KARACHI: Pakistan speedster Haris Rauf bowled a game-changing 19th over when he hit left-arm spinner Muhammad Nawaz twice with three runs of 3/35 to help Pakistan defend 167 and the seven-match series. Helped seal K’s fourth T20I.
Chasing a target of 167, England fell just three runs short in the final over, courtesy of a brilliant 19th over from Harris, who struck twice to remove danger men Liam Dawson and Ollie Stone to send the hosts into the lead. Brought back into play after a costly 18th. From Muhammad Hasnain.
Earlier, Dawson charged young pacer Hasnain and brought England back into the game with 24 in the 18th over after the touring side lost wickets at a rapid pace in the middle overs.
The visiting team made a disappointing start to their run chase as they lost three wickets for just 14 runs in two overs with Hasnain striking twice in his first over, giving Pakistan a commanding lead over England.
England’s reliable pair of Ben Duckett and Harry Brooke tried to chase down the run with a mighty 43-run partnership for the fourth wicket but Nawaz dashed their hopes in the eighth over as he bowled Duckett for 33. Trapped in his legs on the runs.
Touring captain Moin Ali then joined Brook in the middle and put on a crucial stand of 49 to keep his side in the hunt but Nawaz struck again to give Pakistan another crucial breakthrough and Moin 29 and bowled for England, who, in turn, slipped to 106/5 in the 14th over.
Mohammad Wasim Jr then added to the English side’s woes as he slowly outclassed Brooke in the 15th over, returning after scoring 34 off 29 balls, including two fours and a six. felt
After Harris’ brilliant 19 overs, Wasim Jr bowled the last over. England’s tailenders looked to be stealing runs off the second delivery of the two-over, but a direct hit from Shaun Masood secured a thrilling victory against England in the fourth T20I.
On behalf of Pakistan, Nawaz and Haris took three wickets each while Hasnain took two wickets. On the other hand, Wasim Jr. made a scalp.
The home side got off to a good start batting first at the invitation of England captain Moeen Ali as captain Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan put on 97 runs for the first wicket.
The pair was largely dominated by wicketkeeper-batsman Rizwan, who scored his 19th T20I half-century at a blistering pace, while Babar, on the other hand, struggled to emulate his partner and, as a result, bowled the 12th over. I became a victim of Dawson’s.
In the second match, Babar scored 36 runs off 28 balls with the help of three fours.
Rizwan then joined hands with Shaun Masood, who was promoted to number three and added 52 runs for the second wicket. However, the touring side’s bowlers dominated the batting duo as they prevented them from scoring freely in the middle overs.
Shaun, who was struggling to find a rhythm, fell after scoring 21 runs in the 19th over. He faced 19 balls during his push and managed to hit one boundary.
Rizwan, eyeing his second T20I century, fell 12 runs short as Reece Topley struck twice in the final over to remove the former. He top-scored for Pakistan with 88 off 67 balls, which included nine fours and a six.
Right-handed hard-hitting batsman Asif Ali then scored a quick 13 off just three balls in the last over to take the hosts to 166/4 in 20 overs.
Topley took two wickets for England while David Wiley and Dawson took one each.
