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Pakistan strangle England with spin to take 3-2 series lead

Pakistan vs England live score 5th t20 - Alex Davidson/Getty Images
Pakistan vs England live score 5th t20 - Alex Davidson/Getty Images
  • Pakistan vs England, fifth T20: full scoreboard

  • Mark Wood takes three for 20 as he continues his comeback

  • England lose three wickets in Powerplay again

  • Openers fail and middle-order batsmen get stuck

  • Debutant Aamer Jamal ends England fightback with magnificent death over

England fell to their second close defeat in a row, losing because their batting could not match the heat of Mark Wood as Pakistan moved into a 3-2 series lead.

After bowling superbly to dismiss Pakistan for the lowest total of the series – 146 in 19 overs – England mistimed their run chase, leaving Moeen Ali too much to do at the end as debutant Aamer Jamal held his nerve in the final over.

England needed 15 off six balls with the in-form Moeen at the crease and he turned down two singles to back himself to hit the winning runs. When he smashed Jamal’s third ball over long on for six, England needed eight off three (there had been a wide as well) and just like the fourth match, they had victory in their grasp.

But Jamal nailed his wide yorkers, Moeen could only scramble a single from two balls leaving David Willey needing a six to take it into a Super Over. He could only hit the ball to long on and didn’t bother with the single, Pakistan winning by six.

“Of all the games so far, this was the most disappointing,” said Moeen. “You have to see situation and the conditions. A 60-70 partnership would have won the game.”

England’s top order is treading water with neither Alex Hales nor Phil Salt nailing their chance to open with Jos Buttler at the World Cup. Dawid Malan is stuck in one gear, Harry Brook and Ben Duckett have carried them so far but failed here.

Malan pulls - AAMIR QURESHI/AFP via Getty Images
Malan pulls - AAMIR QURESHI/AFP via Getty Images

The close finish might have at least converted one of the uninitiated to cricket with the United States ambassador a guest of honour alongside the British High Commissioner. He had a better experience than the last American dignitary to watch cricket in Pakistan. President Dwight Eisenhower saw one day of Pakistan-Australia in Karachi in 1958 and just 104 runs were scored in three sessions. That was Ike done with cricket. The man from Washington may want to come again after this although the finish made up for what was a fairly turgid match for batting.

There was little the teams could do about it, Tuesday’s deluge in Lahore sucked the life out of the pitch and made the outfield heavy.

Even Mohamad Rizwan, the top scorer with 63 off 46 had to battle. Lahore was supposed to be a better ground for batting than Karachi but with the players constantly swatting away bugs from their faces on a hot sticky night it was not easy to play free flowing cricket.

Rizwan grafted to set a target but had a nastily bruised back for his troubles, the result of getting in the way (unintentionally) of a shy at the stumps from Malan. He did not keep in the England innings.

At least it was not a blow landed by Wood, who would have knocked Rizwan into next Tuesday had his bouncer thudded into his back. Wood’s average pace in his two matches has been 92.11mph and he has gone for speed too, bowling just one slower ball. Even that was measured at 80mph.

Mark Wood - Aamir QURESHI/AFP
Mark Wood - Aamir QURESHI/AFP

Here he took his three for 20 from four overs with balls clocked at 95, 92 and 93mph. His average speed has only been bettered once before in a T20 series.

What has been striking too is his accuracy. He bowled 13 dot balls in this game and has been hit for just six boundaries in two matches.

Wood menaced Pakistan all evening, his three of 20 spread across the innings and the two runs outs were the product of minds scrambled by pace.

Woakes bowled better than one for 30 but will just be glad to have got through four overs in his first game since March.  Pakistan played Adil Rashid well again and his nought for 41 was almost as much as Pakistan’s spinners conceded combined.

Hales dropped Rizwan on nine, his third drop of the series out of four, and it was costly, given he is in the in-form player of the series.

Phil Salt of England runs out Shadab Khan of Pakistan - Alex Davidson/Getty Images
Phil Salt of England runs out Shadab Khan of Pakistan - Alex Davidson/Getty Images

Wood struck first, a short ball to Babar Azam that was caught at deep midwicket. A bouncer was too good for Haider Ali, who flayed a catch high in the air. Wood bowled Asif Ali with a yorker; three balls later Mohammad Nawaz was run out by a direct hit from Moeen when Rizwan sent him back.

Rizwan reached his fifty off 37 balls and hit his third six off Wood over long on but was caught at fine leg flicking a knee high full toss from Curran.

Hales’s miserable night ended caught at short third man in the first over, Salt soon followed with a second successive dismissal pulling to midwicket. Malan laboured to 36 off 35 before reviewing a stone dead leg before. Brook had already fallen to Shadab Khan’s googly and after 10 overs England were 56 for four, well behind Pakistan at the same stage. It was only when Moeen started motoring that they were back in it.

With 28 needed off two overs he swatted Haris Rauf for six and four but Woakes was caught off the final ball of the over, leaving Moeen on strike but having to do it himself with Willey at the other end not having faced a ball.

Jamal started with two dots, the wet ball slipped out his hand for a wide third ball before Moeen walloped him miles over the rope as England were suddenly favourites. All the pressure was on Jamal, playing his first game for Pakistan, but he coped like an old master.


Pakistan vs England fifth T20: as it happened


07:39 PM

Babar is being interviewed now

But speaks in Urdu so I can't help you out there. Sorry.


07:38 PM

Moeen speaks

A very good game but we're very disappointed we didn't chase those runs. We're a better team than that but got strangled by the spinners, who I thought did quite well, in the middle overs.  We had to hang in there and go hard at the end.

Woody is taking big wickets, making batters do silly things. He's been awesome.


07:33 PM

Baffling how England threw that away

I think they have a genuine problem at the top of the order. Salt and Hales are struggling, Malan keeps getting stuck and chewing up too many balls and Duckett and Brook, who have carried the batting at times in this series, failed for once. Moeen almost pulled it back but gave himself too much to do because the top five had left them in a deep hole. The bowlers must be fuming.


07:21 PM

Pakistan win by five runs to go 3-2 up

England have only themselves to blame, having won the toss and  bowled about as well as they could have, they allowed Pakistan's spinners to tie them down for too long, leaving Moeen with too much to do. The tempo of acceleration was never good enough and they left their spurt for the line too late. Willey should bat ahead of Woakes in that situation, too.


07:18 PM

OVER 19.6: ENG 139/7 (Moeen 51 Willey 0) chasing 146                   

Brilliant from Jamal. Willey winds up but cannot get it up and over mid on. What cojones on debut after being hit for six.

Pakistan win by six runs.


07:16 PM

OVER 19.5: ENG 139/7 (Moeen 51 Willey 0) chasing 146                 

Drives for a single to mid-on. That's it. Unless Willey hits a six and guarantees a super over.


07:15 PM

OVER 19.4: ENG 138/7 (Moeen 50 Willey 0) chasing 146                 

Jamal nails another wide yorker and Moeen can't beat the infield. What a reply to the six.


07:13 PM

OVER 19.3: ENG 138/7 (Moeen 50 Willey 0) chasing 146               

Moeen smashes it for six overlong on. Absolutely lamped it from outside off.


07:12 PM

OVER 19.2: ENG 132/7 (Moeen 44 Willey 0) chasing 146               

Now, that is a wide.


07:11 PM

OVER 19.2: ENG 131/7 (Moeen 44 Willey 0) chasing 146             

Another dot ball. Full and wide. Moeen drives but doesn't take the single.


07:11 PM

OVER 19.1: ENG 131/7 (Moeen 44 Willey 0) chasing 146             

Aamer Jamal on debut is given the final over and starts with a dot, a wide low full toss that Moeen can only inside edge into his pads.


07:10 PM

OVER 19: ENG 131/7 (Moeen 44 Willey 0) chasing 146             

Rauf starts with a dot ball, Moeen swinging and missing, but he hangs on the back foot to swat the next ball over midwicket for six.

Moeen cuts the next ball, fuller, in front of square for two then misses his legside heave, deceived by the lack of pace and they run a leg-bye.

Woakes, who has not swung a bat in anger for six months, smashes four over mid-off. They brought mid-off into the circle. Woakes goes big again ... and holes out.

England need 15 off the last over.


07:09 PM

Wicket!!!

Woakes c Iftikhar b Rauf 10   Holes out trying to clear long on. FOW 131/7


07:04 PM

OVER 18: ENG 118/6 (Moeen 36 Woakes 6) chasing 146           

Wasim will bowl out and serves one up in the slot. Woakes doesn't connect though and Harrow drives it for a single. By contrast, Moeen does connect and plants an on drive for six off the next ball then uses his hands to slice the low full toss for a one-bounce four, opening the face to place it over third man.

Moeen inside edges as he wipes across the line and they run a single as the ball cannons square off his pads. Woakes jabs out the yorker but can't find a run. Wasim chases it down and hurls down the stumps, fracturing the middle stump that houses stumpcam. On come the chippies to replace it. (I know it's made of plastic).

Woakes tries to ramp the final ball, misses it but hits him on the toe of his left boot, outside the line.


06:57 PM

OVER 17: ENG 106/6 (Moeen 25 Woakes 5) chasing 146           

Haris Rauf, Dr Death, returns and starts with a wide that would have been perfectly respectable in any longer format. After a dot ball, Woakes pokes a single to cover. Then Rauf drops short with a slower ball and Moeen times his pull to perfection, smacking it over deep backward square. Nawaz was back on the rope and got a hand to it but even had he held on it would have been six as he would have landed on or behind the boundary. Rauf does not err again and England add only two more singles, one a leg-bye, to their total. Hopes are looking forlorn now.

England need 40 off 18.


06:52 PM

OVER 16: ENG 97/6 (Moeen 19 Woakes 3) chasing 146         

Iftikhar's figures, by the way, were 4-0-16-1. Amazing return for an orthodox offie.

Moeen slaps Wasim over point for four. They bat deep but if they're going to get there, Moeen needs to take them at least to their front gate. Moeen drives a single down the ground off a low full toss and another to point by opening his wrists. Woakes flicks a single through midwicket, jogs a leg-bye when the ball arrows into his pads but hits him too high to encourage the bowler to finish his appeal.

England need 49 off 24.


06:46 PM

OVER 15: ENG 88/6 (Moeen 13 Woakes 1) chasing 146         

Aamer Jamal comes on for his first spell in international cricket and he strikes with his second ball, Wasim taking a catch as he fell backwards just in the edge of the ring. Moeen controls a pull for a single, Woakes gets off the mark by tucking a single off his hip and Moeen flicks a single uppishly through midwicket when the ball seems to stick in the pitch.

England need 58 off 30.


06:42 PM

Wicket!!!

Curran c Wasim b Jamal 17  Stepped away to drive the debutant and Jamal followed him, making it too close to hit over cover as he had planned. He lost his bottom-hand grip, the bat swivelled and he ended up clothing it to cover instead of clearing him.  FOW 85/5


06:41 PM

OVER 14: ENG 83/5 (Moeen 11 Curran 15) chasing 146       

England take a run a ball off the off-spinner Iftikhar's fourth over. The off-spinner, neglected for the first three games, has been masterly against England's myriad left-handers.


06:37 PM

OVER 13: ENG 77/5 (Moeen 8 Curran 12) chasing 146       

Pakistan should have run Moeen out at the non-striker's. He wasn't even in the picture coming back for two when the throw was arrowed towards the non-striker. Shadab trod on the stumps as he was caught on the wrong side and the ball scooted away for four overthrows, making five in total as they hadn't crossed for the two.

England nudge two more singles until Moeen pulls the last ball ... but doesn't get hold of it and they can only run one.

Shadab ends the over with his first real mistake, a short googly that Curran slaps off the back foot through extra-cover for four. Shadab completes his comeback bowling spell with 4-0-25-1.


06:32 PM

OVER 12: ENG 65/5 (Moeen 6 Curran 2) chasing 146     

Captain, your ship is sinking.  England have a superb record against spin in this format but not tonight. They're being skewered by Nawaz, Shadab and Iftikhar.


06:28 PM

Wicket!!!

Malan lbw b Iftikhar 36  Malan lost his balance as the ball drifted in much more than he expected as he tried to work it through midwicket. It was the slowest ball of his spell, too, and would have clipped leg stump.  FOW 62/5


06:27 PM

ENG review

Malan lbw b Iftikhar  Was there an edge because otherwise it looked a stonebonker.


06:27 PM

OVER 11: ENG 61/4 (Malan 36 Moeen 4) chasing 146     

Add wading through treacle to stuck on a glue trap. Shadab weaves his magic again, using skid and grip to keep Moeen down to two singles, Malan to one. Moeen wafts at the googly.


06:21 PM

OVER 10: ENG 58/4 (Malan 35 Moeen 2) chasing 146   

Just the four singles off Iftikhar's second over that precedes drinks, England are stuck on a glue trap. At least Moeen middles his two singles.


06:17 PM

OVER 9: ENG  54/4 (Malan 33 Moeen 0) chasing 146   

No one, not even Rizwan, has batted with any fluency today. Malan continues to toil, not picking the googly from Shadab but thick edging it for four nonetheless. Brook isn't picking him either and is almost done by the flipper but is saved by his inside edge. They chisel out three more singles to the boundary riders but they can't get going and can't read Shadab ... as Brook, who has looked a million dollars all series, shows by being pinned by the googly.


06:15 PM

Wicket!!!

Brook lbw b Shadab 4  Aleem Dar thought it was going over as the googly hit him on the knee but it would have clipped the top of leg stump. Great review by Pakistan.  FOW 54/4  


06:14 PM

PAK review

Brook lbw b Shadab Didn't hit it.


06:11 PM

OVER 8: ENG 47/3 (Malan 27 Brook 3) chasing 146 

Iftikhar comes on in front of a packed house. Off-spinner to the left-handed Malan is a good match-up for Pakistan. Brook's single down to long on and Malan's similar scoring stroke are the only additions to the scoreboard. Four dot balls put England below Pakistan's scoring worm.


06:08 PM

OVER 7: ENG 45/3 (Malan 26 Brook 2) chasing 146 

Shadab, recovered from his concussion, comes on for his first over of the series. Brook taps a single off the back foot, Malan cuffs the drag down for a single to deep backwards square and Brook cuts another short one for a single. But that is the only damage.


06:05 PM

OVER 6: ENG 42/3 (Malan 25 Brook 0) chasing 146 

England are being tied down by Wasim and Rauf. Malan eats up two more dot balls then pulls a 93mph bounce off the bottom edge for two. Rauf goes fuller and Malan creams a midwicket drive, clipping it with perfect timin for four. Rauf tries a bouncer, something he has omitted to do so far, oddly given Wood's success with it and he bowls a similar pace. It is slanted across Malan, too far across and is called wide. The final ball is fuller, on a fourth stump line and Malan opens the face to skewer it behind point for four.


05:59 PM

OVER 5: ENG 31/3 (Malan 15 Brook 0) chasing 146 

Malan is scratching around and beaten by Mohammad Wasim's first four deliveries as he swings and misses until he finally squirts a single down to third. Duckett is out next ball, perhaps a victim of Malan chewing up delivery after delivery, trying to force it. Three wickets gone in the Powerplay already which should be the best time of all to bat.


05:56 PM

Wicket!!

Duckett c Masood b Wasim 10  Slices a drive off a thick edge to third man.  FOW 31/3


05:53 PM

OVER 4: ENG 29/2 (Malan 14 Duckett 10) chasing 146

Can't say any of England's openers have made a compelling case to partner Buttler in the World Cup so far. How they miss Bairstow Why not open with Malan and bring Duckett in to keep wicket? Or put Stokes at the top of the order?

After Salt departs Duckett leans into a gift of a half-volley and smears his first ball for four through cover. Duckett cannot beat point off his next two deliveries. Rauf comes round the wicket, hangs one outside off and Duckett carves a low cut with blistering hand speed behind point for four more. The Powerplay restrictions help Duckett to two when he spoons a flick over midwicket off the final ball.


05:46 PM

Wicket!!!

Salt c sub (Khushdil)  b Rauf 3  Loose ball, loose shot but Haris Rauf strikes with his first, Salt swatting a pull straight to deep square leg.  FOW 19/2


05:44 PM

OVER 3: ENG 19/1 (Salt 3, Malan 14) chasing 146

Malan laps a single round the corner off Nawaz and, after Salt drills one down to long off, the left-hander almost chips a return back to the bowler but it lands just short of his dive. Nawaz beats him with the arm ball again but Malan exploits an error in length next ball to fillet four through cover with a back-foot punch.


05:41 PM

OVER 2: ENG 13/1 (Salt 2, Malan 9) chasing 146

Beauty and the beast from Malan who plays a majestic cover drive for four, slaps the next ball down to third man for four more then has  swipe and a miss at the third. Malan steals the strike at the end of the over with a pat into the pitch that carroms behind square. Salt makes his ground by six inches, beating Rauf's throw.


05:39 PM

OVER 1: ENG 3/1 (Salt 2, Malan 0) chasing 146

Pakistan wisely use the slow bowler early given the due. Well, they always open with Nawaz but it still makes sense to let him have a go with a dry seam. Salt bunts a single down to long off, Hales sweeps for one, Salt spanks one to mid on and Hales is undone by the grip and skid as he went for the big shot.

Enter Malan and he is beaten all ends up by the final delivery that skips straight on as he shaped to cut.


05:34 PM

Wicket!!!

Hales c Shadab b Nawaz 1  Went for the expansive drive, the ball from the slow left armer turned away from the bat and he skewed it to point.  FOW 3/1


05:23 PM

Change of innings: PAK 145

England will chase 146 for victory. Onky Rizwan got going but batting conditions are not ideal and the wet ball is causing real problems for the spinners. Wood continued to bowl with vicious pace and accuracy, and astuteness, Woakes made a good comeback and Willey and Curran showed their skill and nerve. The only real downside is Hales' butterfingers but the rest of the fielding, as seen in the catches and two run outs, is in fine fettle. Par score at Lahore is about 160 so it won't be a doddle.


05:20 PM

OVER 19: PAK 145 all out (Wasim 6)

Nice shot from Wasim, waiting for Woakes' slower ball, punching it off the back foot for four. He square drives for a single and Rauf then climbs into a front foot pull, carting it over wide long on for six. He has another swipe at the next ball, which was a touch fuller but skied it. Curran took a good catch, telling Duckett to stay out of his way. Woakes finishes his comeback with 4-0-30-1.


05:18 PM

Wicket!!

Rauf c Curran b Woakes 8  Held on to a steepler at deep midwicket as Rauf slogged across the line.  FOW 145


05:15 PM

OVER 18: PAK 134/9 (Wasim 1 Rauf 2)               

Curran keeps them quiet, bags Rizwan rather fortuitously and bamboozles Rauf after the No11  got off the mark by flicking a half-volley for two, with a slow bouncer that Haris Rauf is so late on Salt bursts out laughing. Curran's figures at the end of his portion are 4-0-23-2.


05:11 PM

Wicket!!

Rizwan c Rashid b Curran 63  Lured him on to the rocks with the siren song of a pie, a leg-stump full toss that he flipped off his hip down Adil's throat at deep backward square.  FOW 131/9


05:09 PM

OVER 17: PAK 129/8 (Rizwan 62 Wasim 0)             

Rizwan chisels out the yorker then successfully takes on the short ball. It didn't get up but it was still nicely done, picking it up off by transferring his weight into the offside, going back and across to be able to sock it over long leg for six. Rizwan drains a drive for two through cover then scuffs a pull for a single into the ground.

Wood finishes his work with 4-0-20-3.


05:04 PM

OVER 16: PAK 118/8 (Rizwan 52 Wasim 0)             

Sam Curran likes the round the wicket angle of attack to Rizwan and keeps him down to two singles. He persists with it to Aamer Jamal who also takes two singles but is then undone by the short one. It wasn't very quick but it got up to chin height and he was through his shot too quickly and only connected with his glove when more than halfway through the pivot.


05:00 PM

Wicket!!

Aamer c Salt b Curran 10  Strangled him with a short one angled across him from round the wicket and he gloves his pull to Salt moving to his left.  FOW 118/8


04:59 PM

OVER 15: PAK 114/7 (Rizwan 50 Jamal 8)           

Aamer pops one off a leading edge just short of cover. Woakes could do with a wicket but luck's not running his way. I expect he's just happy to be out there. Four singles and two twos are gleaned, the second of the latter brings up Rizwan's fifty (off 37 balls) by whisking the leg-stump yorker past the square leg umpire.


04:54 PM

OVER 14: PAK 106/7 (Rizwan 44 Jamal 6)           

Rizwan steps away to lamp Rashid through extra-cover for four then steals a single to cover when the fielder fumbles. Shadab strides forward to smite Rashid for six then runs himself out because he jogged the first rather than sprinting.

Aamer skies a sweep off the tope edge for his first international runs, two down to long leg. Rashid ends his expensive spell with 4-0-41-0 but should have had one in the final column off the last ball when he fizzes one through Aamer's gate, the new batsman having not read the googly. The ball tickled the inside edge, whistled past leg stump and scooted past Salt's dive for four. No wonder the keeper groans at the injustice of it all.


04:48 PM

Wicket!!

Shadab run out 7  Tried to turn a single pushed past cover into two and was short by six inches.  FOW 100/7


04:48 PM

OVER 13: PAK 88/6 (Rizwan 39 Shadab 0)           

Asif steps away and swipes a drive off leg stump through mid on for four. Wood sees an opening and does him for pace. Enter Mohmmad Nawaz whose mind is scrambled by his inability to score off Wood and kebabs himself after two dot balls. Rizwan is going spare.  FOW 88/6


04:43 PM

Wicket!!!

Nawaz run out 0  Absolutely farcical. Nawaz defended a short ball on the back foot, knocking it into the pitch and set off for a run. He was immediately sent back but like a hippo on ice he took an age to turn and Moeen raced in from short cover to hurl himself and an underarm shy straight at the stumps.  FOW 92/6


04:40 PM

Wicket!!!

Asif b Wood 5  Yorked him! Asif backed away to try to create the angle to play it through cover so Wood treated him to a 94mph leg-stump yorker and good night Vienna!  FOW 88/5 


04:39 PM

OVER 12: PAK 83/4 (Rizwan 38 Asif Ali 1)         

Rizwan bends the back knee to sweep before Willey has completed his delivery stride. The bowler pushes it wider but the opener manages to reach it and flip the full bunger before it pitches to become the slow yorker Willey intended down to long leg  for four. Willey comes back as he frequently seems to do by bagging Iftikhar. Enter Asif Ali who is being groomed to be the World Cup finisher.

 Mark Wood of England takes a catch to dismiss Haider Ali of Pakistan during the 5th IT20 between Pakistan and England - Alex Davidson/Getty Images
Mark Wood of England takes a catch to dismiss Haider Ali of Pakistan during the 5th IT20 between Pakistan and England - Alex Davidson/Getty Images

04:33 PM

Wicket!!!

Iftikhar c Malan b Willey 15  Slaps a short ball to point. Bit too close to him which meant he was unable to straighten his arms.  FOW 81/4 


04:32 PM

OVER 11: PAK 76/3 (Rizwan 32 Iftikhar 15)         

The dew has already struck and a SuperSoppa has had to go around the outfield which will make it tough for Rashid to maintain control. And indeed Rizwan uses his feet to plant a drive 10m over the rope at long-off. The seam of the ball is wet meaning Rashid can only maintain control with darts, which is what he reverts to for  the price of four singles.


04:27 PM

OVER 10: PAK 66/3 (Rizwan 24 Iftikhar 13)       

Sam Curran returns and keeps the brakes on, allowing only three singles and a couple of twos, both to Iftikhar, earned with horizontal bat shots, a choppy cut and a swatted pull.

Time for drinks!


04:23 PM

OVER 9: PAK 59/3 (Rizwan 23 Iftikhar 7)       

Iftikhar drives Rashid's first ball for four. Long off should have stopped it but wasn't quick enough on his feet. Rashid recovers control and sends down two dot balls. Iftikhar certainly can't pick the googly but takes a couple of singles, gambling on the fuller length negating any turn.


04:20 PM

OVER 8: PAK 52/3 (Rizwan 21 Iftikhar 0)     

Wood's pace does the trick again. Aamer Sohail says no Pakistan batsman is moving his back leg when taking on the pull. It needs to move back and across but only the front foot is moving, leaving them at an odd angle, their heads out of line and relying on hand speed which is no match for Wood.

Wood cranks it up to 95mph and beats Rizwan who has a whoosh and helicopters his bat under it.


04:13 PM

Wicket!!!

Haider c & b Wood 5  It's that Tyson quote, isn't it? Everyone has a plan until they're smacked in the mouth. Same with extreme pace. No one likes it up 'em. Haider tries takes on a pull  at waist level off a 92mph bouncer and pops it up off his gloves to roughly where silly point would be. Wood races down to grab it.  FOW 51/3


04:12 PM

OVER 7: PAK 49/2 (Rizwan 21 Haider 4)     

Tidy from Rashid in his traditional post Powerplay over. Rip, grip and dip, the usual brilliantly executed googly. Doesn't fool Haider though. He didn't pick it but managed to flick it round the corner for a single.

Mark Wood - AAMIR QURESHI/AFP via Getty Images
Mark Wood - AAMIR QURESHI/AFP via Getty Images

Wood returns ...


04:08 PM

OVER 6: PAK 43/2 (Rizwan 19 Haider 0)   

Hales may be a serious batting talent but like Michael Vaughan, he can't catch for toffee. Now, much to Willey's disgust, he spills a regulation catch at mid-on, to his left. It's the third of four chances he has dropped this series. Willey kicks the ground and they run two. The next ball is short and Rizwan swivels and pulls it for six. No justice ... or is there. Willey has grit and guile, keeps Rizwan down to a single off the next three then winkles Masood out with a crafty slower ball, exploiting the batsman's premeditation, catching the leading edge with some swing and lack of pace.


04:03 PM

Wicket!!!

Masood c Wood b Willey 7  Like Rizwan with his premeditated sweeps off Woakes, Masood decided to ramp the ball before it had been delivered, tied himself in a knot and flipped the slower ball to gully.  FOW 42/2


04:01 PM

OVER 5: PAK 33/1 (Rizwan 9 Masood 7)   

Sam Curran replaces Wood and comes round the wicket to Rizwan with a packed offside infield to the right-hander. Rizwan uses his feet to lance a single through cover. Curran sees Masood charging, drags back his length and the left-hander top edges his pull. Wood races in from the boundary at fine leg and makes a valiant effort to get there but can reach it only on the bounce, blocking it with his body as he dived. They run a single. Rizwan is also greeted with a short one and he, too, top-edges it for a single, the ball looping over Salt's head.

This is fertile territory for Curran but he overdoes it, sending a bouncer over everyone for four byes and the next sits up and begs. Masood climbs into the pull and hammers it for four.


03:55 PM

OVER 4: PAK 22/1 (Rizwan 7 Masood 2) 

Chris Woakes returns, having changed ends. Rizwan tucks a back of a length delivery down to fine leg for a single and Masood gets off the mark with a pull. Shan doesn't mind the short ball. Rizwan drops to his knee for a premeditated sweep down to fine leg for a single and Masood works a single through midwicket.

Rizwan tries to prejudge Woakes again, drops to his knee for a sweep but the bowler serves up a slower ball that he didn't pick and it hits him on the knee. Going down, presumably. Masood calls him through for a single but he's hobbling. They make it but only by Rizwan getting in the way of the throw at the non-striker's and wearing it on his back. Woakes hits Shan on the knee and really likes it even though Ahsan Raza immediately shakes his head. England decide to review but burn it as it pitched outside leg no' but just. Excellent call by the umpire.


03:48 PM

OVER 3: PAK 17/1 (Rizwan 5 Masood 0) 

Mark Wood replaces Woakes. He starts at 146kmlh, 91 mph, back of a length and Babar jabs it back up the pitch, past the bowler and they run a single. There's a problem with the sightscreen that causes a minor delay. Wood goes shorter and Rizwan shovels it round the corner for a single. That was 92mph. Wood crashes a 95mph one into Babar's pads, angling down, and they run a single. Good pads. Mine would have had me limping if pinged on the knee at 95mph. Rizwan rides the bounce to work a single into the onside before Wood has Babar on toast. 93mph.


03:45 PM

Wicket!!!

Babar c Duckett b Wood 9  Discombobulated by pace throughout the over and then Wood skids a bouncer outside off, aimed just wide of the Babar's shoulder. He tries to fetch it on the pull but it's too quick and he top edges it to the man on the fence at square leg. Silence descends on the Gaddafi.  FOW 17/1


03:41 PM

OVER 2: PAK 13/0 (Rizwan 3 Babar 7)

David Willey takes t'other new ball. Apologies. I thought Liam Dawson was playing in his place. Given the lack of swing for Woakes, Willey could be particularly vulnerable. But he is a grizzled and canny operator. He starts with a short ball that Rizwan cuffs for a single to fine leg. One ball arcs down the legside and is called wide but he follows that with one that does shape and threatens to nip through the gate. But it takes the inside edge, crashes into Babar's pad and they hare a single as Willey tries to run him out with a side-foot shot that owes something to Ronnie Rosenthal.

Despite another wide, it's a decent over and there is some swing to work with.


03:35 PM

OVER 1: PAK 7/0 (Rizwan 1 Babar 6)

Woakes comes in from the College End,  and serves up a floaty full one on leg stump straining for swing. Rizwan whisks it away for a single to deep backward square. Woakes drags his length back, too short, and Babar collars it in front of square for two on the pull. Then, and only then, Woakes finds his length, and is rewarded with some extra bounce, the  ball climbing and beating the bat as Babar wafted at a drive. But after that he overpitches again, there is no swing and Babar drives him handsomely through mid-on for four.  Shot!


03:30 PM

The players are walking out to the middle

Chris Woakes has the new ball. Play!


03:12 PM

The weather

Wasim Akram says the pitch will be soft after all the rain and the dew will make it easier batting second. He adds that conditions underfoot with the heavy outfield would be familiar to anyone who has played in England but the humidity is brutal.


03:09 PM

Pakistan make three changes, England four

Pakistan  Babar Azam (capt), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Shan Masood, Iftikhar Ahmed, Haider Ali, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Aamer Jamal, Mohammad Wasim,  Haris Rauf.

England  Phil Salt (wk), Alex Hales, Dawid Malan, Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, Moeen Ali (capt), Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, David Willey, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood. 


03:05 PM

On the toss

Moeen says

It looks a really good wicket. Don't think that will change. We want to win the game first of all but there's a couple of the guys we want to give a run to. It's been a fantatsic series. Always got to be on your A game against Pakistan.

Babar agrees with him. Says Pakistan would have bowled first too.


03:03 PM

England have won the toss

And put Pakistan in to bat.


02:42 PM

Bowling changes for England

Nick Hoult reports:

Woakes is marking out his run up. First game for England since West Indies beckons. Willey also measuring his run up.

Perhaps the thick air, pregnant with humidity, and smog will get Willey's hooping mojo working.


02:13 PM

Bigwigs abound at the Gaddafi

Nick Hoult reports from Lahore

Cricket diplomacy will be in action again tonight. Christian Turner, our man in Islamabad is here, along with the US ambassador, Donald Blome. It could explain the ring of steel around the ground. Gun toting cops and soldiers are everywhere - the security is much more heavy handed than it was in Karachi. The team hotel is a compound with gun nests, barbed wire and all roads in and out closed. It didn't stop intrepid Telegraph Sport going for a wander to the Bagh-e-Jinnah cricket club this morning where our Geoffrey once made a hundred.


02:08 PM

A weather update from rain-soaked Lahore

Nick Hoult writes

Heavy air and feels like there could be showers but it's dry and the sun is poking through the smog at the moment.

Incidentally, the boundaries are a long way in.


01:55 PM

Good afternoon

And welcome to live coverage of the fifth T20 between Pakistan and England. After tying the Karachi swing 2-2, England now return to Lahore for the first time in 17 years, to the Gaddafi Stadium. The Libyan dictator still had six years of life left the last time England played there, but the Colonel's name lives on in the city where he made the speech that backed Pakistan's right to become a nuclear power.

England were marmalised on that visit, losing the Test by an innings and 100 runs, by virtue of Mohammad Yousuf's double ton and Kamran Akmal's daddy 154. My main memory is of Steve Harmison flogging himself for more than 40 overs and a footsore Liam Plunkett taking the Simon Jones role in the original Fantastic Four but none of the quick men making much impact.

Shoaib Akhtar fired England out back then and it might be fitting that the touring side will be able to recall their own 'pace like fire' merchant tonight. Mark Wood was rested after his sensational comeback in the third ODI but should be raring to bowl his four overs here. Still no Jos Buttler, so we expect Phil Salt to carry on opening with Alex Hales and, should Buttler want to give up the gloves for the World Cup, as indicated when the selectors announced Jonny Bairstow would keep wicket in Australia, it makes sense as he is likely to stay there. Ben Duckett has been brilliant with the bat throughout the series and could also keep but isn't in that squad.

Chris Woakes may also be back too, to play his first game since March, the ignominious third Test in Grenada. He made a comeback for Warwicks' Seconds in June but suffered a further set-back. If England intend to go into their first World Cup game in Perth against Afghanistan in 24 days with Woakes, Wood and Chris Jordan (not fit to be on this tour) as three of their four pace options alongside, presumably, Reece Topley, they need to get Woakes out there today.

Pakistan have announced that Aamer Jamal, the allrounder who could be an adept finisher or late-over slogger if they bat first, will make his debut and Shadab Khan could come in for Usman Qadir who hurt his bowling hand when snaffling Hales early in England's innings in the previous game.

Play starts at 3.30pm BST. Join us for the toss and team news in the build-up.