England ease to series win over Pakistan with 67-run victory in T20 international decider | Cricket News

England beat Pakistan 4-3 in T20I series after 67-run victory in decider; Dawid Malan strikes unbeaten 78 as tourists post 209-3 amid sloppy fielding from home side, before bowlers limit Pakistan to 142-8 in Lahore; England will now face Australia in three games ahead of T20 World Cup.

England pummelled Pakistan by 67 runs in the series-deciding seventh T20 international after a clinical batting and bowling performance.

England plundered 209-3 after being inserted with Dawid Malan (78 no off 47 balls) and Yorkshire team-mate Harry Brook (46no off 29) slamming 108 from the final 61 deliveries of the innings in Lahore.

Both players benefitted from drops with Babar Azam shelling Malan and Brook on 29 and 24 respectively before Mohammad Wasim – whose 20th over was smashed for 20 – grassed top-scorer Malan on 62.

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The T20 World Cup is coming! Watch every game live on Sky Sports from October 16, with England under way against Afghanistan on October 22

Pakistan limped to 142-8 in reply, with captain Babar following his blemishes in the field by being dismissed by Chris Woakes (3-26) for four in the first over of the chase and Mohammad Rizwan bowled by Reece Topley for one in the second as the home side tumbled to 5-2.

A timid Pakistan just could not get going amid a thoroughly professional bowling display from England – Shan Masood (56 off 43) playing the only knock of note – with Woakes and David Willey (2-22) in the wickets and Adil Rashid with tidy figures of 1-25 after an expensive last few outings.

England’s 4-3 win snapped a run of four white-ball series without a victory and earned a confidence-building result ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia later this month, with their first game against Afghanistan at The Optus Stadium in Perth on October 22, live on Sky Sports.

England will hope to welcome skipper Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone and Ben Stokes back into their XI by then with the trio missing the Pakistan series – Buttler (calf) and Livingstone (ankle) are coming back from injuries while Stokes has been rested after the Test summer.

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A calamitous mix-up with Malan saw Phil Salt run out for 20 in the seventh and final T20 international

In their absence it was Malan and Brook who fired in Sunday’s decider, although there were also contributions from Ben Duckett (30 off 19), Friday’s match-winner Phil Salt (20 off 12) and Alex Hales (18 off 13) as each England batter peppered the boundary at Gaddafi Stadium.

England punish sloppy Pakistan in series decider

Hales was pinned lbw by Mohammad Hasnain after he and Salt had picked up 39 runs combined across the first four overs, with Salt then run out two deliveries later after a dreadful mix-up with Malan.

Malan was guilty of ball watching as Salt rushed out from the non-striker’s end and the latter was short of his ground after being sent back following Shadab’s direct hit, leaving England 39-2.

Duckett – not part of England’s T20 World Cup squad – started the rebuild with Malan, the pair plundering 62 from 30 deliveries before Duckett was superbly run out by wicketkeeper Rizwan.

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Mohamad Rizwan produced a moment of brilliance behind the stumps to run out England’s Ben Duckett for 30

Rizwan displayed lightning-fast reactions when Duckett under-edged Iftikhar Ahmed into the ground, sticking out his right hand, collecting the ball and whipping off the bails in one swift movement.

Unfortunately for Pakistan, that brilliance in the field could not be matched by Babar and Wasim, with Babar spilling a Malan drive at extra-cover and then shelling an absolute sitter when Brook clothed a slower ball from the impressive Haris Rauf (0-24) down the ground.

Rauf had two catches dropped of his bowling – Wasim grassing in the penultimate over as Malan skied into the leg-side – meaning he undeservedly went wicketless on an evening on which he befuddled England’s batters with his assortment of slower balls.

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Babar Azam dropped a sitter, giving Harry Brook a lifeline on 24

Wasim was thumped for two sixes and a four in the final over as Pakistan were set a daunting run chase – and one they ultimately got nowhere near.

Their hopes took a monumental hit early on when Babar chipped Woakes’ slower ball to cover and Topley castled Rizwan – Pakistan’s gun batters back in the dugout just eight balls in.

Masood top-scored for the home side, sharing a stand of 53 from 43 balls with Khushdil Shah (27 off 25), but there was a real lack of intent from Pakistan as an absorbing series ended with a one-sided final fixture.

What they said – ‘England have shown their depth’

England stand-in captain Moeen Ali…

« We are in a really good position. We had two must-win games and the way we have come back to win so comfortably was amazing to see. We have players to come in who can make a difference but this shows the depth we have in our squad as well.

« The batters put on a really good score. You could easily lose confidence with the bat after the two games when we didn’t chase totals down but credit to the boys for the way they played. Our bowling was outstanding again. Throughout the series I think we bowled really well. »

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England men’s white-ball coach Matthew Mott says the series win has given England confidence ahead of the T20 World Cup

Player of the Series, Harry Brook (238 runs at 79.33)…

« I have just tried to hit the ball straight and play the ball on its merit. I look to hit straight first but if there is a gap then I will try and manipulate the field. We’ll see if I play when we get to the T20 World Cup but all the lads are looking forward to getting out there and getting going. »

England’s Harry Brook was the leading-run scorer in the series

Player of the Match, Dawid Malan (78no off 47 balls)…

« We saw this as a final so to be able to do it under pressure and put on a big score like that was fantastic for us as a batting unit. Our bowlers learnt from the lessons – bowling into the wicket, changing pace – and did fantastically well to defend our total. »

Dawid Malan’s 13th T20 international half-century propelled England to 209-3 in Lahore

What’s next?

England travel Down Under to prepare for the T20 World Cup, with three T20s against host nation Australia (October 9, 12 and 14) and a warm-up against Pakistan (October 17) before Jos Buttler’s side begin their World Cup campaign against Afghanistan in Perth on October 22.

You can watch the T20 World Cup live in full on Sky Sports with the tournament getting under way on October 16.