England leave Pakistan in a spin to level T20 series
Published: 04:07 PM,Jul 19,2021 | EDITED : 08:07 PM,Jul 19,2021
England's Tom Curran and teammates celebrate after the match. -- Reuters
Leeds, United Kingdom: England's spinners took centre stage during a 45-run win over Pakistan in the second Twenty20 international at Headingley on Sunday.
Victory saw England level the three-match series at 1-1 ahead of Tuesday's finale at Old Trafford.
England broke with convention by fielding two leg-spinners in Adil Rashid and Matt Parkinson, with off-spinner Moeen Ali also included.
The hosts' decision was vindicated by the leg-break duo taking a combined 3-55 from eight overs, with player of the match Moeen adding 2-32 to his useful 36 in England's total of 200.
That proved more than enough for England to defend, with Pakistan finishing on 155-9.
Jos Buttler, captaining England in place of the rested Eoin Morgan, marked his return to international duty by top-scoring with 59.
Moeen praised Buttler's faith in spin bowling by saying: "I don't think it was a game plan, it was just Jos playing the conditions.
"I don't think it was risky at all. Today it was great conditions to be a spinner."
He added: "I thought our leg-spinners bowled fantastically well, Parky and Rash complemented each other brilliantly.
"They're both very different but both very skilful."
Earlier, Liam Livingstone -- fresh from scoring England's fastest T20 hundred on Friday -- launched Pakistan quick Haris Rauf for a colossal six that soared straight over the redeveloped Football Stand.
"It was huge," said Moeen. But I've seen him do that a couple of times now.
"I played with him in (South Africa's) Mzansi Super League and he hit one out of Johannesburg!"
Buttler fell when he drilled a catch to mid-off with Livingstone's innings ending on 38 thanks to a needless run out.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan shared an opening stand of exactly 50 before the skipper was caught at mid-off after driving at paceman Saqib Mahmood.
Rashid struck on his Yorkshire home ground when he had Sohaib Maqsood stumped by Buttler before a brilliant one-handed caught and bowled accounted for Rizwan.
With the tourists falling behind the run-rate, Moeen had Mohammad Hafeez caught in the deep by Jonny Bairstow before clean bowling a charging Fakhar Zaman.
Parkinson had a deserved wicket when Azam Khan became Buttler's second stumping of the innings before Mahmood took his figures to 3-33 by bowling tailender Rauf for a duck.
"We started well, but they got 20 or 30 runs extra," said Azam.
"We were trying to chase. After six overs, we couldn't continue the partnership and lost wickets." -- AFP
SCOREBOARD
England
J Roy c Hafeez b Wasim10
J Buttler c Azam b Hasnain59
D Malan c Azam b Wasim1
M Ali c Azam b Hasnain36
L Livingstone (run out)38
J Bairstow c Zaman b Shadab13
T Curran c Maqsood b Hasnain9
C Jordan c Shadab b Rauf14
A Rashid b Rauf2
S Mahmood (not out)3
M Parkinson b Afridi5
Extras (LB-3, NB-1, W-6)10
Total (all out, 19.5 overs)200
Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-18, 3-85, 4-137, 5-153, 6-164, 7-182, 8-191, 9-191
Bowling: Wasim 4-0-37-2, Afridi 3.5-0-28-1, Hasnain 4-0-51-3, Rauf 4-0-48-2, Shadab 4-0-33-1.
Pakistan
M Rizwan c and b Rashid37
B Azam c Malan b Mahmood22
S Maqsood st Buttler b Rashid15
M Hafeez c Bairstow b M Ali10
F Zaman b M Ali8
A Khan st Buttler b Parkinson1
I Wasim c Roy b Curran20
Shadab Khan (not out)36
SS Afridi c Jordan b Mahmood2
H Rauf b Mahmood0
M Hasnain (not out)0
Extras (LB-1, W-3)4
Total (For 9 wkts, 20 overs)155
Fall of wickets: 1-50, 2-71, 3-82, 4-93, 5-95, 6-105, 7-142, 8-147, 9-154
Bowling: Rashid 4-0-30-2, Jordan 1-0-12-0, Curran 4-0-22-1, Mahmood 4-0-33-3, Moeen 3-0-32-2, Parkinson 4-0-25-1
Victory saw England level the three-match series at 1-1 ahead of Tuesday's finale at Old Trafford.
England broke with convention by fielding two leg-spinners in Adil Rashid and Matt Parkinson, with off-spinner Moeen Ali also included.
The hosts' decision was vindicated by the leg-break duo taking a combined 3-55 from eight overs, with player of the match Moeen adding 2-32 to his useful 36 in England's total of 200.
That proved more than enough for England to defend, with Pakistan finishing on 155-9.
Jos Buttler, captaining England in place of the rested Eoin Morgan, marked his return to international duty by top-scoring with 59.
Moeen praised Buttler's faith in spin bowling by saying: "I don't think it was a game plan, it was just Jos playing the conditions.
"I don't think it was risky at all. Today it was great conditions to be a spinner."
He added: "I thought our leg-spinners bowled fantastically well, Parky and Rash complemented each other brilliantly.
"They're both very different but both very skilful."
Earlier, Liam Livingstone -- fresh from scoring England's fastest T20 hundred on Friday -- launched Pakistan quick Haris Rauf for a colossal six that soared straight over the redeveloped Football Stand.
"It was huge," said Moeen. But I've seen him do that a couple of times now.
"I played with him in (South Africa's) Mzansi Super League and he hit one out of Johannesburg!"
Buttler fell when he drilled a catch to mid-off with Livingstone's innings ending on 38 thanks to a needless run out.
Pakistan captain Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan shared an opening stand of exactly 50 before the skipper was caught at mid-off after driving at paceman Saqib Mahmood.
Rashid struck on his Yorkshire home ground when he had Sohaib Maqsood stumped by Buttler before a brilliant one-handed caught and bowled accounted for Rizwan.
With the tourists falling behind the run-rate, Moeen had Mohammad Hafeez caught in the deep by Jonny Bairstow before clean bowling a charging Fakhar Zaman.
Parkinson had a deserved wicket when Azam Khan became Buttler's second stumping of the innings before Mahmood took his figures to 3-33 by bowling tailender Rauf for a duck.
"We started well, but they got 20 or 30 runs extra," said Azam.
"We were trying to chase. After six overs, we couldn't continue the partnership and lost wickets." -- AFP
SCOREBOARD
England
J Roy c Hafeez b Wasim10
J Buttler c Azam b Hasnain59
D Malan c Azam b Wasim1
M Ali c Azam b Hasnain36
L Livingstone (run out)38
J Bairstow c Zaman b Shadab13
T Curran c Maqsood b Hasnain9
C Jordan c Shadab b Rauf14
A Rashid b Rauf2
S Mahmood (not out)3
M Parkinson b Afridi5
Extras (LB-3, NB-1, W-6)10
Total (all out, 19.5 overs)200
Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-18, 3-85, 4-137, 5-153, 6-164, 7-182, 8-191, 9-191
Bowling: Wasim 4-0-37-2, Afridi 3.5-0-28-1, Hasnain 4-0-51-3, Rauf 4-0-48-2, Shadab 4-0-33-1.
Pakistan
M Rizwan c and b Rashid37
B Azam c Malan b Mahmood22
S Maqsood st Buttler b Rashid15
M Hafeez c Bairstow b M Ali10
F Zaman b M Ali8
A Khan st Buttler b Parkinson1
I Wasim c Roy b Curran20
Shadab Khan (not out)36
SS Afridi c Jordan b Mahmood2
H Rauf b Mahmood0
M Hasnain (not out)0
Extras (LB-1, W-3)4
Total (For 9 wkts, 20 overs)155
Fall of wickets: 1-50, 2-71, 3-82, 4-93, 5-95, 6-105, 7-142, 8-147, 9-154
Bowling: Rashid 4-0-30-2, Jordan 1-0-12-0, Curran 4-0-22-1, Mahmood 4-0-33-3, Moeen 3-0-32-2, Parkinson 4-0-25-1