Alex Hales returns in style as England cruise to historic opening win in Pakistan

It was his half-century, superbly supported by Harry Brook in a partnership of 55 off 35 balls for the fourth wicket, that ensured a fairly simple victory for England after stand-in captain Moeen Ali had inserted Pakistan on a pitch that looked a belter, but played a little slower than that.

Hales’s innings was not typical of the long-levered power that characterises his game, with timing proving difficult except against the hard new ball – and he was dropped a couple of times – but he knew his role and played it excellently, being dismissed with only 17 runs required.

Brook was there at the end, hitting the second ball of the last over through extra cover for four to seal the win and round off a thoroughly satisfying evening for an England side missing many star names, The debutant Luke Wood also impressed with three wickets and Adil Rashid was his usual superb self.

It looked as though England might be chasing many more when Pakistan’s openers, the captain, Babar Azam, and the wicketkeeper, Mohammad Rizwan, had been playing so well after recent criticism about their strike rates.

They made 51 in Pakistan’s powerplay, but thereafter things were never quite as simple, as England responded through Rashid, Ali and then Wood.

Rizwan played very well. He was unafraid to move his feet to the seamers and twice hit boundaries through mid-off with great authority, and it was no surprise when, in the ninth over, he launched the first six straight down the ground from Ali’s off spin, passing fifty in only 32 balls in the process.

As has so often been the case, it was Rashid’s leg spin that brought England a vital breakthrough, as Babar was bowled in the tenth over by a googly that he did not pick. He had made 31 from 24 balls in a partnership of 85 with Rizwan.

Pakistan’s 100 was passed as Rizwan hit Rashid for six over mid-wicket with a sweep-slog, but in Haider Ali at No 3 he did not have such a willing runner at the other end, and, when David Willey returned to bowl a superb 13th over of the innings, conceding three runs, Pakistan, at 107 for one, were beginning to tread water.

Something had to give and in the next over Haider chipped Sam Curran to Willey at deep square leg, having made 11 off 13 balls. It had been a poor innings in the circumstances. Pakistan needed more power and momentum after such a good start.

In came Shan Masood at No 4, on his T20 debut. But the left-hander, who so impressed for Derbyshire this summer, is an opener really, despite having batted domestically at four in T20 recently, and it showed, save for one nice lofted drive off Ali to wide long off.

Rizwan was getting frustrated and so gave Ali the charge. Nowhere near the ball, he attempted to whip to leg and missed. Wicketkeeper Phil Salt completed a smart stumping. Rizwan had made 68 from 46 balls.

Masood soon followed, top-edging a reverse-sweep off Rashid to short third man, and now Rashid had a slip in the 16th over to both the right-handed Iftikhar Ahmed and the left-handed Mohammad Nawaz.

The lively Wood returned to bowl Nawaz comprehensively with a ball of considerable pace to capture a first international wicket to remember, and then in the final over dismissed Iftikhar, who had hit a useful 28 from 17 balls with three sixes, and, next ball, Naseem Shah to finish with outstanding figures of three for 24 from his four overs. Rashid took two for 27 from his four, too, as Pakistan made only 71 from their last ten overs. It never seemed enough.

In reply, Salt hit the first ball of England’s innings for four, but he pulled straight to deep square leg in the third over, bowled by the rapid, if rather too excitable, Shahnawaz Dahani.

Hales and Dawid Malan took England to 47 for one in their powerplay, after Haris Rauf had conceded only four runs from the sixth over.

The leg spinner Usman Qadir was introduced immediately, and his first ball was a juicy full toss that Malan hit for six, but the next ball did pitch, and Malan duly chipped it back to the bowler.

Hales offered a much more difficult return catch on 24 that Qadir could not take, but by the halfway stage, England had reached 80 for two, with the left-handed Ben Duckett having amply demonstrated his adeptness at the sweep and reverse-sweep.

Hales was dropped again on 28, a simple catch for Masood at deep mid-wicket off Qadir that became very costly, but in the same over, Duckett’s strength became his weakness, as he was adjudged out leg-before reverse-sweeping. He reviewed, but to no avail.

Brook could easily have been run out for one, but he timed the ball sweetly from the start before scooping Dahani spectacularly for four.

He edged a four and then drilled one straight to the boundary, too, in that over, which went for 15.

With five overs remaining, England needed 37 and, though Hales was caught at mid-off the ball after he passed fifty from 39 balls, Brook showed admirable calmness in making 42 from only 25 balls.

– The Times

Originally published as Alex Hales returns in style as England cruise to historic opening win in Pakistan