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• Pakistan 265 for 7, England 227 all out
• Pakistan won by 38 runs
Not for the first time Pakistan have gathered momentum as a series progresses. Outclassed in the first two matches, they came from behind to win decisively at The Oval last week and tonight they repeated the trick, winning the penultimate match of the summer by 38 runs with 23 balls in hand. England, chasing shadows, lost their last five wickets for 30 runs in five overs. At The Oval it had been five for 17.
It is fitting that the teams go to the final match, at the Rose Bowlon Wednesday, on level terms. The force may be with Pakistan now but, with an even later start in the Meon Valley, the toss may well decide the game and thus the series.
England will regret most the manner in which they were mugged at the end of the Pakistan innings. After 48 overs Pakistan had reached 223 for seven, below par in the conditions: two decent overs and the game ought to have been England's. Instead an astounding display of hitting – prefaced by Shahid Afridi, who made 37 from 20 balls, but most spectacularly executed by Abdul Razzaq – saw Pakistan take 20 from Jimmy Anderson's final over and 21 from that of Tim Bresnan.
Razzaq left the field unbeaten on 44, his last 40 runs coming from 10 balls, largely through clearing his front leg out of the way and belting the living day- lights out of the ball over the offside. If ever the briefest of innings had turned a game on its head, it was this: the man of the match award was never in doubt. Suddenly, with 265 for seven and the gloaming descending, Pakistan had a defendable total.
As at The Oval the difficulties in staging day-night cricket in this country at this time of year played a large part. As the sun began to set on a pristine September day and the Lord's floodlights took hold, so did Afridi and his team. The century‑stand first‑wicket flier given to England's chase was negated by a tumble of wickets as the ball began to reverse swing and the adrenaline began to course through Pakistan's veins.
Steve Davies was bowled by Saeed Ajmal's doosra for 49, whereupon Jonathan Trott, who had been fortunate to survive an lbw appeal by Afridi before he had scored, was bowled by the same player. Andrew Strauss, having made 68, steered a ball from Shoiab Akhtar straight to backward point where earlier he had been massacring such offerings. England were on the ropes with two new batsmen at the crease and the run rate rising, until by the time Paul Collingwood was bowled by Umar Gul, an act of kindness almost so out of touch was the batsman, the rate had climbed to beyond a run a ball.
These are the situations upon which Eoin Morgan thrives but he does need support. For a while it came from Ian Bell, replacing Ravi Bopara , renewing his acquaintance with the pitch after Saturday's county final and batting as comfortably as anyone until he hit to extra cover while attempting the aerial route. Beyond him England possess capable batsmen but none with the explosive capabilities of Pakistan's back-loaded order. Afridi had quality bowling in hand too.
Michael Yardy was no match for Shoaib, nor Bresnan for Gul's reverse swing. And when Morgan succeeded only in hitting Shoaib's low full toss to mid-on, where Mohammad Yousuf clung on to a steepler, the game was all but done.
It was a sorry ending for England after the start given by Strauss and Davies, who both took advantage of Shoaib's pace (has there been a faster 35‑year‑old?) and length to plunder boundaries square of the wicket on either side. Shoaib's first three overs conceded 30 runs. With the exception of Tillakaratne Dilshan of Sri Lanka, who has played more games, no one has out-scored Strauss in 50‑over cricket in this calendar year, adding to the World Cup conundrum of whether his scoring areas square of the wicket will stand scrutiny at the top of the order during power plays on the slow pitches of the subcontinent.
For now, though, the England captain is batting with run-a-ball panache, even if he was fortunate yesterday to be caught behind from a Gul no-ball when 25 and then, when 41, to be given a further life when Richard Kettleborough failed to give him out lbw to Mohammad Hafeez. It was, to all eyes but the umpire's, stone cold. Between them Strauss and Davies hit 15 of England's 20 boundaries.
Before the late intervention the Pakistan innings had been underpinned by Mohammad Hafeez, who made a patient 64 before hoicking hugely at Graeme Swann, short-listed as ICC Player of the Year having not been nominated in the first instance, and top edging to short third man instead.
It is a rare day now that Swann bowls even indifferently and yesterday, on a pitch that offered the same turn it had to Warwickshire's Imran Tahir on Saturday, he spun his web once more. Asad Shafiq was bowled in his first over and Mohammad Yousuf was caught behind cutting. The wicket of Fawad Alam, bowled by the first ball after a drinks break, brought Swann figures of four for 37.
• Pakistan won by 38 runs
Not for the first time Pakistan have gathered momentum as a series progresses. Outclassed in the first two matches, they came from behind to win decisively at The Oval last week and tonight they repeated the trick, winning the penultimate match of the summer by 38 runs with 23 balls in hand. England, chasing shadows, lost their last five wickets for 30 runs in five overs. At The Oval it had been five for 17.
It is fitting that the teams go to the final match, at the Rose Bowlon Wednesday, on level terms. The force may be with Pakistan now but, with an even later start in the Meon Valley, the toss may well decide the game and thus the series.
England will regret most the manner in which they were mugged at the end of the Pakistan innings. After 48 overs Pakistan had reached 223 for seven, below par in the conditions: two decent overs and the game ought to have been England's. Instead an astounding display of hitting – prefaced by Shahid Afridi, who made 37 from 20 balls, but most spectacularly executed by Abdul Razzaq – saw Pakistan take 20 from Jimmy Anderson's final over and 21 from that of Tim Bresnan.
Razzaq left the field unbeaten on 44, his last 40 runs coming from 10 balls, largely through clearing his front leg out of the way and belting the living day- lights out of the ball over the offside. If ever the briefest of innings had turned a game on its head, it was this: the man of the match award was never in doubt. Suddenly, with 265 for seven and the gloaming descending, Pakistan had a defendable total.
As at The Oval the difficulties in staging day-night cricket in this country at this time of year played a large part. As the sun began to set on a pristine September day and the Lord's floodlights took hold, so did Afridi and his team. The century‑stand first‑wicket flier given to England's chase was negated by a tumble of wickets as the ball began to reverse swing and the adrenaline began to course through Pakistan's veins.
Steve Davies was bowled by Saeed Ajmal's doosra for 49, whereupon Jonathan Trott, who had been fortunate to survive an lbw appeal by Afridi before he had scored, was bowled by the same player. Andrew Strauss, having made 68, steered a ball from Shoiab Akhtar straight to backward point where earlier he had been massacring such offerings. England were on the ropes with two new batsmen at the crease and the run rate rising, until by the time Paul Collingwood was bowled by Umar Gul, an act of kindness almost so out of touch was the batsman, the rate had climbed to beyond a run a ball.
These are the situations upon which Eoin Morgan thrives but he does need support. For a while it came from Ian Bell, replacing Ravi Bopara , renewing his acquaintance with the pitch after Saturday's county final and batting as comfortably as anyone until he hit to extra cover while attempting the aerial route. Beyond him England possess capable batsmen but none with the explosive capabilities of Pakistan's back-loaded order. Afridi had quality bowling in hand too.
Michael Yardy was no match for Shoaib, nor Bresnan for Gul's reverse swing. And when Morgan succeeded only in hitting Shoaib's low full toss to mid-on, where Mohammad Yousuf clung on to a steepler, the game was all but done.
It was a sorry ending for England after the start given by Strauss and Davies, who both took advantage of Shoaib's pace (has there been a faster 35‑year‑old?) and length to plunder boundaries square of the wicket on either side. Shoaib's first three overs conceded 30 runs. With the exception of Tillakaratne Dilshan of Sri Lanka, who has played more games, no one has out-scored Strauss in 50‑over cricket in this calendar year, adding to the World Cup conundrum of whether his scoring areas square of the wicket will stand scrutiny at the top of the order during power plays on the slow pitches of the subcontinent.
For now, though, the England captain is batting with run-a-ball panache, even if he was fortunate yesterday to be caught behind from a Gul no-ball when 25 and then, when 41, to be given a further life when Richard Kettleborough failed to give him out lbw to Mohammad Hafeez. It was, to all eyes but the umpire's, stone cold. Between them Strauss and Davies hit 15 of England's 20 boundaries.
Before the late intervention the Pakistan innings had been underpinned by Mohammad Hafeez, who made a patient 64 before hoicking hugely at Graeme Swann, short-listed as ICC Player of the Year having not been nominated in the first instance, and top edging to short third man instead.
It is a rare day now that Swann bowls even indifferently and yesterday, on a pitch that offered the same turn it had to Warwickshire's Imran Tahir on Saturday, he spun his web once more. Asad Shafiq was bowled in his first over and Mohammad Yousuf was caught behind cutting. The wicket of Fawad Alam, bowled by the first ball after a drinks break, brought Swann figures of four for 37.
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