Pakistan vs England LIVE: Cricket score and result as Phil Salt blasts England to victory in Lahore
England trail seven-match series 3-2 and must beat Pakistan to avoid series defeat
England have no room for manoeuvre if they want to be triumphant in their seven-match T20I series against Pakistan. The hosts won the fifth game on Wednesday evening in a low scoring contest and now lead the series 3-2 with two matches to play.
Batting first, Pakistan set England a reachable target of 147 from their 20 overs but a collapse in the powerplay saw them fall to 31-3 with Alex Hales, Phil Salt and Ben Duckett all going cheaply. England managed to recover thanks to Moeen Ali’s 51 not out but they required 15 runs from the final over and some brilliant death bowling from debutant Aamir Jamal saw them fall eight runs short of victory.
This defeat comes on the back of another failed chase in the fourth T20I where England lost by four runs after Reece Topley ran himself out with five balls left in the innings. The tourists should have won both games and the consequence of these losses mean England must win the final two matches in Lahore to be victorious in the series. Can they get the job done this evening?
Follow all the action from the sixth T20I between Pakistan and England in Lahore:
Phil Salt powers England to emphatic win over Pakistan as series goes to decider
Phil Salt blew Pakistan away with a punishing 88 not out as England took their seven-match Twenty20 series all the way to a decider.
Needing victory to tie the scores at 3-3, and with two unsuccessful chases in a row under their belts, the tourists romped to an eight-wicket win on the back of Salt’s brilliance.
Faced with a target of 170, Salt blazed away in style to make a tricky target look inconsequential. The Lancashire opener hit three sixes and 13 fours in a 41-ball stay, easily outstripping his previous high of 57 in the format.
The tour now moves to its conclusion, with everything on the line in Lahore on Sunday.
Phil Salt powers England to emphatic win over Pakistan as series goes to decider
Opener Salt scored an unbeaten 88 as England won by eight wickets.
England win by eight wickets and draw series level at 3-3!
The seventh and final T20I of the series takes place on Sunday at 3.30pm BST in Lahore once again.
England win by eight wickets!
It’s a job well done for England. At the halfway stage it seemed as though Pakistan had set a tricky total for a chase but Phil Salt and Alex Hales set the tone early on and blasted the ball to all parts.
Dawid Malan and Ben Duckett both chipped in with 26 runs apiece but Salt batted throughout to end with 88*.
England 170-2 (14.3), Salt 88, Duckett 26, Wasim 0-27 (2.3), England require 170 runs to win
England win by eight wickets! Phil Salt smokes Mohammad Wasim away through cover to win the game for England. They’ve knocked this off at a canter with five and a half overs to spare.
England drew the series level at 3-3 with one game left to play. What a series this is!
Salt is the hero for England and finishes with 88* from 41 balls.
England 166-2 (14), Salt 85, Duckett 25, Jamal 0-30 (2), England require 170 runs to win
Aamer Jamal is brought back on and Salt tries to cut him away but doesn’t beat the man at backward point. The next delivery is short again and Salt doesn’t miss out a second time. He pulls one over the bowlers head and collects four!
11 runs to win. Three singles come from the next three balls before Duckett pulls Jamal away for another four!
Just four runs needed now.
England 155-2 (13), Salt 81, Duckett 20, Nawaz 0-43 (4), England require 170 runs to win
Phil Salt swings and misses at one but Mohammad Haris whips the bails off and appeals for a stumping. It’s clear from the replay though that he’s safely back in his crease.
Duckett ends the over with a four! Just 15 needed for England now.
England 150-2 (12.3), Salt 80, Duckett 16, Nawaz 0-38 (3.3), England require 170 runs to win
22 runs needed from 48 balls.
Mohammad Nawaz is going to bowl out too. Phil Salt smashes him down the ground for one and Duckett follows him with a push to long-on to bring up the 150!
England 148-2 (12), Salt 79, Duckett 15, Shadab 2-34 (4), England require 170 runs to win
Shadab Khan is going to finish his four overs. Phil Salt looks to carve him over cow corner but an edge takes the ball to third man for a couple.
A single brings Duckett back on strike and he nails a reverse sweep over cover for four runs! Duckett then follows up with a regular sweep through square-leg and brings up another boundary!
13 runs come from the over as Duckett pulls one away for two more off the last ball.
England 135-2 (11), Salt 76, Duckett 5, Nawaz 0-37 (3), England require 170 runs to win
Mohammad Nawaz is back. Pakistan have fielders on the fence now so it’s trickier to find the boundary but the run-rate isn’t a problem anymore and England can knock this off in ones and twos.
Four singles come from the first four balls before Duckett attempts a reverse sweep and is rattled on the pads. Babar Azam sends it upstairs for a review, is this one close?
No, it’s hit him outside the off stump. Not out. Six runs come from the over.
England 129-2 (10), Salt 74, Duckett 1, Shadab 2-21 (3), England require 170 runs to win
Ben Duckett is the new man and he nudges the ball into the legside to get off the mark with is second delivery. Shadab finishes his third over with a dot ball.
Just one run and one wicket from the over but England are well ahead at the halfway stage. 41 runs required to win and level the series.
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