England fell to an 87-run defeat against Pakistan in their opening one-day international tri-series fixture in Rawalpindi, as left-arm spinner Arafat Minhas starred with both bat and ball to punish the visitors’ sloppy fielding and late-innings collapse, according to bbc.co.uk.
England Openers Start Quickly as Pakistan Nears Final
- England Top-Order Volatility: Quick starts by openers Ben Duckett and Tom Banton highlight the innings, with England’s batting lineup looking to build on their starts.
- Pakistan Tri-Series Momentum: With two wins from two, Pakistan are on the brink of the tri-series final heading into the matches in Lahore and Rawalpindi.
Dropped Catches Help Pakistan Reach 302
England began their winter touring schedule with a listless defensive display in the field. Asked to bat first, Pakistan stumbled to 190-5 in the 37th over before wicketkeeper Jordan Cox dropped Arafat Minhas on 12, part of a trio of spilled catches by the tourists. Capitalizing on the reprieve, Arafat forged a partnership with Hasan Nawaz, whose strong 79 laid the platform. Arafat contributed 59 off 58 balls to lift Pakistan to a formidable total of 302-9.
Facing the second-highest run chase ever recorded to win an ODI at the Rawalpindi Stadium, England initially flew out of the blocks. Openers Ben Duckett and Tom Banton raced to 91 without loss, asserting total control over the required run rate. But the momentum evaporated swiftly once errors crept into the visitors’ shot selection. Duckett top-edged a pull to depart for 45, while Banton fell for 57 after shovelling an unthreatening long hop straight to mid-wicket.
Arafat Takes 6-40 to Dismantle England Middle Order
Arafat’s impact with the ball proved decisive as he tied England’s deep batting lineup in knots. Mixing his stock delivery with an effective arm ball, the left-arm spinner dismantled the middle order by finishing with career-best figures of 6-40. He cleaned up England captain Harry Brook for five with a sharp delivery and later trapped Cox lbw and induced Jamie Overton to hole out to long-on.
England lost their final seven wickets for just 50 runs as the innings dissolved into a procession. Joe Root offered brief resistance with 33 before keeping low to a delivery from Naseem Shah. As the scoreboard pressure mounted, Will Jacks battled for 19 before dragging a skidding delivery from Arafat to mid-wicket. The innings suffered a farcical conclusion when Gus Atkinson was run out following a suicidal attempt at a second run, sealing England’s total at 215 all out in 38.4 overs.
| Metric / Stat | Pakistan Innings | England Innings |
|---|---|---|
| Total Score | 302-9 (50 overs) | 215 (38.4 overs) |
| Top Scorer | Hasan Nawaz (79) | Tom Banton (57) |
| Key Bowler Figures | Arafat Minhas (6-40) | Baker (3-65) |
| Dropped Catches | – | 3 |
Pakistan Nears Final Before England Faces Sri Lanka
The comprehensive victory leaves Pakistan firmly in command of the tri-series with two wins from two matches, placing them on the absolute brink of qualification for the final. For England, the itinerary brooks no delay. The squad remains at the same venue in Rawalpindi to face Sri Lanka on Thursday, with both teams searching for their opening victory of the tournament.
Following Thursday’s fixture, the tri-series shifts venues to Lahore for subsequent matches against Sri Lanka ahead of the scheduled final on October 31.
More on Tom Banton
Pakistan scored 302 for 9 in their allotted 50 overs against England in the second match of the Pakistan-Sri Lanka-England ODI tri-series in Rawalpindi.#PakistanCricket #PAKvsENG #ODICricket #CricketTriSeries #PakistanTV pic.twitter.com/qmbIKQeB2O
— https://x.com/PakTVGlobal/status/2112519445612806385
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