2 (Root 25, Morgan 0) Hassan Ali – a contender for most watchable player of the tournament – is indeed into the attack. Hurray. England want to get at him straight away, but it’s their undoing, Bairstow toe-ending a forceful flick high on the legside straight into the hands of Mohammad Hafeez. The attempt to out-psyche a dangerous new bowler proved his undoing there – somehow typical of the new England that, in a good and bad way. Still, it was a handy enough knock from Bairstow. Root’s subsequent quick single is the only run of the over.
Hasan Ali comes into the attack and makes an impact once again! Bairstow getting onto the front foot and attempting to clear the field on the legside but only finding Hafeez at deep square leg for a simple catch.
16th over: England 80-1 (Bairstow 43, Root 24) Another half-chance dropped! Bairstow grubs outside off-stump at Shadab, and thick-edge high to Azhar first slip, who again can only parry and it just drops short of the man coming in from gully. Three singles from the over.
“I wonder if there are any Yorkist conspiracy theorists out there,” writes Lee Smith, tempting me to just stop him there and scoff at such a suggestion, “… who think Roy was dropped just so Bairstow couldn’t play against Surrey yesterday? I mean there are plenty of them and it doesn’t take much to get them muttering darkly into the cups of Yorkshire Tea!”
15th over: England 77-1 (Bairstow 41, Root 23) Imad continues to keep it tight, conceding only singles pushed in front of the wicket – four of them to be precise. The next intriguing turn may centre on the issue when Pakistan decide to deploy middle-overs maestro Hasan Ali.
14th over: England 73-1 (Bairstow 39, Root 21) Two fierce straight drives in a row from Bairstow off Shadab – one goes for four, the other is cut off at the boundary and brings only one. The spinner later sends a beauty jagging away past Bairstow’s outside edge – England can’t quite cut loose yet, but 300 looks on certainly.
13th over: England 67-1 (Bairstow 34, Root 20) Imad bottles it up at the Cathedral Road End, conceding only two singles. England are the fastest-scoring team in the tournament through overs 11-20, so overs like this will please Pakistan. Though neither Root nor Bairstow are looking particularly troubled at the moment.
12th over: England 65-1 (Bairstow 33, Root 19) Spin at both ends as the returning Shadab comes into the attack, and almost strikes straight away, inducing a sliced and nervy chip through the offside from Root that just eludes any fielders and brings him a single. But England are going to punish the bad stuff and a rank long hop is belted contemptuously wide of mid-on for four by Root. More eager scuttling between the wickets keeps the scoreboard ticking, and Shadab’s first over goes for seven.
11th over: England 58-1 (Bairstow 32, Root 13) A change of tone here, as Imad’s uneventful over is milked for six consecutive singles. Which gives me a chance to plug our weekly roundup of all our Proper Journalism. Sign up to The Recap here:
Related: The Recap: sign up for the best of the Guardian's sport coverage
10th over: England 52-1 (Bairstow 29, Root 10) Root gets two with a fine firm square cut off Raees, followed by a dabbed single. Then, Bairstow is DROPPED, pulling across the line high to Azhar Ali at midwicket, who can only parry a sharp chance. It wasn’t easy, but once again Pakistan rue what might have been. Seven from the over, and that ends a competitive and eventful first powerplay.
9th over: England 45-1 (Bairstow 26, Root 6) A very good over from Imad, who has half an lbw shout when he pins Root back with one that jags back into him but is too high. Only one run from it.
“Do you have yet any clear notion of what a par score should be for today’s wicket and weather conditions?” asks Geoff Wignall. “And is it the kind of wicket to have Plunkett licking his lips?” I’m sat in an office in London, so can only offer a man-in-the-pub analysis regarding the weather (though I’m not even in a pub), but I still think there’s something in this for the bowlers despite the fairly brisk scoring rate thus far. There’s been menace from quicks and slower bowlers.
8th over: England 44-1 (Bairstow 25, Root 6) Bairstow square cuts Raees for two – with these two out in the middle we could be on for a running-between-the-wickets masterclass here – but the left-armer continues to look more like a man in his 50th ODI than his first, though there’s nothing he can do about the artful flick through square leg that brings Root a boundary off the last ball of the over.
7th over: England 37-1 (Bairstow 22, Root 2) A change of pace, with the left-arm spinner Imad Wasim getting his first taste of action. No extravagant turn – that’s not his thing, at this stage of the innings – but it’s pretty accurate and it’s skidding through with alacrity. The one time he offers width, Root finds the gap deftly with a square cut for two. Not a single extra from the first seven overs. Wonder if England can get to 50 without extras getting off the mark.
“I note the email from Rich Naylor with interest,” OBO in-jokes Phil Sawyer. “Has Gary had a pay rise? Who’d have thought a weekly roundup of county cricket news would be so lucrative?”
6th over: England 34-1 (Bairstow 21, Root 0) Raees has Bairstow playing and missing outside off stump, but the batsman responds with a straight drive for four – he already has the highest score by an England No1 in the tournament. Another single brings Hales to the strike, and he perishes next ball, carving to Babar Azam at cover to give Raees his first ODI wicket.
Pakistan have their breakthrough. Hales opens his shoulders again to crack through the offside but only picks out the fielder at extra-cover, waiting for just that, and Babar Azam snaffles it up. You have to say he deserved that.
5th over: England 29-0 (Bairstow 16, Hales 13) Pakistan’s opening bowlers have been really good here, and it’s not reflected in the scoreboard. Junaid finds some bounce off the seam at Bairstow, who can’t score a run until the fifth ball of the over. But the one bad ball – wide and full outside off – is flayed to the boundary by a venomous cover drive from Hales.
4th over: England 24-0 (Bairstow 15, Hales 9) Raees continues, conceding a couple of singles and a two, but looking pretty accomplished, hitting a decent line and not offering much. And he’s so close to a debut wicket when he brings one back in on Hales and strikes him halfway up the pad. The lbw is given, Hales reviews– and is vindicated: it’s pitched outside leg. Fractionally. England escape again.
Dan Silk, meanwhile, shakes the Magic Opening Batsman Tree to great effect: “Re the OBO preamble. We actually were in a great way to getting one of these MOBTs - e.g. Stoneman, Borthwick, Jennings - combined with a Miraculous Ginger All-rounder Bush and Wonderful Skiddy Bowler Thicket. But Durham got *kicked in the nadgers for not having a sugardaddy on the ECB/not being Surrey/somewhat harshly relegated, fined and kicked while down. Sorry, does that sound bitter? Anyway, looking forward to an unpredictable game.”
3rd over: England 20-0 (Bairstow 14, Hales 6) Momentum change from England. Bairstow scampers a well-run two with a little short-arm jab on the legside before doing his confidence no end of good with two consecutive boundaries – a neat uppish flick through midwicket that beats the infield and goes for four, followed by a more forceful front-foot jab over square leg. Two more wide of mid-on suggest Bairstow’s swiftly got the measure of Junaid after that massive reprieve in the first over.
2nd over: England 7-0 (Bairstow 2, Hales 5) The new man Raees, anothe left-armer, starts at the River Taff end. Bairstow adds a single. Hales opens his shoulders and tries to crack a wider one through the covers but it’s well stopped at extra-cover and they can only get one for it. Already there’s a sign of variable bounce as Bairstow hacks and misses at one outside off-stump – dare I say it he’s looked a little nervous so far.
1st over: England 5-0 (Bairstow 1, Hales 4) Junaid Khan has first use of the new ball, from the Cathedral Road end, and uses it first to try out his yorker that Bairstow digs out confidently enough. Second up though we have a HUGE let-off for England. Bairstow is rapped on the top of the pad, provoking a massive appeal. It’s not given, but Junaid’s request for a review is granted. It’s come back very slightly and just clipping off stump, so it stays with umpire’s call. How pivotal could that be? Bairstow then gets off the mark with a single, and Hales gets off the mark with a forceful straight drive for four but it’s an excellent first over from the left-armer, marked by pace and a little bit of nip-back off the seam.
The anthems are done, the half-hearted fireworks are fizzing and Seven Nation Army is being pumped out of the PA. Can’t be doing with any of that really, but it does mean we’re ready to go. Pakistan are huddling.
“Is it now obligatory for the captain losing the toss to say he would have done what he was forced to do anyway?” wonders Bob Miller. “Like an Aesop’s Fable called the Especially Delicious Grapes that I’m Glad you Made me Eat.”
“Whilst a fool such as I wait for the real business of the Royal London semi-final, Notts vs East Saxons, there is the small matter of England vs Pakistan,” writes Lee Smith. “Normally the question would be, which Pakistan will turn up? Cornered tigers or lacklustre ne’er do wells. Yet this time I think it more appropriate to ask which England will show up. Despite the sequence of 300+ scores, however this is still England and their dark eyes can be 140 all out and without dignity. In fact you could say it is even more of a possibility with the not time to think all or nothing approach with the bat. So what will it be a changing of the guard or hard times? Will they be white ball world beaters or Sunday league impersonators blowing in the wind? Let us hope the weather is good, both sides get a fair crack and we have a great game of cricket.”
Was anyone at yesterday’s Taunton run-fest by the way? What was going on out there?
While we’re waiting, you might want to read yesterday’s Spin, in which Andy Bull revels in what Jos Buttler means for this swashbuckling England team:
Related: Jos Buttler encapsulates England’s braveheart approach to risk-taking | Andy Bull
Cardiff looks lovely, as ever, in the bright sunshine. Is there another city in the UK that comes alive for major sporting events in the way the Welsh capital does? Every main sporting venue is slap bang in the centre (though it’s a bit of a brisk walk out to the football ground admittedly), and the place buzzes. Doesn’t deserve empty seats today.
“Hi Tom,” chirps Rich Naylor, “I notice that among the ‘related content’ links on the Guardian’s Live OBO coverage webpage, is a link to the Guardian’s live OBO coverage webpage. If I click on that, do I get transported ‘Being John Malkovich’ style into your head and get to take over the commentary? I wouldn’t be very good. I’m not even watching an illegal live stream listening to it on radio 4 DAB.” We’re always looking at ways to expand and refine our journalism Rich, but the inside of my head is neither a lucrative nor rewarding place at which to alight.
England: Alex Hales, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (capt), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wk), Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Liam Plunkett, Mark Wood, Jake Ball.
Pakistan: Azhar Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed (capt, wk), Imad Wasim, Rumman Raees, Shadab Khan, Hasan Ali, Junaid Khan.
Sarfraz Ahmed calls right and sticks England in, and confirms the absence of Amir with back problems. Morgan’s reasonably pleased with that, as he says England would have batted first had he got the coin toss right. He also confirms that Roy has been swapped for Bairstow.
Emails get off the mark with this one, swished through midwicket, by Housie House: “I am sitting in Saudi Arabia watching the build up on our local satellite tv station. Michael Vaughan is wearing a waistcoat with collars and the bottom button is done up. There is something so wrong with the whole thing. Waqar is looking very dapper in an orange tie and suit and Darren Sammy in a dark suit and tie. What is wrong with Vaughan? Our host is Jim Rosenthal, an odd choice I have to say.” None of that nonsense from the Sky team, who are in regulation-dull dark blue suits, every man jack of ‘em.
Some slightly alarming team news for Pakistan. This could be a big blow:
Early blow for Pakistan... https://t.co/J9fusxVp7t
Morning everyone. Such are the strange times we live in that you can sidle up to strangers, begin your small talk with the opening gambit of “England look the best side in a 50-over tournament” and no one looks at you funny before shuffling away with a look of dread and horror. Which makes a nice change. Yes, we’ve arrived at the semi-final stages swiftly enough – though am I the only one that feels this tournament has zoomed by a little too quickly? - with the hosts looking set fair. England, as expected, are favourites in the first one, against a Pakistan side who at times have been almost a caricature of their cricketing image – wretched in their first match, against India, inspired (particularly with the ball) against South Africa, and sporadically excellent against Sri Lanka while giving their fans plenty of scares as they scrambled over the line in pursuit of a modest target.
Neutrals will surely not begrudge Pakistan their place in today’s semi-final though, particularly those who like to see bowlers get their moments in the sun in this bat-heavy game. Indeed Pakistan in tournaments have always been about the bowling – from Wasim in ’92 to Shoaib Akhtar in ’99 to even just brief cameos such as Wahab Riaz’s inspired spell in a losing cause against Australia in that World Cup quarter-final two years ago. The erratic Wahab has been elbowed out of this current side’s attack, spearheaded now by the thrillingly zesty Hasan Ali, Junaid Khan and the young-old warhorse Mohammad Amir.
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