England vs​ Pakistan Twenty-20 match report: Appalling batting and farcical run-out sees England win in Dubai

England 160-5 Pakistan 146 (England win by 14 runs)

Umar Akmal is run out in farcical fashion for the home side (AP)

England took the first Twenty20 match of the series here, winning by 14 runs thanks to fine innings by Sam Billings and Eoin Morgan – but more importantly due to some appalling batting by Pakistan and one incredible run out.

Chasing 161 to win and having slumped to 42 for 4, Pakistan ended a minor revival in calamitous fashion with the dangerous Umar Akmal racing non-striker Sohaib Maqsood for the safety of the non-striker’s crease after a mix-up over a single to short fine-leg and departing an unhappy man after losing the third-umpire photo finish.

Earlier, in the absence of the rested Joe Root and Jos Buttler, Billings (53) and debutant James Vince (41) helped Morgan (45 not out) reach an England total of 160 for 5.

Then Liam Plunkett (3 for 21) – another unexpected selection here after his tour of inactivity over the previous eight weeks and just one previous Twenty20 cap nine years ago – had a hand in each of Pakistan’s first three dismissals on the way to 146 all out.

After Morgan had won the toss and England stumbled to 19 for 3, it seemed they might pay for the surprise omissions of two first-choice batsmen. But Vince reacted well in an important stand of 76 in 10 overs with Morgan, and then Billings upped the ante alongside his captain too. He smashed five fours and two sixes from just 25 balls with a display of power and invention which would have done even Buttler proud.

England had a total they could hope to defend, and had two early breakthroughs in Pakistan’s reply when Sarfraz Ahmed and then Mohammad Hafeez both holed out – from a sweep at Reece Topley (3 for 24) and then a pull at Plunkett.


 England batsman Eoin Morgan hits out on his way to an unbeaten 45 against Pakistan 
 (AP)

The latter had held the first catch and then doubled up with his second wicket in his second over, ending a fretful stay for Rafatullah Mohmand when he had the 39-year-old debutant opener caught behind trying to pull.

The introduction of spin soon brought another wicket, Mohammad Rizwan bowled charging Stephen Parry. After Akmal’s run out, captain Shahid Afridi came and went in the blink of an eye, chipping a catch to cover off Parry. When Maqsood was stumped off a Moeen Ali wide, three wickets had fallen for one run in five balls. Anwar Ali climbed into two sixes in Parry’s last over, but Plunkett returned to have him caught at mid-off.

England still had to hold their nerve thanks to more late hitting from Sohail Tanvir in a last-ditch, ninth-wicket stand of 45 with Wahab Riaz, before Topley picked up two more wickets in the final over to consign Pakistan to their first Twenty20 defeat in seven matches.

PA