Hafeez steers Pakistan to thrilling win over England

Thursday, 3 September 2020 00:56 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Mohammad Hafeez

MANCHESTER (Reuters): Mohammad Hafeez scored a scintillating unbeaten 86 as Pakistan held their nerve to defeat England by five runs in the third and final Twenty20 International at Old Trafford on Tuesday to tie the series 1-1.

Sent into bat, Pakistan posted 190 for four in their 20 overs as Hafeez and debutant Haider Ali (54) put on 100 for the third wicket, before restricting England to 185 for eight despite a superb 61 from Moeen Ali. England will now prepare for a three-match Twenty20 series against Australia that starts in Southampton on Friday.

Hafeez smashed six sixes in his 52-ball 86, his joint highest in Twenty20 Internationals and the most by a Pakistan batsman against England in the shortest format.

The home bowlers again battled with their lengths and a number of full tosses were crashed to the boundary.

Haider became the first Pakistan player to score a Twenty20 half-century on debut when he brought up his milestone from 28 deliveries and his century stand with Hafeez came off 10 overs.

England were in early trouble in their reply when opener Jonny Bairstow was bowled by a Shaheen Afridi (2-28) yorker for a duck. In-form captain Eoin Morgan was run out for 10 as partner Tom Banton refused a run, and when the latter was leg before wicket to Haris Rauf for 46 from 31 deliveries, England were teetering at 69 for four. Moeen and Sam Billings (26) put on 57 for the fifth wicket, and the former kept his side in the game with some power hitting, leaving them needing 20 from the last two overs. But a brilliant penultimate over from seamer Wahab Riaz (2-26) went for just three runs, including the wicket of Moeen, whose scored 61 off 33 balls.

The first match in the series was abandoned due to rain, while England won the second by five wickets.