An outstanding display of death bowling from Pakistan as well as a composed 90 from Sarfraz Ahmed gave the visitors a belated, but deserved, ODI victory over England
6.41pm BST
So it’s only a 4-1 series win for England and no unbeaten ODI summer. Let’s face it though, expecting that would be greedy after the success they’ve enjoyed and no one could begrudge this likeable Pakistan side a belated, but deserved victory.
The final match of the tour is Wednesday’s T20 from Old Trafford. Until then, bye!
6.33pm BST
49th over: Pakistan 304-6 (Rizwan 34, Imad 16) Imad clubs Jordan’s second ball, a full-toss, down the ground for four and that’s that. Pakistan win with 10 balls to spare.
6.32pm BST
48th over: Pakistan 300-6 (Rizwan 34, Imad 12) target 303 Wood isn’t going to let Pakistan do this the easy way: just two singles from the first four balls ... ah but then he half-goes for a difficult return catch, low to his left, off Rizwan and the ball gets past him and down to long-off for four. Two more off the last ball and Wood finishes with two for 56 from his 10. He bowled better than that though.
6.27pm BST
47th over: Pakistan 292-6 (Rizwan 27, Imad 11) target 303 With 17 needed from the last four, England turn to Jordan – their best death bowler at the World T20 earlier this year. This time he’s got a bit of rain to deal with too – it’s coming down a bit heavier but not enough to force them off. He holds his nerve for three balls, all dots, before going back of a length and getting heave-slapped (I know) through mid-off for four by Imad. Two singles follow, meaning 11 are needed from three. Pakistan are nearly there.
6.23pm BST
46th over: Pakistan 286-6 (Rizwan 26, Imad 6) target 303 Yep, Wood returns with two overs remaining. Imad pulls him to mid-on and sets off, but only avoids being run out thanks to Woakes’ miss. Then Wood gets revenge for Ben Stokes, jagging one back in and blasting it straight into Rizwan’s bollocks. Yeah I went there. Rizwan is unperturbed though and pulls the final ball of the over behind square for a vital boundary.
6.17pm BST
45th over: Pakistan 279-6 (Rizwan 21, Imad 4) target 303 I imagine that will be that for Dawson, given Woakes, Stokes and Wood all have overs left. The required run rate is down below five so England are going to have to bowl them out now. Just three risk-free singles from Willey’s over.
6.14pm BST
44th over: Pakistan 276-6 (Rizwan 20, Imad 2) target 303 “Oh now it must be great to be straight” sang Jarvis Cocker on Do You Remember the First Time. It’s not if you’re a spinner in the 44th over of an ODI though, Jarvis: Rizwan sweeps his first ball for four. 10 off the over – it’s going to be close.
6.09pm BST
43rd over: Pakistan 266-6 (Rizwan 12, Imad 0) target 303 Are Pakistan wobbling? Rizwan flicks it round the corner and Bairstow fumbles diving to his left. Nawaz says yes but Bairstow recovers and throws down the stumps at the striker’s end. The new man, Imad Wasim, has 137 runs in three innings, including two half-centuries at a strike-rate of almost exactly 100. He’s at the wrong end though and watches Rizwan bat out a maiden. In the 43rd over of an ODI. In 2016.
In this part of the country at this time of day at this time of year localised entirely within your kitchen.
6.05pm BST
Nawaz thinks there is a leg-bye available. Bairstow disagrees.
6.03pm BST
42nd over: Pakistan 266-5 (Rizwan 12, Nawaz 2) target 303 Dawson can’t make it three in a row, but he does keep Pakistan to five singles from the over.
6.00pm BST
41st over: Pakistan 261-5 (Rizwan 9, Nawaz 0) target 303 Into the last 10 overs and Rizwan opens things up with a straight drive, drilled back past Willey for four. Just a single from the other five balls, but that rate will see them over the line.
5.56pm BST
40th over: Pakistan 256-5 (Rizwan 4) target 303 Well Dawson may have done for Sarfraz but Malik is undeterred: he spots one going down the leg-side – again – and uses his footwork to get in position and smear it over midwicket for four. An exchange of singles later he lifts him down the ground for a straight six, but he falls looking to repeat the trick. An opening for England?
5.55pm BST
Dawson does it again! Having hit him for six the ball before, Malik looks to repeat the trick over mid-on but he slices it high to mid-off, where Roy takes a dolly.
5.51pm BST
39th over: Pakistan 244-4 (Rizwan 3, Malik 66) target 303 Willey is back on for Jordan and he goes for four. Not much else to say about that over.
5.45pm BST
38th over: Pakistan 240-4 (Rizwan 0, Malik 65) target 303 This could be interesting: Dawson comes back, as he pretty much had to at some point. He did look dangerous at times in his first spell, getting some nice drift and getting it to spit and turn ... and he breaks the partnership! Sarfraz goes for 90 from 73. Pakistan are still the heavy favourites here but that’s a confidence boost for Dawson, who gets his first ODI wicket.
5.44pm BST
Finally! Sarfraz charges and has a swing at one that was tossed up and turning away from the right-hander. He doesn’t fully get hold of it and Hales steadies himself at mid-on and ends the partnership.
5.40pm BST
37th over: Pakistan 238-3 (Sarfraz 88, Malik 65) target 303 The PA announces the crowd catcher’s prize of a free trip to Australia, then plays Men at Work’s Down Under between overs.
5.35pm BST
36th over: Pakistan 230-3 (Sarfraz 82, Malik 63) target 303 Chris Woakes sends down six balls and the batsmen score three runs.
5.32pm BST
35th over: Pakistan 227-3 (Sarfraz 80, Malik 62) target 303 Sarfraz ramps the returning Jordan’s bouncer very nicely over Bairstow’s head for four. It was the shot Bairstow himself got out to earlier but played with wonderful deftness and both feet off the ground. Jordan follows this with five wides down the leg-side – England’s bowling is going the way their batting did around this stage. Up comes the 150 partnership from 139 balls.
One of the best catches you will ever see #Cricket #EngvPak pic.twitter.com/cor6YNP8Ro
5.26pm BST
34th over: Pakistan 216-3 (Sarfraz 75, Malik 61) target 303 In fact it’s Woakes who comes on for Wood. Jordan hurt himself from the final ball of that last over, chasing one down at backward point and slipping, he looks to be holding his back. Woakes drops his first ball to Sarfraz short and is caught magnificently one-handed by a man in the crowd tumbling over the barrier. He celebrates wildly – as well he might, he’s apparently just won a trip to Australia for that, as well as a high-five from Ben Stokes.
Superb catch in the @FostersUK Grandstand and you've won a free trip to Australia sir! #goodhands
5.22pm BST
33rd over: Pakistan 207-3 (Sarfraz 67, Malik 60) target 303 Sarfraz wants to get a move on, it seems: he clouts the first ball after drinks agriculturally up and over cow corner for a one-bounce four. There is a danger here that England are going to have to bowl Dawson at the death; I’d be tempted to give Joe Root a couple of overs now. It’s still drizzling and Pakistan are 25 ahead of the Duckworth Lewis score.
5.14pm BST
32nd over: Pakistan 198-3 (Sarfraz 61, Malik 57) target 303 Football’s on. Watch that during drinks.
Related: Slovakia v England: World Cup 2018 qualifying – live!
5.13pm BST
Ah it’s going over the top of middle – the batsman was a long way forward. This partnership is literally interminable. Yes literally.
5.12pm BST
This looks pretty close but it’s given not out.
5.08pm BST
31st over: Pakistan 192-3 (Sarfraz 59, Malik 53) target 303 We have an appeal for obstructing the field from Bairstow! Some confusion between the batsmen and Malik turns back, and is hit by Morgan’s throw from mid-off. It’s of no interest to the umpire though as he wasn’t running along the same line as the ball and wasn’t making an effort to prevent his wicket being broken.
5.04pm BST
30th over: Pakistan 186-3 (Sarfraz 55, Malik 51) target 303 And there is Malik’s first ODI 50 against England in England, brought up with a push out to backward point for two. There’s a run-out review next ball when they take a sharp single and Root throws down the stumps from midwicket, but the big divot of dirt the bat kicks up in the creases suggests he might be safe.
5.00pm BST
29th over: Pakistan 181-3 (Sarfraz 53, Malik 48) target 303 Sarfraz brings up a fine half-century for himself and the century stand for Pakistan by bottom-edging a pull down to fine leg for four. It’s starting to rain...
4.55pm BST
28th over: Pakistan 174-3 (Sarfraz 47, Malik 47) target 303 Wood is back for poor old Dawson but he goes too: overpitching a slower ball and Malik picks it, and indeed times it, back past the bowler for four. Six from the over, which will suit Pakistan just fine.
4.52pm BST
27th over: Pakistan 168-3 (Sarfraz 46, Malik 42) target 303 Stokes back for Jordan. Pakistan are ahead on Duckworth Lewis, incidentally, with a smattering of rain possible in the next 15 minutes. Six from the over, each and every one of which I’ve already forgotten.
4.47pm BST
26th over: Pakistan 162-3 (Sarfraz 44, Malik 38) target 303 Brutal shot from Malik: after an exchange of singles swept and cut he runs at him and smashes it for a four that bounces just inches inside the rope, then a big swat over wide midwicket goes for Pakistan’s first six of the match. The partnership of 79 is the highest of the series for Pakistan. That’s 41 from Dawson’s four overs.
4.43pm BST
25th over: Pakistan 149-3 (Sarfraz 43, Malik 26) target 303 Now Sarfraz has his eye in: he gives Jordan the charge, creates a half-volley for himself and larrups it over mid-off for four. Jordan’s radar isn’t quite up and working yet, as evidenced by a wide in the tramlines outside off.
4.38pm BST
24th over: Pakistan 141-3 (Sarfraz 37, Malik 25) target 303 Sarfraz is all over Dawson: he stretches forward and gets so, so low twice in succession to sweep through backward square – first for four, then two. A couple more when he slogs just wide of Hales at mid-on off the toe-end of the bat. That’s frustrating for the fielder and spinner alike. Another sweep makes 11 from the over.
4.34pm BST
23rd over: Pakistan 130-3 (Sarfraz 27, Malik 24) target 303 I don’t know if I’m tired. And I don’t know if I’m ill. Or this could just be a really boring innings I’m struggling to keep my eyes on. Sarfraz chops down past the stumps to bring up the 50 partnership with a lucky four to fine-leg.
4.30pm BST
22nd over: Pakistan 124-3 (Sarfraz 22, Malik 23) target 303 It’s a real mixed bag from Dawson: he beats Sarfraz with another one that drifts and turns from leg to off, declining a review when it looked close, then getting pushed through mid-on for four then getting away with a rank full-toss.
Wasps have taken the lead against Exeter, 22-20.
4.26pm BST
21st over: Pakistan 117-3 (Sarfraz 17, Malik 21) target 303 Three singles. A wide.
4.23pm BST
20th over: Pakistan 113-3 (Sarfraz 16, Malik 19) target 303 Liam Dawson’s first delivery in ODI cricket is a pie – down the leg-side and paddled down to fine leg for four. His second is a bit better but Sarfraz gives it the charge and powers over midwicket for the same. But then, from nowhere a beautiful ball from the slow left-armer that drifts, pitches outside leg and turns back in sharply to strike the batsman in line.
4.18pm BST
19th over: Pakistan 103-3 (Sarfraz 7, Malik 18) target 303 Stokes is taking a break – Jordan is on and a single from his first ball brings up the Pakistan 100.
Congratulations to Wee Davey Warner, who has just become the first Australian to score an ODI century in Sri Lanka. Good for you!
4.14pm BST
18th over: Pakistan 99-3 (Sarfraz 6, Malik 15) target 303 Shot. Wood drops a bit short and Malik, leaping in the air, pulls it through midwicket for four. He tries again next ball – a shorter, quicker one – but can only splice it a few feet beyond Root at mid-on.
4.10pm BST
17th over: Pakistan 91-3 (Sarfraz 4, Malik 9) target 303 With the players refreshed and your OBOer with a cup of tea to hand, Stokes resumes with an eventful over. He nearly has Malik immediately, the ball bouncing up and spinning back just over the stumps. Malik has a wild swing at the next and sends it up and over backward point but doesn’t get it cleanly and the ball plugs, then the third nips back and rattles him on the glove. A no ball as Stokes knocks the bails off with his hand and the free-hit is a full-toss sliced down to third man for four. Then, finally a drop! Root diving to his right can’t cling on to a rocket at extra-cover.
4.02pm BST
16th over: Pakistan 84-3 (Sarfraz 4, Malik 3) target 303 Oh that’s ridiculous. Sarfraz walks a good three feet across his stumps, swishes and misses. The ball flies over leg-stump and is called a wide. That’s a bad decision – had the batsman not moved that was clunking into his thigh. Next ball is an inside edge that flashes just past the stumps. Time for drinks.
“I have exactly the opposite problem to John Starbuck (Ov. 10),” reports David Keech. “As a dual national living in the USA I follow what is called here “international” sports plus USA domestic as well. That means baseball, football (USA style), basketball, (ice) hockey as well as tennis, cricket, rugby, golf, “soccer” and just about everything else that moves. I do fantasy football and baseball too. The only solution - a fast internet speed and multiple sports online four screens at a time!”
3.57pm BST
15th over: Pakistan 79-3 (Sarfraz 1, Malik 2) target 303 No slip in for Sarfraz although, as Ian Ward points out on Sky, they do have Root at gully and Roy at a wide-ish backward point. Presumably that’s because they think Sarfraz will go hard when driving. He’s off the mark with a drive to Jordan at deep extra cover.
3.53pm BST
14th over: Pakistan 77-3 (Sarfraz 0, Malik 1) target 303 Mark Wood’s pace removes both set batsmen in an over. England are heavy favourites now, although Pakistan have their form batsman in Sarfraz at the crease now.
3.51pm BST
I’m surprised this wasn’t given on-field. The captain looked to ramp it over the slips and there was a good woody sound as his feathered it behind. Bairstow called for the review instantly, not even waiting for Morgan to OK it.
3.49pm BST
Given not out but I heard something.
3.46pm BST
Babar goes for a big expansive drive at an 88mph ball that just moves back in a bit. Middle and leg are splattered.
3.45pm BST
13th over: Pakistan 75-1 (Azhar 32, Babar 31) target 303 The 50 partnership comes up when Azhar drives past the diving man at mid-on and sends the ball scuttling down to the boundary. That also levels the batsmens’ scores, albeit not for long.
Speaking of the rugby, Dan Biggar is in the crowd. He’s not dancing.
3.41pm BST
12th over: Pakistan 68-1 (Azhar 26, Babar 30) target 303 Oh what a finish from Jimmy Gopperth! He receives it 25 metres out, wide on the left touchline, from the No9 and steps inside before veering away and arcing past the covering Ollie Woodburn to dot down in the corner. His touchline conversion from wide on the left just clips the outside of the post on its way wide though and Wasps remain 10-8 down ... make it 8-15 as Exeter attack from the restart and Chudley – I think – scurries over for the try after an exchange of passes.
In the cricket, one run from the over, which is why I kept an eye on the rugby.
3.37pm BST
11th over: Pakistan 67-1 (Azhar 25, Babar 30) target 303 It’s a double change: Stokes comes on for a bowl and is milked for a trio of singles. Something a bit last day of the holidays about this match.
3.33pm BST
10th over: Pakistan 64-1 (Azhar 23, Babar 29) target 303 We’re switching to raw pace and Mark Wood now and he’s unluckily expensive. Driven for three second ball, then Babar top-edges a well-directed bouncer over the slips for four.
John Starbuck writes: “The easier way to handle the too many sports problem is to stick to a small number. I started out by excising anything to do with motors, anything to do with horses, then everything else done sitting down. Nowadays, I get by with cricket, football, tennis, boxing and nothing else. Even for the Olympics.”
3.29pm BST
9th over: Pakistan 56-1 (Azhar 20, Babar 24) target 303 This is glorious from Babar, who hits contrastingly excellent back-to-back fours. Good length, just outside off from the first and Babar stands tall to smite it through cover, then the batsman goes delicate and guides one down to the vacant third man region. Azhar adds a third by turning a full one round the corner to fine-leg.
3.25pm BST
8th over: Pakistan 43-1 (Azhar 16, Babar 15) target 303 A third boundary for Babar, leaning into a good length Willey ball (grow up) and just caressing it (grow up!) through the covers. Three more singles suggest we might have a decent game brewing.
We’re fine, honest.
Is everything okay over at The Guardian pic.twitter.com/d3dI2mZP5T
3.20pm BST
7th over: Pakistan 36-1 (Azhar 15, Babar 9) target 303 This isn’t a pitch you can bowl short on: it gets stuck in the pitch and Babar is all over it, crunching a pull in front of square for four. Add a couple of singles and a two to that and it makes for a decent over for Pakistan.
3.15pm BST
6th over: Pakistan 28-1 (Azhar 12, Babar 4) target 303 Babar’s a nice little player, isn’t he? Seizes on just the tiniest error in length from Willey and plunders four with a solid back-foot drive through the covers.
3.12pm BST
5th over: Pakistan 22-1 (Azhar 11, Babar 0) target 303 My apologies: there was a wide in that last Willey over too. This one begins with three dots before Sharjeel clubs unconvincingly over mid-off for four, earning comparisons from Nass to Sanath Jayasuria. Obviously Nasser knows far more about cricket than I do, but... um. Anyway, we’re not going to be hearing much more of that as he goes next ball. Babar Azam the new man.
Robin Hazlehurst writes on a subject close to the OBO’s heart: “The summer of cricket and glorious sporting success is not yet over - well, glorious success might be but cricket isn’t - as the OBOccasionals, the team formed through these pages, still has the annual tour coming up. This year we’re going to Vis, off the Croatian coast at the end of September. If anyone feels like joining in, it’s never too late. Get in touch and we’ll explain where to dock your yacht.”
3.08pm BST
Full from Woakes and Sharjeel’s shot, all bottom-hand, is a slightly damp shovel straight to mid-on.
3.05pm BST
4th over: Pakistan 18-0 (Azhar 11, Sharjeel 6) target 303 Four runs now for Ali, who drops his right hand off the bat but gets it fine enough to beat short fine-leg in the circle. Just a couple of singles from the remaining five balls – off each of the last two, to be precise – which neither side will feel too strongly either way about.
Some sad news here.
Related: Jerry Heller, former NWA manager, dies aged 75
3.00pm BST
3rd over: Pakistan 11-0 (Azhar 6, Sharjeel 5) target 303 Nasser reports that there’s a bit of rain about later, although the met office forecast wasn’t reporting it when I looked just before this innings began, so it can’t be that significant. We get to 11 dot balls on the, er, bounce, before Ali gets fed up and goes after a short one, mistiming it barely over the leaping man at midwicket. Two for that and one from the next ball, an inside edge down to fine-leg. Sharjeel cracks the first boundary of the innings, picking up a length ball and punching it past Stokes at midwicket for four, before he is again mere inches from being bowled by one that cuts him in half and fizzes past off-stump.
2.55pm BST
2nd over: Pakistan 4-0 (Azhar 3, Sharjeel 1) target 303 Willey from t’other end. Roy celebrates enthusiastically as he cuts off a vicious cut from Sharjeel – to the extent that I wondered for a moment if my eyes had deceived me and he’d caught it. But no and nor is he bowled a couple of balls later, although it doesn’t miss the stumps by much when the batsman swings wildly and misses.m This is lovely from Willey: pitching it up, swinging it away and the batsman doesn’t have a hope of laying bat on it. Maiden.
With the cricket, f1, MotoGP, Vuelta, Tour of Britain, football & rugby, I need at least 3 tvs & another brain @DanLucas86. How do you cope?
2.52pm BST
1st over: Pakistan 4-0 (Azhar 3, Sharjeel 1) target 303 Azhar Ali is back up to the top of the order and he begins nicely with a clip square off his pads for three. Sharjeel adds one more with a cut down to third man and that’s yer lot. As much movement in that over as on any LCD Soundsystem studio album other than their eponymous debut*.
*That’s none.
2.47pm BST
Chris Woakes has the ball, out come the batsmen. Pakistan will begin their chase of 303 around about now.
2.46pm BST
Sky are currently showing a feature on the Kia Women’s Super League. It means that, for the first time, they’re actually showing some footage of it. Although I never want to hear the Southern Vipers singing their victory song ever again.
2.38pm BST
“Please, please stop using ‘whitewash’ to describe a ‘clean sweep’,” urges Nicholas Butt. “Whitewash means to cover up something, i.e. literally apply a coat of whitewash. This is something politicians do after promising a ‘far-reaching, wide-ranging and in-depth’ inquiry only to find some uncomfortable facts are (potentially) uncovered. But I will admit that a whitewashing of English cricket would be good from my point of view.”
Afraid Guardian policy is to go by Collins dictionary, Nicholas. And that says we’re fine.
2.31pm BST
Thanks Daniel. After four matches, could we at long last have an actual contest in this series? It’d serve us right for mentioning unbeaten summers and 5-0s so much, wouldn’t it? Anyhow, email me! Tweet me! Or listen to some funky new music!
2.25pm BST
So, the first thing to say is well bowled Pakistan and well captained Azhar Ali. He rotated his bowlers expertly, removing them before familiarity bred contempt, and positioning his fielders to take easy catches. Meanwhile, Mohammad Amir and Hasan Ali varied pace and seam position to excellent effect, while Imad Wasim got them rolling, his variety putting the brakes on England just as they threatened to race away.
In theory, this should now be a really good contest. England will probably feel they’re minimum 20 runs short, but expect their bowlers to be enough against a brittle batting line-up; Pakistan will probably feel they really ought to chase this, and won’t fear this bowling line-up. Dan Lucas will be along presently to take you though it.
2.19pm BST
50th over: England 302-9 (Jordan 15, Wood 7) Umar Gul nearly has Pakistan’s fourth deep-square-leg victim of the innings - Wood shovels it round the corner, but the ball drops just in front of Nawaz and they run one. So, next ball, Jordan just wellies a fuller, wider delivery down the ground for six and brings up the 300 with two dragged from outside off over midwicket. It brings up the 300; that it’s greeted with an element of displeasure shows how far England have come. Anyway, the final two deliveries yield a single each and that’s that.
2.15pm BST
49th over: England 291-9 (Jordan 6, Wood 6) Ali into Jordan and he hits the pad, but the ball’s just going down and they run a leg-bye. Next up, Wood top-edges four, and then drills a single to cover. Another single to Jordan follows, and then one to Wood - he’ll be on strike for the final over. Hasan Ali finishes with figures of 10-0-60-4; well bowled sir.
2.11pm BST
Four for Hasan Ali! He bowls yet another cutter into the pitch, and Willey goes for the pull - but, like his mates before him, discovers the square-leg fence to be mighty long way away, and it’s another easy catch.
WICKET: Willey holes out in the deep to Nawaz for 6 and gives Hasan his fourth wicket. ENG 283-9 (48.1) #ENGvPAK https://t.co/DKsLIzAjvG
2.09pm BST
48th over: England 283-8 (Willey 6, Jordan 5) Adil Rashid and Yasir Shah are talking spin while Umar Gul returns - and that’s another good piece of captaincy from Azhar, backing his best bowlers to get rid of England’s hitters so that he can use Gul at this stage -despite the bad day he’s having. And he delivers too, conceding just two runs.
2.05pm BST
47th over: England 281-8 (Willey 5, Jordan 4) In comes Amir for his final over, and a lively lifter jags in towards Willey’s head - he crouches, jumps, and just manages to get out of the road. The batsmen then nurdle a single each, Willey jams down on a yorker, and there’s not even an effort to whack over the top. Four from the over, and Amir is away with excellent figures of 10-0-59-3. 18 balls for England to get after it.
You know you want to...
WATCH the painful moment England's Ben Stokes was pole-axed by Umar Gul. https://t.co/tFZIkC55G6 #EngvPak SS2 now pic.twitter.com/0uuhZHcFZb
2.00pm BST
46th over: England 277-8 (Willey 3, Jordan 2) Hasan Ali comes in again, and his experience shows how to succeed on this track: vary the pace. And his penultimate over yields just a single; very nicely done indeed.
“The field placings are obviously vital,” emails John Starbuck, “but so is the standard of catching. Pakistan seem to have got this right in the end.”
1.56pm BST
45th over: England 277-8 (Willey 2, Jordan 1) So, do England chuck the bat or try and see out the overs? Pakistan are certainly trying to get this done as soon as possible, as you’d expect.
1.52pm BST
This has been an excellent display from the Pakistani bowlers; they’ve taken wickets throughout the innings, such that aside from a good start, England have never got away from them; no mean feat against such a powerful batting line-up. And it’s another bouncer that gets the job done here, a quick bouncer too much for Dawson, who spoons a catch straight to midwicket. The ball has gone to hand far too frequently not to praise Azhar’s field placings.
1.52pm BST
45th over: England 274-7 (Dawson 10, Willey 2) This innings has never quite fired - a bit of Plunkett at this point, or one of the other two spinners, and suddenly England look much likelier.
1.50pm BST
44th over: England 272-7 (Dawson 9, Willey 2) Willey smears over backward point to get going with two. Against a proper batting line-up, England would be in proper trouble here....
1.46pm BST
Another slower ball job, tempting Woakes outside off and causing him to drag on. England could conceivably not reach 300 here...
1.46pm BST
44th over: England 270-6 (Dawson 9, Woakes 10) The summer of Woakes continues apace, as he lifts one over the top and down the ground.
1.45pm BST
43rd over: England 266-6 (Dawson 9, Woakes 6) Mo-Am is back - wonder if he likes Maoam, there’s yer advertising campaign, thank me later - and Woakes lifts him over extra cover for three in pleasing manner. Neither side will be too u[set with the current state of play.
1.40pm BST
42nd over: England 260-6 (Dawson 7, Woakes 2) England still have some hitting left, but I wonder if they’re regretting the decision to leave out both Moeen and Rashid.
1.38pm BST
Enormous wicket for Pakistan (if/if only they can be relied upon to bat properly)> Stokes goes down on one knee to lift over the top, doesn’t get enough of it, and picks out the man at short fine leg. Good, patient innings, though.
1.37pm BST
42nd over: England 258-5 (Stokes 75, Dawson 7) Hasan Ali back on, and Stokes takes a single off his first ball, then underhits a a slower one that was asking to be launched - not an accusation one can frequently level at him.
1.34pm BST
41st over: England 255-5 (Stokes 74, Dawson 5) The final powerplay is signalled as Mohammad Nawaz takes the ball and Mohammad Amir leaves to have his hand seen to; it’s not his bowling hand, but is clearly causing him discomfort. Anyway, Stokes is after it now, reversing a full toss for four, then turning four more finest, giving him his highest score in one-day international cricket.
1.30pm BST
40th over: England 244-5 (Stokes 65, Dawson 3) After Dawson adds his third single, Stokes clubs four wide of mid-on - England will want at least one boundary an over now, ideally two. Well, ideally six, well ideally infinity with constant no balls and free hits, but we understand each other, I’m sure. Anyway, a high bouncer is given wide, then Stokes pulls to short fine leg, where Amir takes a crack on the right hand in not preventing the two. So Gul retorts with another wide while Amir nurses his finger, after which Stokes applies proper punishment: a six marmalised over long-on. Gul then goes to the umpire for his jumper, only to learn there’s still one to come; oh how they laughed. Stokes subsequently adds two more from the second additional ball, making 17 from the over.
1.23pm BST
39th over: England 227-5 (Stokes 51, Dawson 2) Imad returns for his final over and Stokes annihilates its first ball down the ground to bring up his 50 - it’s come off 47 deliveries. But there’s still plenty of work to be done here by England - Pakistan will be content to let things slide, whereas they need to force the issue. So, six from the over, and 10-0-33-1 from Imad - that’s superbly done, and if Pakistan’s batsmen can bat as well as he’s bowled, they’re in with a very good chance.
1.20pm BST
38th over: England 221-5 (Stokes 46, Dawson 1) Dawson gets off the mark immediately, running an edge to third man. Stokes then gets the final delivery of the over to midwicket, but ends up having to dive to be sure of making his ground - that’s not going to help his tender bits.
1.18pm BST
Bairstow tries to flash one over slip to third man but is cramped by the line, gloving a floater to backward point instead. Decent innings, that, but England needed more.
1.13pm BST
38th over: England 219-4 (Stokes 45, Bairstow 33) “Oooooooaaaawwwwwww” choruses the gleeful crowd, over and over again, as the big screen shows Ben stokes top-edging himself in the dress circle. On the bench, Root is enjoying it, and so too is Bairstow out in the middle. Stokes goes down and his eyes are watering much like everyone else’s, only with pain not mirth, and he takes a pair of painkillers. There’s a pause in proceedings, as it were.
We resume and Stokes wiggles a single and looks much the happier for it, then a short, wide slower ball is absolutely carted, baseball-style, from outside off to over midwicket by Bairstow.
1.10pm BST
37th over: England 214-4 (Stokes 44, Bairstow 29) England force two singles from Imad’s first four deliveries, the second of which brings up the fifty partnership. And those are the only two from the over, the final effort of which turns away from Bairstow’s forward prop - that was beautifully done, and England will be pleased to see the back of him in six balls’ time.
1.06pm BST
36th over: England 212-4 (Stokes 43, Bairstow 28) Back comes Umar Gul - ideally, he’d bowl at the death, but unless this spell shows significant improvement, it’s unlikely Azhar will trust him. And he starts well enough, beating Bairstow when he premeditates a heave. But Bairstow does well to anticipate the short one next up, down onto one knee to flip over his shoulder for three. Next ball, they consider one, Gul shies, hits, and they take an overthrow.
1.00pm BST
35th over: England 206-4 (Stokes 41, Bairstow 24) Imad continues and continues - they bunt him about, but that’s all Pakistan really want at this point. Three from the over and England will be wanting a minimum of 320, I’d guess.
12.55pm BST
34th over: England 203-4 (Stokes 39, Bairstow 23) At what point is Bairstow unnotselectable? He takes fours from the first two balls of Hasan Ali’s over, one welted over mid-on, one pulled to backward-square-leg. He then adds two more, and the kick for home is upon us.
12.50pm BST
33rd over: England 193-4 (Stokes 39, Bairstow 13) Imad returns - will it still work for him now that Stokes is in a better position? Well, the first over of this spell yields six, not terrible for either side.
12.47pm BST
32nd over: England 187-4 (Stokes 35, Bairstow 11) Bairstow power-caresses a drive through cover for four, adds two immediately afterwards, and he’s in.
“1997? The travesty of Roni Size winning OK Computer’s Mercury Prize,” emails Matt Dony. “I’m still not over it. But at least it was in the middle of a period of actual activity from Metallica. 4 albums in 4 years, two of them double. Then two in the next 15 years. Consistency, lads.”
12.41pm BST
31st over: England 179-4 (Stokes 34, Bairstow 4) Stokes loses patience again, making a little room but keeping his arms close to his body in case of spin, panelling a flat drive for six over long-off. He was 12 of 32 deliveries; he’s not 33 off 45. That’ll be the “catching up” he was on about earlier.
12.38pm BST
30th over: England 170-4 (Stokes 27, Bairstow 3) Amir catches Stokes in the stomach when he misses a pull, a similar sensation to mine upon noticing that Joe Root is sporting a sort of step. Let’s be generous; maybe it’s just short back and sides growing out. Another excellent over from Pakistan, just one from it.
12.34pm BST
29th over: England 169-4 (Stokes 26, Bairstow 3) Stokes is still trying to force things, sending an attempted drive into his ankle. Azhar puts a slip in for Bairstow, and England muster just three from the over.
I don't think so. Can't find one https://t.co/wwhiRX9wQ1
12.31pm BST
28th over: England 166-4 (Stokes 24, Bairstow 2) Amir cuts Bairstow in half with an absolute jaffa which forces him forwards then spirits away. He’s enjoying this and so are the crowd, its Pakistani contingent cheering their man into the wicket. This has the makings of a thriller...
12.27pm BST
Huge wicket! A slower-ball cutter cramps Roy, who tries a front-foot pull anyway, top-edging a skier that plops out of the sky and into the hands of Hasan Ali on the square-leg fence.
12.27pm BST
28th over: England 164-3 (Roy 87, Stokes 24) Stokes is going. Amir comes in and Stokes jogs down, cross-batting four just over mid-on. He doesn’t quite middle it, but ginger ninja super-strength kicks in and there’s no arguing with that.
12.24pm BST
27th over: England 159-3 (Roy 87, Stokes 19) How long should you spend in an ODI trying to bat yourself into form, before you throw the bat and either score runs or get out? Mohammad Nawaz’s more easily predictable spin comes on and Stokes is ticking, so he tries a dicey reverse-sweep for one, then when back on strike, strides down the track and bases six over long-on.
12.20pm BST
26th over: England 150-3 (Roy 86, Stokes 11) Good captaincy from Azhar, who doesn’t push his luck with Shoaib. Rather than waiting for a big over from England, he brings Amir back before it happens - he’ll fancy a shy at Ben Stokes, I shouldn’t wonder, who’s 9 off 28 at the start of the over. Four runs come from it.
12.16pm BST
25th over: England 146-3 (Roy 84, Stokes 9) Roy glances Imad away - or was it an edge?. Either way, because most balls aren’t turning and are sliding into the bat, there’s no slip. Still, another eminently presentable over, just four from it.
“Etymologically speaking, your phrase ‘much better again’ has precedent in a TripAdvisor review of a chip shop in Wolverhampton, so you’re OK. Grammatically speaking, who knows?”
12.13pm BST
24th over: England 142-3 (Roy 81, Stokes 9) Roy appears to have found a solution to England’s spin situation - he comes down, makes room, Shoib follows him - and is still battered over the top for six. “A very sensible shot” says Rameez and, remarkably, he’s right.
12.09pm BST
23rd over: England 135-3 (Roy 74, Stokes 9) Imad continues sliding and turning - I wonder if either batsman is thinking about standing a little further down the track. This is a great over, with a couple almost banged in short - two runs from it, meaning he has 1-12 from five overs.
12.07pm BST
22nd over: England 133-3 (Roy 73, Stokes 8) As the senior in this partnership, Roy is doing all he can to move things on, but this is good stuff from Shoaib who almost has him caught off the final delivery when he laps a sweep that bounces just in front of the man at 45.
12.04pm BST
21st over: England 129-3 (Roy 70, Stokes 7) Roy guides one behind square on the off side and sets off, then thinks better of it - Stokes is forced to hare back. Imad is bowling beautifully here, sliding the majority but turning enough to keep the batsmen guessing.
12.00pm BST
20th over: England 126-3 (Roy 68, Stokes 6) Naturally conversation in commentary moves to whether, when a batsman plays the reverse-sweep, he should benefit from the outside the line escape route. Logically, that makes sense, but the rationale that it’s just better if he doesn’t is not uncompelling in its way. Anyway, after three singles and a two from the first ball of the over, Roy saunters down the track and lazily hoists six down the ground. This is now England’s best over for sometime, all the more so when a wide and a single follow.
11.56am BST
19th over: England 113-3 (Roy 58, Stokes 4) Stokes is struggling here, which, of course, bodes well for the winter sub-Continental tour. Another quiet over, runs-wise.
11.55am BST
Good decision Simon Fry.
11.54am BST
19th over: England 112-3 (Roy 58, Stokes 3) Imad Wasim is enjoying this now, and after a single to each batsman, Stokes loses patience and reverse-swipes - he’s not quite down on one knee, misses, and takes the ball on the thigh. It really does look out, but the umpire says no, so Pakistan review...
11.52am BST
18th over: England 110-3 (Roy 57, Stokes 2) Roy’s a bit more eager to get a move on now, and he sweeps a lovely four to fine-leg when Shoaib offers him one on leg-stump. And he goes again three balls later, trying a clip through midwicket that only just evades the fielder’s dive.
11.48am BST
17th over: England 104-3 (Roy 52, Stokes 1) Pakistan have done well to righ things after England’s start - without even batting that well, they threatened to get away. And what a jaffa Imad Wasim sends down to Stokes, one that turns into the bat and beats it, then bounces and beats the keeper! So instead of a stumping it’s four byes, the only runs off the over.
11.45am BST
16th over: England 99-3 (Roy 51, Stokes 1) If Pakistan can just get rid of Jason Roy, there’re in here - and he gets down to reverse-sweep Shoaib but top-edges instead! No chance Umar Gul is leaping into that at short third-man, so instead it’s four and Roy’s fifty, off 49 balls. Five from the over.
11.43am BST
15th over: England 94-3 (Roy 46, Stokes 1) Plenty of time for Stokes to play himself in here, and he takes a single first up, then Roy does similarly. Meanwhile, Ali and Rashid fraternise on the Pakistan bench.
“I seem to remember listening to, and enjoying both equally, Hanson’s MMMBop and Radiohead’s Paranoid Android in the summer of 97,” emails Simon McMcMcMcMcMcMcMcMahon. “Fresh faced pop innocents with a dream, and a million selling, Grammy nominated all-American family band. I wonder what happened to them all.”
11.37am BST
Oy vey! This is a terrible delivery, a slow, low full toss. So Morgan twinkles down the wicket and toe-ends a sternum-high palm-stinger straight back to the bowler. He is less than gruntled with his behaviour.
11.36am BST
15th over: England 92-2 (Roy 45, Morgan 10) Spin from both ends - Imad Wasim takes the ball...
11.35am BST
14th over: England 91-2 (Roy 44, Morgan 10) Time for spin, and time for Shoaib Malik. He’s not threatening, not even remotely, and I’m not sure he’ll get with such gentle treatment next time, but to paraphrase Ryan Giggs, if you’d’ve offered Pakistan four from the over, they’d’ve took it.
11.31am BST
13th over: England 86-2 (Roy 40, Morgan 9) Much better again from Gul, if that’s etymologically possible. And this time there’s no freebie to ruin it - when Morgan dances down the track he sees him coming and bowls a little wider and shorter. Clever stuff.
11.27am BST
12th over: England 83-2 (Roy 38, Morgan 8) Roy has been chill these last few overs, so when Hasan sends down a half-volley he doesn’t miss out, clattering four down the ground. Hasan responds well, but, bringing back the length and teasing outside off - Roy goes again, and edges four past slip.
“Summer 97, V festival, Prodigy, pPavement, Imperial era- Beck, Ash, Blur, Placebo, Foos... Compare to this years V...” tweets Patrick O’Brien.
11.22am BST
11th over: England 74-2 (Roy 29, Morgan 8) Gul comes back for more - sorry, Guldozer - and this is much more like it. Or is until he donates Morgan a modicum of width, and is prejudicially robinsmithed to the fence. England could do a lot worse than insert him into the Test middle-order, though they won’t.
11.17am BST
10th over: England 69-2 (Roy 28, Morgan 4) Huge wicket for Pakistan, that; there’s still plenty of batting to come, of course, but England have a little less freedom now. Anyway, Hasan sends down a no-ball, and Morgan is perfunctory in cracking a free-hit straight-drive to get off the mark, but the rest of the over does its job.
11.11am BST
Lovely ball this, outside off but nipping back, and Root goes to drive without anticipating the movement; as such, an inside-edge clatters leg peg.
11.11am BST
9th over: England 64-1 (Roy 28, Root 9) Umar Gul is back, as Nick Knight discusses “your Wahabs, your Amirs, your Irfans”. And oh dear, Gul drops short again, so Root clouts him over square-leg for a one-bounce four; it is so rare to see him miss out on a freebie like that. And oh dear, Gul strays onto the pads; as if Root’s missing out on that. He clips four to backward square-leg.
11.05am BST
8th over: England 54-1 (Roy 23, Root 4) Pakistan haven’t bowled badly this morning - Umar Gul was too short on occasions, but otherwise, England’s total suggests better strokeplay than has been so. And though they’ve stemmed the flow of boundaries, the runs are still coming - Root plays a lovely shot off the back foot for three, hopping backwards but keeping his bodyweight coming forwards.
11.01am BST
7th over: England 47-1 (Roy 19, Root 1) So, is Jason Roy the “next cab off the rank” in Tests? Does he have the game for it? If he does, he’d be an incredible addition to the team, and looks to have the finesse in terms of keeping the board moving that perhaps Hales lacks. He takes five from Mohammad Amir, such that even a quieter over is relatively profitable.
10.56am BST
6th over: England 42-1 (Roy 15, Root 0) The bad news for Pakistan - and Hasan Ali, on for Umar Gul - is that Joe Root is now at the wicket. His first ball elicits an lbw appeal and costs four leg byes, but otherwise a single off the over is a decent effort.
“In 1997 I began preparing the project to circumvent the threat of Y2K, or the Millennium Bug” emails John Strarbuck = “(yes, it was real and did have adverse effects in cases personally known to me). But saying England have been undefeated: I know you mean in terms of the series but there was Pakistan’s press-up routine at Lord’s wasn’t there? You wouldn’t want to look back in 2035 and forget that.”
10.54am BST
5th over: England 37-1 (Roy 14, Root 0) Gosh, Pakistan needed that.
10.51am BST
Pakistan needed that. Hales drives again but Amir rolled his fingers over the ball so he’s through the shot early, and spoons a straightforward catch to Shoaib at mid-on. The bowler sends him on his way with some gentle words of encouragement and consolation.
10.50am BST
5th over: England 47-0 (Roy 14, Hales 23) Amir tries a fuller one at Hales and he plants his front foot to open up the off side, driving four through cover without quite middling it. But he certainly middles the next one, in the air over point, then edges over the second slip that Amir himself had removed, as the PA, doubtless following the OBO, plays a 1997 classic.
10.47am BST
4th over: England 25-0 (Roy 14, Hales 11) Oh yes! Gul bangs one in to whatever extent that’s possible on this track, and Hales stays tall to get over the bounce and time four to the point fence. That was a very good shot indeed. But Gul tries another short one, and at his pace - 82mph - on this slow pitch - Hales has plenty of time to pick length and decide what to do. Which in this case is pick three through wide mid-on. Gul comes back well next ball, but this is now a decent start for England.
10.42am BST
3rd over: England 17-0 (Roy 13, Hales 4) Alex Hales defends Amir’s first ball but the second doesn’t swing so is wide. So he pursues it, catching up with enough to force four through the covers - the outfield’s had a fair bit of rain, but still just about does its job. Hales spends the rest of the over chasing too, but fruitlessly.
10.37am BST
2nd over: England 13-0 (Roy 13, Hales 0) Umar Gul comes in from the River Taff end and Roy straight drives his loosener into the sumps - he narrowly avoids imparting the finger - and the finger - that would see Hales run out without facing a ball. Gul’s third delivery is shorter, and though he’s coming off the back of two low scores, Roy doesn’t have to be asked twice, clunking a pull over midwicket for four, prior to flicking one to finest leg.
Saqlain Mus