Day 1 of Test IND V NZ, PAK V WI & SA V AUS 1st ODI's

2nd Test: India v New Zealand 

India 239/7 (86.0 ov)
New Zealand

India won the toss and elected to bat

Since 2015-16, most of India's Tests at home have been played on pitches that were prone to turn in the first hour. Kanpur wasn't as extreme, but there was nothing there for the fast bowlers. New Zealand would have arrived in Kolkata expecting more of the same. The grass on the pitch could well have been arranged to spell "surprise." Kane Williamson was stuck in the dressing room with a fever, but his men gave him a get well card that read "Skipper, we applied pressure for longer" as they reduced India to 239 for 7.

Matt Henry helped them forget they had lost another toss. He courted the outside edge and Eden Gardens was only too willing a wingman. The entire square had been dug up and relaid for the new season and bowling back of a length posed a serious challenge to the batsman because of inconsistent bounce. Henry bowled Shikhar Dhawan in his first over of the match and then dismissed the in-form M Vijay with a beauty. Trent Boult set a trap for Virat Kohli and sprung it before the batsman could reach double-digits.

India needed someone capable of playing time. They lost three wickets in the morning session, but with the sun beating down, conditions would change. If a batsman could last the early stages, he could really cash in. Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane did for nearly 50 overs, each setting himself up for a century. But New Zealand didn't let them get to the landmark. In the final session of play, Neil Wagner had Pujara caught at short cover for 87 and Jeetan Patel deceived Rahane with pace to trap him lbw for 77.

Part of New Zealand's success was down to their ability to keep the runs down. Even when they couldn't pick up any wickets in the second session, they allowed India only 79 runs in 31 overs. By doing so, they were able to make sure India couldn't bat them out of the Test as they had done in the second innings in Kanpur. Ross Taylor's captaincy and field placements were important in that regard. He had catching men on the drive and the flick, knowing the pitch was offering extra bounce. His bowlers were either wide outside off stump, testing the batsmen's patience, or at the stumps, knowing they had protection on the leg side, where India could secure only 12 boundaries. These were either scored off overpitched deliveries - Pujara's flicks early in his innings - or really good shots - Rahane's flick in the 61st over after getting on top of a Santner delivery turning away from him.

India's run-rate struggled to get over three, but they had two batsmen who could lay the foundation for a big first innings. The thing was, when they made the mistake, New Zealand pounced on it. Pujara drove on the up, was caught by Martin Guptill, on his birthday, and a 141-run partnership was broken. Rahane was trapped by a quicker ball from Jeetan Patel after he had forced the batsman back into his crease. The 36-year old offspinner had long abandoned hopes of playing international cricket again. He was chosen ahead of Ish Sodhi despite having only a "day and a bit" to acclimatise. But his control of line and ability to drift the ball made him dangerous.

Only four batsmen reached double-figures for India. Dhawan's comeback was limited to 10 balls, Henry making him drag a cut onto his stumps. The 24-year old fast bowler repeatedly beat the right-handers' outside edge by straightening the ball off the seam and eventually dismissed Vijay by going a bit wider of the crease, although that may just have been a quirk of fortune because Henry had just been warned for running onto the danger area by umpire Rod Tucker.

Kohli had come out had come out seeming determined not to let the bowling get the better of him. He had made a point to prepare for the ball bouncing awkwardly and was quite circumspect when Wagner banged it in. He was 5 off 24 balls when, from the other end, Boult presented a full, but not quite overpitched, delivery. It was hit through the covers for four. The width on offer had triggered the run-scoring instincts in Kohli. In trying to repeat the stroke, to a ball even wider outside off stump, a ball that he probably could have left, he nicked to gully where Tom Latham took a super catch over his head.


Henry finished the day on a high for New Zealand with the second new ball, pinning R Ashwin lbw in the 84th over, although replays indicated it may have slid down leg. They would know, though, that India's bowlers are capable of being as disciplined as they were and they have to win without their best batsman to stay alive in the series.


1st ODI

Pakistan 284/9 (49/49 ov)
West Indies 175 (38.4/49 ov, target 287)

Pakistan won by 111 runs (D/L method)

The 21-year-old Babar Azam enhanced his promising reputation with a maiden ODI hundred against West Indies on Friday. That, sandwiched between Sharjeel Khan's half-century, and a late cameo from Imad Wasim, led Pakistan to 284 for 9 in a match reduced to 49-overs-a-side because of a floodlight failure. Chasing 287, courtesy the Duckworth-Lewis revisions, West Indies sleepwalked their way, much like they had done in the T20Is, to 175, and suffered another demoralising defeat.

There is an air of serenity around Azam. He is technically correct in defence and drives with the head over the ball. He was among very few to receive glowing appraisals from coach Mickey Arthur after the disastrous tour of England.

In Sharjah he walked in to face the second ball of the match, after a Shannon Gabriel beauty that had Azhar Ali nicking behind for a duck. It took a stunning catch from Kieron Pollard at the edge of the wide long-on boundary to ultimately dismiss Azam in the 43rd over for 120 off 131 balls. In between, there was a display of solid strokes coupled with risk-free cricket and a stroke of luck - he survived a close lbw appeal off Sulieman Benn early in his innings. He lugged 70 of his runs through ones and twos: excellent running in humid conditions.

Azam first added 82 for the second wicket with Sharjeel, and then 99 for the fourth with Sarfraz Ahmed. Wary of the seam movement generated by Jason Holder and Gabriel, Azam played copybook cricket more often than not. It wasn't until Sharjeel cut loose that Pakistan began to lift the scoring rate - he clattered 44 of Pakistan's 60 in the Powerplay.

West Indies' Powerplay, on the other hand, was a crawl. If they hoped to stop the rot at the top of the order by introducing a debutant in Kraigg Brathwaite, who had played 31 Tests before this game, they were in for a reality check. They managed all of two boundaries in their first ten overs, both supplied by Johnson Charles before he was dismissed by Mohammad Amir.

After posing a threat with a bevy of away-going deliveries from over the wicket, Amir had switched his angle to around the wicket and coaxed the ball to straighten enough to take the outside edge. West Indies had to wait 30 balls for their next boundary, which was also Kraigg Brathwaite's first, off the 34th ball he faced.

Kraigg Brathwaite's poor debut ended when he angled Hasan Ali behind in the 13th over for 14 off 38 balls. In fact, it was the second-slowest, in terms of strike rate, by a West Indian on ODI debut. Mohammad Nawaz, the left-arm spinner, then unravelled the chase with three quick strikes, including wickets of Darren Bravo and Denesh Ramdin. When Kieron Pollard sliced a catch to deep point, Pakistan were 99 for 5 and the asking rate had crept towards eight. Marlon Samuels briefly swung his way to 46 before West Indies were bowled out in 38.4 overs. They just couldn't find a way to adapt, again.

Sharjeel, though, had adapted well enough, even as West Indies blocked his favoured leg-side region during Pakistan's innings. He responded to the seamers' modus operandi of testing in the channel outside off by hitting a flurry of boundaries straight down the ground. He scythed Gabriel over mid-off for a brace of fours before shovelling Carlos Brathwaite and Holder over long-on.

The introduction of spin, however, slowed Pakistan down. Only 65 runs came off the next 15 overs for the loss of Sharjeel and Shoaib Malik. Benn, who bowled slower through the air as opposed to firing it in, provided West Indies with a breakthrough when he had Sharjeel skewing an outside edge to short third man for a 43-ball 54. Twenty balls later, Sunil Narine found Shoaib Malik's outside edge, which was held at slip.

In between the two wickets, Azam endured the first of the two insecure moments during his knock. Benn slid in an arm-ball, which rapped him on the pad. Ahsan Raza, the on-field umpire, shot down the appeal, but Holder insisted on a review. Hawk-Eye showed that the ball would carry onto hit the top of the stumps, which meant umpire's call was upheld. Then in the 27th over, Azam escaped when Carlos Brathwaite failed to effect a direct hit off his own bowling following a mix-up with Sarfraz.

Sarfraz, himself, was reprieved on 5 when Ramdin fluffed a stumping chance. He proceeded to keep the score ticking with Azam. Just as he threatened to cut loose, Holder duped him with a slower ball.

Azam, however, carried on to raise his ton off 119 balls, having been on 50 off 74 balls. He reached three figures when he drove Narine through the covers in the 38th over. He celebrated the landmark by leaping in the air before performing the sajdah.


Azam then spanked Benn and Narine for leg-side sixes, but when he attempted one against Carlos Brathwaite, Pollard snaffled the big hit. A floodlight failure, which lasted for over an hour, handed West Indies some respite. Pakistan were limited to 24 for 3 in 4.3 overs upon resumption, but it was only crumbs of consolation for the losing side.


1st ODI

Australia 294/9 (50.0 ov)
South Africa 295/4 (36.2 ov)
South Africa won by 6 wickets (with 82 balls remaining)

Quinton de Kock became the holder of South Africa's second-highest individual score in ODI cricket with a career-best 178 as his side eased to a series opening victory over Australia. De Kock steered South Africa to the third-highest successful chase at SuperSport Park and ensured they drew first blood in a weekend of clashes against Australia. Sandwiched between ODIs on Friday and Sunday is a Rugby Championship fixture on Saturday. All the matches take place on the Highveld, de Kock's stomping ground, and on Friday night, he owned it.

None of the Australian bowlers were spared de Kock's aggression. He took on pace and spin, anything on the pads or overpitched, the short ball and the wide ball. His was an innings that started with impeccable timing and placement and turned into belligerent bludgeoning, especially on the leg side. More than two-thirds of de Kock's runs came in that area, including nine of his eleven sixes and he made Australia's 294 appear utterly inadequate.

On a fairly flat pitch and a fast outfield, Australia should have breached 300 and, given their start, could have been eyeing many more. Australia were 88 for 1 in the 13th over before Andile Phehlukwayo pulled them back. He took 3 for 16 in four overs and finished with a career-best 4 for 44 in just his second ODI to lead a seam attack whose experience trio of Dale Steyn, Wayne Parnell and Kagiso Rabada all had off days.

The South African seamers' inconsistencies in length suited Australia's almost-reckless approach. Five of their top six got starts but only George Bailey converted his. He scored a third half-century in four innings and shared in a 79-run seventh wicket stand with John Hastings, whose fifty was his first in international cricket, to take Australia close to 300 but not close enough to challenge South Africa.

De Kock was authoritative from the start. He flicked a Hastings delivery on the legs into the stands and followed up with a flog through point to announce his intent. South Africa's fifty came up inside seven overs and Rilee Rossouw, de Kock's opening partner who filled in for an ill Hashim Amla, had only contributed 17 of those runs.

Rossouw did not remain an understudy for too long. He plundered three boundaries off each of Mitchell Marsh and Scott Boland to catch up to de Kock and the pair were on 43 each, with the score on 87 after 10 overs.

De Kock's fifty came first, off 38 balls, with a pull off Travis Head. Rossouw's followed in much quieter fashion, a single, but it came off the 36th ball. At 120 without loss after 15 overs, Australia were all but out of the contest and they had not even introduced their best bowler.

Adam Zampa was brought on in the 18th over, after Rossouw and de Kock had destroyed Scott Boland's figures by taking 18 runs off his fourth over, and had immediate success. Zampa's first ball was a legbreak, Rossouw brought out the reverse sweep and was trapped in front.

De Kock was on 82 when Rossouw was dismissed and had got there by playing the ball late and using deft, albeit powerful touches, but when Faf du Plessis joined him, he switched gears. He thumped a low full toss from Daniel Worrall to mid off, in a rare example of playing a shot down the ground instead of square, and then reached his hundred, off 74 balls, with an almighty pull over midwicket.

Zampa came under attack as well and de Kock took three boundaries off his fourth over and three sixes off the first three balls of his sixth, With each one, there was a suspicion de Kock might emulate Herschelle Gibbs' six sixes in an over. Gibbs was part of the commentary team, and looked on as de Kock went past his own highest score of 175 by drilling Marsh through the covers. Those were the last runs de Kock scored before holing out, 11 runs short of overtaking Gary Kirsten, who holds South Africa's highest individual score of 188.

It was left to Farhaan Behardien and David Miller to finish off after du Plessis and JP Duminy were dismissed cheaply. The wickets won't matter much to South Africa after they won with 13.4 overs to spare.

De Kock's performance completely overshadowed Phehlukwayo, but he emerged as South Africa's best bowler on the night. He broke through at a crucial time, when Aaron Finch flicked a short ball to fine leg where Wayne Parnell caught it low down.. Four deliveries later, Phehlukwayo had Steve Smith trapped lbw, missing an attempted glance. And three overs after that, had Marsh caught behind by a diving de Kock.

Imran Tahir, the only other South African to concede at under six runs an over, had Travis Head stumped by a googly and Australia were five-down just over halfway in their innings and in danger of not batting out their overs. Bailey's fifty was his third in four innings while Hastings' was his first against a South African attack that, Phehlukwayo and Tahir aside, struggled for consistency.


That may not be South Africa's main concern ahead of the Sunday game though. Instead, they will be closely monitoring Steyn. Although he bowled his full complement of overs, Steyn left the field twice and was seen clutching the shoulder he broke last summer several times.

1st Test IND Beat NZ by 197 runs

India 318 and 377 for 5 dec beat New Zealand 262 and 236 by 197 runs

R Ashwin picked up his 19th five-wicket haul as India wrapped up a 197-run win in their 500th Test match. Needing six wickets at the start of the fifth day, India endured a wicketless first hour as Luke Ronchi and Mitchell Santner stretched their fifth-wicket stand to 102, but the wickets came quickly thereafter. The win arrived 43 minutes after lunch when Ashwin had Neil Wagner lbw with a carrom ball. Chasing a nominal 434, New Zealand had been bowled out for 236.

Ashwin finished with innings figures of 6 for 132 and match figures of 10 for 225 in 66.2 overs. Bowling with a callus in the middle finger of his bowling hand, he used the carrom ball frequently after lunch, possibly because he was finding it difficult to grip the offbreak. He took two wickets with it - of Wagner and Ish Sodhi, who walked across his stumps to get bowled around his legs - but the big breakthrough came with a big-spinning offbreak, pitching outside Santner's leg stump and turning across him to force an edge to gully.

It ended a hugely impressive performance from Santner, who faced 179 balls in the innings and 286 in the match in addition to bowling 55.2 overs of left-arm spin and picking up five wickets.

Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja did the bulk of the bowling, sending down all but 18 overs of New Zealand's innings, which lasted 87.3 overs, and 134.2 of the 183.2 overs India bowled in the match. At times India's selection of two spinners and two seamers looked questionable, but Mohammed Shami showed why he had been included by taking out two wickets in two balls in a short, sharp spell of reverse-swing - which had been in scant evidence in the match until that point - before lunch.

By the time Shami came on, bowling all those overs was beginning to have its effect on the spinners. Ronchi gifted them his wicket with a loss of concentration in the first over after drinks, but the new batsman, BJ Watling, was looking comfortable, sweeping and cutting delightfully. The sixth-wicket partnership had moved to 29 when Shami measured his run-up.

Bowling around the wicket to the left-handed Santner, he gave early warning of reverse-swing with an lbw shout off his second ball. The ball was probably doing too much and missing leg stump. The last ball of his second over was a near mirror image. Shami was bowling over the wicket to the right-handed Watling, and the ball tailed into him to pin him to the crease. Again, the ball swung appreciably, but replays suggested the ball would probably have hit some part of leg stump - umpire's call, perhaps, had DRS been in use.

Then, first ball of his next over, reverse-swing into the left-handed Craig, who played the initial line without really moving his feet, and left a big gap for the ball to swerve through and crash into the stumps.

As had been the case through the match, there had been plenty of help in the first half-hour of the morning, and the ball turned and jumped extravagantly past the edge on a number of occasions. Santner's reaction to being beaten by Ashwin was a wide grin, suggesting there was little he could do against a ball turning so far.

But even when it was beaten, his defence looked solid; front leg coming down the pitch rather than across to guard against the lbw, bat close to pad, and hands refusing to get drawn by the turn.

As the morning wore on, the turn became slower, and batting easier, especially off the back foot. Ronchi, his footwork nimble and decisive, began to dominate Ashwin. He had looked comfortable against the offspinner even on the fourth evening, jumping out to hit him over the long-on boundary and making room to cut him off the stumps.

Now, having mostly faced Jadeja in the early exchanges - 17 out of his first 23 balls of the day - he moved to fifty with a cover-drive for two off Ashwin, and four overs later came down the track to lift him over mid-on for four. By the end, he had scored 37 off the 33 balls he faced from Ashwin.

Santner too was opening up, but always playing within his limitations; his go-to attacking shots were the cut, whenever anyone dropped a little short, and the slog-sweep, when he saw a bit of air and room to free his arms, hitting a six each off Ashwin and Jadeja.


The wicket came off Jadeja's bowling, and it came off an ill-advised shot. Till then, Ronchi had hit all his lofted hits with a straight bat, but now, with long-off back and mid-on in, he looked to slog-sweep against the turn, and only managed a top-edge that skewed high to point.

Royal London One Day Cup Knockout Stages

Somerset 214-1 beat Worcestershire 210 by 9 wickets

Warwickshire 283-7 beat Essex 213 by 70 runs

Surrey 279-9 beat Northants 276 by 1 wicket

Yorkshire 256-9 beat Kent 245 by 11 runs

County Championship Division 2 fixtures till end of season

ESSEX BT DERBYS BY INNS AND 62 RUNS Essex 530-9 dec v Derbyshire 165 & 303

SUSSEX BT GLOS BY INNS AND TWO RUNS Gloucestershire 367 & 158 v Sussex 527

GLAMORGAN BT WORCS BY 5 WKTS Worcs 163 & 393 v Glamorgan 280 & 278-5

NORTHANTS DRAW WITH LEICS Leics 519 & 292-6 dec v Northants 397-7d & 118-1



Sussex 283 & 236-8 beat Glamorgan 252 & 263 by 2 wickets

KENT BT GLOS BY INNS & 69 RUNS Gloucestershire 221 & 243 v Kent 533-6 dec

ESSEX BT LEICS BY AN INNS AND 10 RUNS Leicestershire 238 & 175 v Essex 423

Worcestershire 201-3 dec & 404-8 beat Northants 551 & 50-1 dec by 2 wickets



DERBY DRAW WITH GLOS: Gloucestershire 331 & 10-0 v Derbyshire 242 & 360

ESSEX BT WORCS BY AN INNINGS & 161 RUNS Worcs 230 & 210 v Essex 601-5 dec

NORTHANTS BT GLAM BY 318 RUNS Northants 269 & 305-7 dec v Glamorgan 124 & 132

KENT BT SUSSEX BY AN INNS AND 127 RUNS Sussex 180 & 189 v Kent 496



Gloucestershire beat Glamorgan by 10 wickets Glamorgan 220 & 232 v Glos 363 & 92-0

Northants beat Kent by 10 wickets Kent 230 & 184 v Northants 384 & 31-0

SUSSEX WIN BY AN INNINGS AND 59 RUNS Leicestershire 119 & 135 v Sussex 313


Derbyshire drew with Leicestershire

Essex lost to Glamorgan by 11 runs

Northamptonshire beat Gloucestershire by 114 runs

Sussex lost to Worcestershire by 11 runs


Gloucestershire drew with Sussex

Kent drew with Essex

Leicestershire beat Glamorgan by 26 runs

Worcestershire beat Derbyshire by 9 wickets

County Championship Division 1 fixtures till end of season

LANCS DRAW WITH YORKSHIRE Lancashire 494 & 232-3 dec v Yorkshire 360 & 188-0

MIDDLESEX BT DURHAM BY INNS & 80 RUNS Durham 204 & 252 v Middlesex 536-9 dec

HAMPSHIRE BEAT NOTTS BY 176 RUNS Hampshire 319 & 393-7 dec v Notts 245 & 291

SURREY BT WARWICKSHIRE BY 226 RUNS Surrey 252 & 390 v Warwickshire 247 & 169



DURHAM DRAW WITH WARKS Durham 207 & 195-3 dec v Warwickshire 381-8 dec

SOMERSET DRAW WITH HAMPSHIRE Somerset 587-8 dec v Hampshire 338 & 254-5

Surrey 480 & 38/0 beat Lancashire 287 & 230 by 10 wickets

YORKSHIRE BT NOTTS BY 305 RUNS Yorkshire 282 & 263-4 dec v Notts 94 & 146



DURHAM DRAW WITH NOTTS: Nottinghamshire 313 & 17-1 v Durham 244 & 385-8d

HAMPSHIRE DRAW WITH YORKSHIRE: Hampshire 222 & 84-4 v Yorkshire 281 & 238-5d

LANCASHIRE DRAW WITH SOMERSET: Lancashire 422-9 v Somerset 553-8d

WARKS DRAW WITH MIDDLESEX: Warwickshire 172 & 120-4 v Middlesex 242 & 267-7d


Warwickshire 152 & 123 v Somerset 95 & 211 - Somerset win by 31 runs

MIDDLESEX BEAT NOTTS BY FIVE WICKETS Notts* 241 & 240 v Middlesex 247 & 235-5

SURREY DRAW WITH HAMPSHIRE Surrey 329 & 248-3 v Hampshire 582-9 dec

YORKSHIRE BT DURHAM BY 228 RUNS Yorkshire 460 & 225-2 dec v Durham 265 & 192

*Notts relegated to Division 2


Durham 401 & 246 beat Surrey 367 & 259 by 21 runs

Lancashire 259 & 80-1 drew with Middlesex 327 & 240-8 dec

Yorkshire 390 & 44-0 beat Somerset 145 & 286


Durham 361 & 297-4 beat Hampshire 411 & 245-9 dec by 6 wickets

Middlesex 270 & 359-6 dec beat Yorkshire 390 & 178 by 61 runs (Middlesex champions)

Somerset 365 & 313-5 dec beat Nottinghamshire 138 & 215 by 325 runs

Warwickshire 219 & 279-7 dec beat Lancashire 152 & 109 by 237 runs

2 T20I SL 0-2 AUS

1st T20I

Australia 263/3 (20/20 ov)
Sri Lanka 178/9 (20/20 ov)
Australia won by 85 runs

In 90 minutes of outlandish clean-striking, Glenn Maxwell marked a monumental return to form, sent Sri Lanka into freefall, and stole their T20I world record from under their noses.

The scorecard says he hit nine sixes in his 65-ball 145 not out, but it felt like he had hit so many more. It says there were 14 fours in this Maxwell mauling, but so quickly did they come, one after the other, that who is to tell when one boundary ended and another began? It was a blur of bludgeoned sweeps, of wallops down the ground and, occasionally, of enterprising strokes behind the wicket. Australia made 263 for 3. This is the joint-highest T20 score, in addition to being the biggest score in T20 internationals, beating the 260 Sri Lanka had hit against Kenya.

Maxwell had opened the innings in place of the injured Aaron Finch, and he quickly set about knocking Sri Lanka's bowlers out of shape. So battered were they by the end of the Powerplay, in which Australia had cracked 73 for 1, that they soon became helplessly complicit in Maxwell's plunder. Thigh-high full tosses were sent down with masochistic abandon. Errors bred further errors in the outfield. In the 18th over, a catch was dropped, though that was off Travis Head, who was the second-highest scorer with 45 off 18 balls. Each of Sri Lanka's four main bowlers conceded at least 12.75 per over.

The hosts' batting went much better, though they were never really in the hunt. The top three fell cheaply, but Dinesh Chandimal hit 58 off 43 and Chamara Kapugedera 43 off 25. Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland took three wickets apiece, as Sri Lanka finished on 178 for 9 - 86 runs short of the 264-run target.

The first over had cost Sri Lanka only three runs, and though Maxwell hit the innings' first boundary - smoking an overpitched Suranga Lakmal delivery through cover - it was David Warner who doused the scene with petrol, and began the raging fire. Warner eyed up seamer Kasun Rajitha, playing his third international, and banged four consecutive fours in the third over, three of those coming on the off side. It was not long before Maxwell matched that aggression. The first six of the match was a reverse-sweep off Sachithra Senanayake. A four followed next ball, off the same shot.

Neither Warner's dismissal by Senanayake nor the end of the Powerplay made much difference to Maxwell's approach. Decent balls - like Rajitha's slower one on the stumps in the ninth over - where whacked disdainfully over long-on. Then when the bad balls came, like the full toss from Rajitha immediately after, Maxwell biffed that over the boundary as well.

The first of those consecutive sixes brought him his half-century, off 27 balls. He took a further 22 to reach his hundred. Sri Lanka rifled through bowlers in this period, trying off spin, left-arm spin, seam, and whatever it is that Thisara Perera bowls. None of this could make so much as a dent in Maxwell's confidence, which by now was magnetic. Thisara, in fact, came closest to getting him out, in the 13th over, though that wasn't particularly close: Kapugedera, who caught Maxwell on the deep midwicket boundary, had trod on the rope and had to abandon the catch anyway as his momentum was taking him over the rope.

Having reached his first T20 century, and second in international cricket (both have come against Sri Lanka), Maxwell set his sights on the records. His first six in triple figures was perhaps the best of the lot, as he sliced Lakmal beautifully over the deep-cover boundary, immediately after having hit a four to fine leg. Finch, running the drinks in this match, holds the individual T20 record of 156, and Maxwell was in pursuit. When he biffed three consecutive sixes over long-on, off Senanayake, he moved to 134, with 19 balls still remaining in the innings. Head, though, indulged in some brutality of his own, hitting three sixes and four fours in his innings. One of those sixes came over long-on, off Thisara Perera. It was that shot which gave Australia the team total record.

Tillakaratne Dilshan has led outrageous chases before, but when he was bowled trying to clang a Mitchell Starc ball through the leg side in the first over, Sri Lanka's already slim chances became even slimmer. Kusal Perera was out slashing Boland to third man, soon after. By the end of the Powerplay, Sri Lanka had mustered 56 for 3, but with the required rate almost 15, the chase just became about limiting the severity of the loss.

Kusal Mendis made an attractive 22 replete with a pulled six off James Faulkner, and an imperious, lofted off-drive off Moises Henriques, but he was out in the eighth over. Chandimal pulled his team through those early overs, scoring heavily with his horizontal bat shots, the flat-batted four down the ground off Boland in the fourth over the most memorable among them.


Chandimal and Kapugedera put on Sri Lanka's best partnership, taking a particular liking to the spinners as they made 44 from 29 balls. But they both holed out soon enough. Sri Lanka hit 100 runs in boundaries. Maxwell, who had been dropped from the squad entirely for the ODIs, struck 110 in boundaries by himself.


2nd T20I

Sri Lanka 128/9 (20/20 ov)
Australia 130/6 (17.5/20 ov)

Australia won by 4 wickets (with 13 balls remaining)

Sri Lanka had been changing their side every match and Australia had already sent several men home, but like a well-heeled theatre troupe, the players that remained delivered the same performance they seemed to have given many times over this series.

Sri Lanka won the toss again, batted again, did well for a little while, but mainly collapsed to a modest 128 for 9. Australia were disciplined with the ball, and athletic in the field, bruising at the top of their innings, a little shakier in the middle against spin, but got home with some comfort. The margin of this particular victory was four wickets, and they had 13 balls to spare - Glenn Maxwell providing the game's best innings again. If you have been following this series closely, though, this report may feel familiar.

One point of difference was that this was Tillakaratne Dilshan's final international. What didn't change, really, was his limited impact with the bat. He was out for one, edging an attempted cut off John Hastings to slip, before the stadium had even properly filled. Kusal Perera dazzled briefly before sending a top edge off James Faulkner to a running, diving David Warner, to be dismissed inside the Powerplay, for 22. That wicket brought two more in quick succession. Dinesh Chandimal and Kusal Mendis were both out in single figures, seven runs apart.

Steering clear of trouble at the other end, was a serene Dhananjaya de Silva, who had leant into a flowing cover drive off Mitchell Starc's fourth ball, and set about gracefully collecting runs into the outfield after that. He was light on his feet to spin, and was wise to the seamers' pace variations, hitting five fours in his 62 off 50 balls. One of the more memorable of his strokes was a delightfully late dab to third man, off Maxwell. At the other end, teammates played out a series of forgettable innings. Only de Silva and Kusal Perera made double figure scores.

Chamara Kapugedara and Thisara Perera were both out slogging Adam Zampa, and Seekkuge Prasanna holed out at long on, to Faulkner, and it was these two bowlers who each collected three wickets this time around. They were economical as well as penetrative - neither conceding 20 runs off their four overs. John Hastings was also effective taking two for 23, while Mitchell Starc ensured he would not go wicketless in a single innings of the tour, when he had de Silva caught at mid off in the final over of the innings.

The first over of Australia's response produced just two, but the remainder of the Powerplay was full of Maxwell and David Warner's pyrotechnics. They struck their first boundaries in Sachithra Senanayake's first over - Warner unleashing a particularly vicious reverse-sweep. Suranga Lakmal was carted for 13 in the next over, and Maxwell's reverse-slap for six made an appearance soon after, when he hit the game's first six off Sachith Pathirana.

The fifth and sixth overs, bowled by Senanayake and Thisara Perera, were Australia's most productive, yielding 20 and 19 respectively. Eighteen of those runs against Thisara came off four consecutive balls - Maxwell clubbing him over the deep square leg first up, then slapping three nonchalant fours.

The Powerplay brought 75 runs, and the openers had virtually made the game safe by the ninth over, when Sri Lanka removed Maxwell for the first time in two games. He played on to a full delivery, and the bowler, Seekkuge Prasanna delivered a graceless send-off, which left the departed Maxwell fuming.


That wicket, though, introduced a significant wobble to the innings. Pathirana claimed two wickets in the next over, and Faulkner was run out soon after. Australia needed fewer than 20 runs when Dilshan claimed his first wicket, and fewer than 10 when he took his second, but both breakthroughs prompted joy from the retiring star, and gave an adoring crowd a reason to chant his name. Travis Head finished the match with a slog-swept six that burst through the hands of Senanayake, at cow corner.

Tests Eng 2-2 Pak, ODI's 4-1, T20 ENG 0-1 PAK, ENG win Super Series

ENG 8-8 PAK - Super Series 

Tests 4pts win, 2pts Draw, Tie or Abandoned

1st Test

Day 1

Pakistan: 282-6: Misbah 110*, Shafiq 73, Woakes 4-45
England: Yet to bat

A magnificent century from captain Misbah-ul-Haq put Pakistan in a strong position in the first Test before a late England counter-attack on an attritional first day.

Misbah, 42, has never before played a Test at Lord's, but his unbeaten 110 appeared to have steered his side to a strong position.

But two late wickets from Chris Woakes to add to the pair he took before lunch gave England hope after they had lost the toss and toiled in the field.

This was Pakistan's first match at Lord's since the spot-fixing scandal of 2010, and it was fitting that Misbah, who has done so much to rehabilitate the team since that crisis, was the hero of their return.

He celebrated his landmark by dropping to the turf and pushing out 10 press-ups, his team-mates applauding from the pavilion balcony as the rest of the ground rose to him.

While his fine partnership of 148 with Asad Shafiq was ended by the persevering Woakes three overs before the close, nightwatchman Rahat Ali then falling for a duck to the final ball of the day, the tourists will resume on Friday morning well placed on 282-6.



Day 2

Pakistan 339 all out: Misbah 114, Shafiq 73, Woakes 6-70
England 253-7: Cook 81, Root 48, Yasir 5-64

England collapsed against the leg-spin of Pakistan's Yasir Shah on the second day of an enthralling first Test.

Yasir took 5-64 as the hosts lost six wickets for 114 - Alastair Cook top-scoring with 81 as they reached 253-7.

Middle-order pair James Vince and Gary Ballance were unconvincing, and both were out leg-before to Yasir.


All-rounder Chris Woakes, who ended the day unbeaten on 31, finished with a career-best 6-70 as Pakistan were bowled out for 339 at Lord's.


Day 3

Pakistan: 339 all out & 214-8 (Shafiq 49, Woakes 5-31)
England: 272 all out (Cook 81, Root 48, Yasir 6-72)

England face a difficult fourth-innings run chase in the first Test against Pakistan after a hard-fought third day.

With a 67-run first-innings deficit to try to turn around at Lord's, the hosts reduced Pakistan to 60-4.

However, some stout resistance from the tourists' lower order frustrated England despite Chris Woakes taking his second five-wicket haul in the match.

Pakistan closed with a lead of 281, knowing England have only once scored more runs to win a Test at this venue.

England will feel they let their advantage slip, especially after Stuart Broad dropped a difficult chance to dismiss Yasir Shah at mid-off and then wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow spilled what was more of a regulation catch to end a punchy innings from Sarfraz Ahmed.

They may also rue the moment Younus Khan, who put on 69 with Shafiq for the fifth wicket, had a leg-before dismissal reversed following a review with the score at 75-4.

Reasons to be cheerful

Woakes - playing as an absent James Anderson continued his recovery from injury by playing for Lancashire on Saturday - was head and shoulders above the rest of his team-mates with the ball.

The Warwickshire all-rounder started the day hoping to push England closer to Pakistan's first innings total of 339 all out.

However, he was let down by his batting partners as England's last three wickets fell for 19 runs - leaving Woakes unbeaten on a well-constructed 35.

He then shone with the ball, recording what are currently the second-best match figures (11-101) by an England bowler this decade.

His expert line and length, which is delivered at a livelier pace than when he made his debut in 2013, saw him snare opener Shan Masood via a catch at first slip and helped him to pin Azhar Ali in front.


He returned later in the day to bowl the obdurate Asad Shafiq for 49 and have both Sarfraz and Wahab Riaz caught behind with an outswinger and attempted bouncer respectively.


Day 4

Pakistan: 339 & 215
England: 272 & 207 (Pakistan win by 75 runs)

England were denied a record Lord's victory by Pakistan as the tourists completed a 75-run victory in a thrilling first Test.

Chasing 283 to win the first Test, Alastair Cook's side were undone by some inspired bowling once more.

Jonny Bairstow (48), Gary Ballance (43) and James Vince (42) had given England faint hope.


However, Yasir Shah again ripped through England's line-up to finish with 10 wickets in the match.


2nd Test

Day 1

England 314-4: Cook 105, Root 141*

Pakistan: Yet to bat

Alastair Cook and Joe Root hit centuries as England laid down a strong platform on day one of the second Test against Pakistan at Old Trafford.

Cook's 105 was his 29th Test hundred, putting him level with Sir Donald Bradman, and helped his side to 314-4.

Root, who put on 185 with Cook for the second wicket, was unbeaten on 141 at stumps, his 10th Test century.

Mohammad Amir took 2-63, including bowling Cook, but Pakistan toiled for much of the day on a flat pitch.

England's batting was much improved from their 75-run defeat in the opening Test at Lord's, when they were dismissed for 272 and 207.

Much of the pre-match talk had surrounded their struggles against Yasir Shah, who took 10 wickets at Lord's, but Cook and Root scored 78 off the leg-spinner.

On a pitch expected to provide assistance to the spinners, Yasir conceded 111 runs off his 31 overs.

Alex Hales' departure in the seventh over - bowled by a seaming Amir delivery for 10 - meant England's captain and new number three had to negotiate the recovery.

Their century stand was near chanceless, barring an edge from Cook off Yasir that flew just wide of slip, though the left-hander would eventually be bowled off an inside edge by another swinging Amir delivery on the stroke of tea.


James Vince was dropped by Younus Khan at slip before being caught behind for 18 off Rahat Ali, while Gary Ballance combined for 78 with Root before falling for 23.


Day 2


Eng 589/8d Pak 57/4
Pakistan trail by 532 runs

Joe Root made his highest Test score of 254 and Chris Woakes took three wickets as England completely dominated Pakistan on day two at Old Trafford.

England declared their first innings of the second Test on 589-8 with Pakistan then crumbling to 57-4 by stumps.

Woakes, who made 58, stunned Pakistan's top order by removing Mohammad Hafeez, Azhar Ali and Rahat Ali.


Ben Stokes got rid of the dangerous Younus Khan, leaving Pakistan - 1-0 up in the series - trailing by 532.


Day 3

England 589 for 8 dec and 98 for 1 lead Pakistan 198 by 489 runs

A first-innings lead of 391 against the Pakistan side that had beaten them at Lord's should have been an occasion for ecstasy among England supporters following the Old Trafford Test. It was a time for bunting in the streets, BBQs on the lawn and dancing in defiance of the squally Manchester showers that long before the end had drained the tension from a prolonged third day.

But as Alastair Cook chose not to enforce the follow-on, England's utterly dominant position was strengthened to a background of muttering and grumbling that their appetite for a quick kill had not been satisfied. If there was any risk at all in making Pakistan bat again, many could not see it.

Few Test captains put the opposition in again these days without misgivings, but having dismissed Pakistan in 63.4 overs, Cook's reluctance was highly debatable even allowing for modern trends and the non-stop schedules that make captains reluctant to ask their bowlers to go the extra mile. Understandable, perhaps in the case of Ben Stokes, who had just returned from a knee operation. Others can be tasked with debating the pros and cons more deeply.

England advanced that lead to 498 in 21 overs for the loss of Alex Hales, one player who might have benefited from Cook's decision as he addresses a tendency to plant his front foot before the ball is released but who fell to Mohammad Amir for 24, an inside edge this time and a frustrated walk off without waiting for the umpire's decision. Just as disturbingly, Hales has adopted a pencil moustache which gives him the look of a shifty character in a Miss Marple murder mystery.

As for England's malfunctioning middle order, James Vince and Gary Ballance, neither will get the chance to play a meaningful innings. In fact, with England already in an impregnable position according to Test-match statistics, they might not get to the crease at all.

Whatever the considerations, Pakistan's captain, Misbah-ul-Haq, would nevertheless have allowed himself a moment of satisfaction at the decision. At lunch, with Pakistan having subsided from four down overnight to be 119 for 8, the potential for a three-day defeat felt real, but that calamity was averted, first by a half-century of baleful countenance and stubborn stroke by Misbah, and then by another display of stubbornness by his England opposite number.

Misbah added 60 in 15 overs with Wahab Riaz for the ninth wicket to hold up England after lunch before a top-edged sweep against Moeen was held by Cook at short fine leg. Wahab continued to eye Moeen's spin, slog-sweeping him for six and then reverse-sweeping him just short of the ropes, before Moeen had him caught at deep midwicket by Hales. Moeen was challenged to prove himself in this Test, but as luck would have it he has so far batted nine balls for 2 not out and bowled 7.4 overs. At least he can claim he has done nothing wrong.

Pakistan's first innings went from bad to worse as they lost four wickets in the morning session. All four England quicks took a wicket in a session that was interrupted for an hour by rain.

Their starting position was a dispiriting one: four wickets already lost for 57, still 532 runs in arrears. On a cloudier day, there was bounce and zip in the pitch and Pakistan proved unequal to the task.

It took six balls for England to sense that it might be an excellent bowling morning, Shan Masood edging James Anderson on the bounce to Vince at third slip. Masood managed a more controlled boundary off Anderson, clipping off his pads, but a jab at a rising delivery later in the over gave Joe Root an inviting catch at second slip.

Misbah, as one would expect from the old fox, met everything thrown at him with phlegm. He could not disguise his surprise when a back-of-a-length delivery from Broad exploded from the pitch, flew over his horizontal bat, and landed directly in the hands of Cook at first slip. More discomfiture followed from a well-directed bouncer from Chris Woakes in the last over of the morning, which flicked his glove as he jerked his head away in self-preservation and he lost a piece from his helmet in the process. He just got on with it, giving the impression that he had seen it all before.

The rain break interrupted England's progress, but when they resumed at 12.30pm it was not long before Asad Shafiq fell to a slower offcutter by Stuart Broad, a front-foot drive flying to Hales at backward point.

The most idiosyncratic innings, though, was played by Sarfraz Ahmed, whose slash at two of his first three balls, from Broad, indicated his state of mind. His counterattack lasted 18 balls, 26 riskily assembled, before he edged Stokes to second slip.

All it required was for Woakes to take a wicket for England's pace bowlers to complete the set. It duly arrived with Root's third slip catch of the morning - and fourth of the innings - enabling England to go to lunch a ball early.


Woakes had his fourth wicket of the innings, a self-effacing allrounder making a name for himself. Not that he will make much of it: he seems the sort who signs leaving cards in tiny handwriting where he will not get in the way of others. But he has had a fine Test and his haul was a rewarding moment on a day that deteriorated with the weather.


Day 4

England 589/8d & 173/1d beat Pakistan 198 & 234 by 330 runs

England thrashed Pakistan by 330 runs in the second Test at Old Trafford to level the four-match series at 1-1.

Pakistan were bowled out for 234 after unbeaten half-centuries from Alastair Cook and Joe Root helped England declare on 173-1, a target of 565.

James Anderson, Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes each took three wickets as Pakistan lost their last five batsmen for 71 runs to lose on the fourth day.

Victory was England's second-biggest against Pakistan in terms of runs.

All-rounder Ben Stokes will have scans on Tuesday after injuring a calf while bowling in the afternoon session.

Pakistan's highest stand was the 58 Mohammad Hafeez and Younus Khan put on for the third wicket, but both fell to Moeen in the space of six overs.

Mohammad Amir was last man out, removed by Woakes for 29.

The third Test at Edgbaston begins on 3 August.

Anderson fires England

England, who decided not to make Pakistan bat again on Sunday, added 75 runs to their overnight 98-1 without losing a wicket.

Root made 71 off 48 balls to go with his first-innings 254, while Cook hit his fastest Test half-century - in 55 balls - as he scored a near run-a-ball 76.

Anderson, on his home ground, made early inroads as he had Shan Masood caught in the slips for the second time in the match before trapping Azhar Ali lbw, but Hafeez and Younus resisted for 15.1 overs.

With Stokes, injured during his follow-through, off the field, Moeen struck twice - having Hafeez caught at short leg for 42 and Younus (28) at long on. Woakes then bowled Misbah-ul-Haq (35), who had put on 43 with Asad Shafiq.

After Sarfraz Ahmed became Woakes' second victim, Anderson and Moeen completed their three-wicket hauls by trapping Shafiq and Yasir Shah respectively.

Part-time spinner Root then took a wicket with just his second ball - having Wahab Riaz caught at short fine-leg.

Amir struck five fours in his 43-ball resistance, but Woakes finished things off for England by having him caught at mid-off when trying to drive.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan said on Test Match Special: "It's as good a four days of cricket that you could wish for from an England point of view.


"It's an absolute hammering. It's been very similar to the Sri Lanka series, where England dominated with this kind of performance."





3rd Test

Day 1

ENG 297

Sohail Khan marked his first Test for five years with 5-96 as Pakistan bowled England out for 297 on the opening day of the third Test at Edgbaston.

Recalled after Pakistan's 330-run defeat at Old Trafford, Sohail justified the decision to bowl first in seamer-friendly conditions.

Gary Ballance made 70 and Moeen Ali 63 to help England recover from 158-5, Alastair Cook having fallen for 45.

Mohammad Amir took 2-53, Rahat Ali 2-83 and Sarfraz Ahmed five catches.

Pakistan - and captain Misbah-ul-Haq - could be pleased with their day's work, particularly given their thrashing inside four days in the second Test.

With the four-match series level at 1-1, much will rest on how England's seamers perform on Thursday in what are expected to remain overcast conditions.

All hail Sohail

Right-arm seamer Sohail, who boasted combined figures of 1-245 from his two previous Tests, in 2009 and 2011, was the unlikely architect of England's top-order collapse.

On a pitch that had spent the previous 24 hours under cover, he found sufficient lateral movement to claim four wickets in 15 overs courtesy of outside edges.

The out-of-form Alex Hales, defending on the back foot, was caught behind for 17 and Joe Root, who scored 325 runs in the second Test, edged to first slip for three when attempting to force through the off side.

Captain Alastair Cook, having batted fluently for 45 off 52 balls, was lbw pushing forward to Rahat Ali, but Ballance helped James Vince add 69 for the fourth wicket.

Sohail switched ends to have Vince, hesitant in leaving outside off stump, well taken low by Younus Khan at second slip for 39.

When Jonny Bairstow was caught behind off Sohail trying to cut one that was too close to his body, England were a precarious 158-5.

Ballance & Moeen lead recovery

That they almost reached 300 owed much to Ballance, who combined watchful defence from the crease with clips off his pads and the occasional pushed drive to make his first Test half-century since last summer.

He and the unusually restrained Moeen put on 66 in 27 overs, the partnership broken only when Ballance tickled leg-spinner Yasir Shah down the leg side and keeper Sarfraz Ahmed took a splendid catch.

Moeen was persuaded to play with more aggression after Chris Woakes edged Rahat behind and Stuart Broad flashed the first delivery with the new ball high to third slip.

Moeen eventually fell to a flat-footed waft at Amir, while Sohail curtailed Steven Finn's late flurry by pinning last man James Anderson lbw.

A delighted Sohail reprised Pakistan's celebrations after winning the first Test by performing press-ups as he left the pitch.

The stats you may have missed

Sohail Khan had taken 1-245 in his two previous Tests, in 2009 and 2011

Gary Ballance has now made a half-century in four of his six first-class innings at Edgbaston

Sarfraz Ahmed is only the second Pakistan wicketkeeper to take five catches in a Test innings in England, after Wasim Bari at Headingley in 1971


The team batting first have not won a Test at Edgbaston since 2005, when England beat Australia by two runs


Day 2

ENG 297
PAK 257/3

England were made to toil by a century from Azhar Ali as Pakistan dominated day two of the third Test at Edgbaston.

Azhar, dropped twice, made 139 before being caught at first slip off Chris Woakes to the final ball of the day.

He shared a second-wicket stand of 181 with recalled opener Sami Aslam, who was run out by James Vince for 82.

Pakistan's success looked unlikely when Mohammad Hafeez fell to James Anderson in the first over but they closed on 257-3, only 40 behind.

This was a chastening day for England, one which put their score of 297 into some context, but the late wicket of Azhar provided a cause for optimism for day three.


While the hosts now must take wickets early on Friday, Pakistan have the opportunity to build a big first-innings lead, one which could give them control of the match and the four-match series, which is level at 1-1.

All for Azhar

England may have hoped to run through the Pakistan top order after Hafeez tamely lobbed an Anderson long hop to point, only for Azhar and Aslam to show that the hosts' first-day batting effort was substandard.

Azhar had managed only 30 runs in four previous innings in this series but, after starting patiently, played cut and drives - 66 of his runs came in the arc between backward point and extra cover.

He made the most of two bits of fortune when on 38 and 69. Joe Root dropped an edge off Anderson at second slip in the first over after lunch, while Moeen Ali failed to hang on to a return catch that was firmly drilled back.

A blemish was the call that resulted in the run out of Aslam, but after that he shared 76 with the jumpy Younus Khan.

Still, he fell one delivery short of making it to the close, surprisingly fencing a Woakes away-swinger into the hands of England captain Alastair Cook.

Aslam arrives

Left-hander Aslam, a replacement for Shan Masood, was one of two players brought in by Pakistan for this match and like pace bowler Sohail Khan on day one, vindicated his selection.

The 20-year-old, playing his third Test and first first-class match of the year, blunted the England attack by leaving impeccably, offering a stroke only when absolutely necessary.

When he did score, he guided the ball to third man, worked off his pads, or busily looked for singles on the off side.

Indeed, he and Azhar ran so well it was ironic that end came via a run out, Azhar calling for a single that was never on and Vince's direct hit from cover beat Aslam to the striker's end.

England below-par with the ball

For as well as Pakistan batted, England were below their best with the ball and in the field.

On a true surface offering less lateral movement than day one, the ball swung throughout but England - with the possible exception of Anderson - were often too short.

With the attack lacking bite, drops and overthrows crept into the fielding. There was little imagination, poor body language and high levels of frustration - Anderson, twice warned for running on the pitch - was frequently seen to be berating the umpires.

The pace bowlers at least kept scoring in check, which cannot be said for Moeen. At one point the off-spinner was conceding more than six an over and was taken for a straight maximum by each of Aslam and Azhar.

With a second new ball that is only 10 overs old, England must make inroads early on day three or face being batted out of the Test.

Stats of the day

The wicket of Mohammad Hafeez saw Pakistan become the seventh Test side James Anderson has taken 50 wickets against.

India's Anil Kumble did so against seven countries and Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan got at least 50 against nine.

Sami Aslam and Azhar Ali's stand of 181 is only the second time that Pakistan have added 150 for the second wicket in a Test match in England.

The period between lunch and tea was the first session of the series to pass without a wicket falling.

Azhar Ali passed 50 for the first time in eight Test innings. His previous seven innings brought just 78 runs.


He is the first Pakistan number three to make a Test century outside of Asia since 2006.


Day 3


England 297 & 119-0
Pakistan 400

England lead by 17 runs

England openers Alastair Cook and Alex Hales shared an unbroken stand of 119 to leave the third Test against Pakistan delicately poised after three days at Edgbaston.

Captain Cook made 64 not out and Hales an undefeated 50 to give the home side a lead of 17.

England earlier fought back well with the ball, taking five wickets for 42 runs to bowl Pakistan out for 400.

Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes each took three, while Misbah-ul-Haq made 56.

It was the wicket of Misbah, bowled by James Anderson, that began the England recovery, one desperately needed after Pakistan dominated day two to begin Friday on 257-3.

There was a wobble when Anderson was controversially ordered from the attack, an umpiring decision that helped Sarfraz Ahmed (46 not out) shepherd the tail to add 32 for the final two wickets.

But England's openers took advantage of an increasingly benign surface and a lack of swing or turn to give the hosts the upper hand.



Day 4

England 297 & 414-5: Bairstow 82*, Cook 66, Root 62, Moeen 60*
Pakistan 400

England lead by 311 runs

Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali shared an unbroken century stand to help England open up a 311-run lead on day four of the third Test against Pakistan.

Bairstow finished the day on 82 and Moeen on 60, with their sixth-wicket partnership worth 132.

Alastair Cook (66) and Alex Hales (54) earlier fell with the score on 126 but England recovered to reach 414-5.

South Africa are the only side to successfully chase more than 211 to win a Test at Edgbaston.

Joe Root was dropped on 25 by Mohammad Hafeez off Rahat Ali, but was eventually out to Yasir Shah, who finished the day with 2-152, after a 95-run stand with James Vince.

Vince (42) batted for 123 balls to equal his best Test score before falling to Mohammad Amir, who took 2-73.

Gary Ballance (28) contributed to stands of 36 with Vince and 25 with Bairstow.

What will happen on Sunday?

England captain Alastair Cook is expected to remain cautious with a declaration, especially on a surface that has shown few signs of deterioration.

It is likely that they will give themselves between 75 and 80 overs in which to bowl Pakistan out and secure a 2-1 series lead with one match to play.

"Alastair Cook will bat for half an hour or 40 minutes and throw the bat tomorrow," former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott told BBC Test Match Special.

"But they could have done that tonight. They didn't score quickly enough. When you get a flat pitch like this, which is hardly deteriorating, you need time."

Former England spinner Phil Tufnell said: "If I was England captain, I would have a blast tomorrow morning, try and get 40 or 50 runs sharpish. England will push hard tomorrow but it's looking like a draw."

Bairstow underlines England fightback

In conditions offering little swing, Cook and Hales fell inside the first five overs of the day.

The England captain was caught off the bowling of Sohail Khan by a diving Yasir, before Hales abandoned caution to be caught in the slips off Amir.

England's scoring rate in the first two sessions had been under 3.5 an over, with Vince and Root's third-wicket stand taking the best part of 36 overs.

The hosts' lead was 159 at tea and, after Ballance was caught at leg slip off Yasir, Bairstow went on the attack, plundering 51 of his runs on the off side in his 124-ball innings.

England added 152 in the last session for the loss of just one wicket.

Moeen, despite taking 16 balls to get off the mark, reached his seventh Test fifty in only 64 balls, milking Yasir for five fours.

Bairstow had earlier reached his fifty with a paddle sweep, his eighth Test half-century coming off 83 balls.

The stats you need to know

South Africa are the only team to successfully chase 211-plus in a Test at Edgbaston, making 283-5 to beat England in 2008.

Jonny Bairstow has scored 855 Test runs in 2016, the most by a England wicketkeeper in a calendar year, beating Matt Prior's record of 777 in 2012.

Moeen Ali has made a fifty in each of his three Test innings at Edgbaston.

James Vince has got out four times in Test cricket between 35 and 42.


Yasir Shah has taken 90 wickets in his first 15 Tests, passing George Lohmann's 89 dating back to the 1800s.


Day 5

England 297 & 445-6 dec: Moeen 86*, Bairstow 83, Cook 66, Root 62
Pakistan 400 & 201: Aslam 70; Broad 2-24, Anderson 2-31
England won by 141 runs


England produced a fine bowling performance to bowl Pakistan out for 201 and seal a 141-run win in the third Test at Edgbaston.

Five bowlers claimed two wickets apiece as England wrapped up victory with 13.1 overs remaining to take a 2-1 lead in the four-match series.

Pakistan, set 343 to win after England declared on 445-6, were undermined by a collapse of four wickets for one run.

Although opener Sami Aslam hit 70, five players failed to reach double figures.

The final Test at The Oval starts on 11 August.

The scale of England's victory was all the more impressive given they conceded a first-innings deficit of 103, only the sixth time in history they have won a Test after trailing by 100 or more.

Indeed, it is a measure of their powers of recovery that, having lost the first Test inside four days, they head to The Oval knowing they can go top of the Test rankings if they win 3-1 and results in the Sri Lanka-Australia and West Indies-India series go their way.

The collapse that cost Pakistan

Pakistan's defeat, which ended their hopes of becoming the number one side in the world this summer, stemmed from a stunning afternoon collapse on a surface that remained reliable deep into the fifth day.

Roared on by a raucous crowd in excess of 10,000 on a gloriously sunny day, England effectively settled the contest by reducing the tourists from 124-3 to 125-7 in the space of 23 balls:

124-4: Misbah ct Bairstow b Finn 10 - regulation catch behind as Finn finds movement away off a good length to find the outside edge.

125-5: Shafiq lbw Woakes 0 - Shafiq, playing around a straight one, fails to overturn an lbw verdict on review.

125-6: Sarfraz ct Root b Woakes 0 - a flat-footed Sarfraz edges low to second slip, where Joe Root takes a smart catch.

125-7: Aslam b Finn 70 - a rare error from the left-hander, who shoulders arms to have his off stump pegged by a jubilant Finn.

James Anderson returned after tea to have Yasir Shah taken at fourth slip and Mohammad Amir drove Stuart Broad low to point.

The damage that England had inflicted before tea was such that a last-wicket stand of 50 between Sohail Khan and Rahat Ali was no more than an inconvenience.

Sohail drilled a return catch to Moeen to fall for 36 off 37 balls and spark joyous scenes among the England players.

Finally, Finn ends his drought

Finn was a central figure in England's victory, removing arguably the two most prized Pakistan batsmen to reward an improved performance in what has been a trying summer.

The wicket of Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq was his first in 71.3 overs, a sequence dating back to the third Sri Lanka Test at Lord's in June.

Having gone wicketless at Lord's, been dropped at Old Trafford and bowled almost 28 overs without success and seen a catch put down in the first innings at Edgbaston, Finn's roar of celebration reflected his obvious relief.

In finding late swing back in from round the wicket to bowl the obdurate Islam, Finn - who finished with 2-38 - could even have secured his place in the team for the series finale.


4th Test

Day 1

England 328: Moeen 108, Bairstow 55; Sohail 5-68
Pakistan 3-1

Pakistan trail by 325 runs

Moeen Ali's fine century helped England recover to post 328 on an entertaining opening day in the final Test against Pakistan at The Oval.

Dropped on nine and 13, Moeen made 108, Jonny Bairstow 55 and Chris Woakes 45 as England rallied from 110-5.

Sohail Khan claimed 5-68 and Wahab Riaz 3-93 for Pakistan, who must win to draw the four-match series 2-2.

They lost Sami Aslam in reaching 3-1 in the three overs possible before the close, trailing by 325.

Stuart Broad's late strike, allied to a last-wicket stand of 32 between Moeen and James Anderson, gave England the edge after a day that saw 331 runs at more than four an over.

Moeen rides to England's rescue

If Bairstow initiated England's recovery from 70-4 and Woakes supplied late impetus in a partnership of 73 for the sixth wicket, Moeen combined the best elements of both innings en route to a third Test century.

His place in the side has been questioned this summer, but the all-rounder underlined his worth with a century high on class and no little character.

He capitalised on his early reprieves to hit 13 fours, scoring freely through and over the leg side as he used his feet to great effect against the spinners.

Debutant Iftikhar Ahmed was hoisted over mid-wicket for six and, with number 11 Anderson for company, Moeen repeated the feat off Yasir Shah to register a 140-ball hundred and bring team-mates and spectators to their feet.

Even the timing of Moeen's dismissal - caught off a top-edged pull off Sohail in the final half-hour of play - worked in the favour of England's bowlers.

Pakistan pay the price in the field

A glance at the scorecard suggests Pakistan, having lost the toss, could be pleased with bowling England out in a day on a "600 pitch", in the words of former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott.

However, they will rue the mistakes in the field which cost them 142 runs:

Alastair Cook dropped on 34 - Iftikhar spills a straightforward chance at first slip off Wahab. Cost: one run.

Bairstow caught off no-ball on 13 - Wahab overtsteps to reprieve the England player after driving to backward point. Cost: 42 runs.

Moeen dropped on nine - Azhar Ali drops an edge low to his right at third slip off Mohammad Amir. Cost: 99 runs.

Moeen dropped on 15 - clipped firmly off his legs and Azhar, at short leg, cannot hold on to one that barely qualifies as a chance.


The figures of Wahab - recalled to the side after being dropped for the third-Test defeat at Edgbaston - were therefore even more impressive, while Sohail bowled with skill and perseverance to claim a five-wicket haul for the second successive Test.


Day 2


England 328: Moeen 108, Bairstow 55; Sohail 5-68
Pakistan 340-6: Shafiq 108, Younus 101*
Pakistan lead by 12

Asad Shafiq and Younus Khan centuries helped Pakistan open up a lead over England in the final Test at The Oval.

Dropped on seven, Shafiq made 109, while Younus emerged from his poor run of form to end the second day unbeaten on 101, his 32nd Test century.

Pakistan, for whom Azhar Ali made 49, closed on 340-6, leading by 12.

Chris Woakes took two wickets in an over late on but England, 2-1 up in the series, were undermined by three dropped catches.

Alex Hales, James Anderson and Steven Finn were responsible for spilling the chances which enabled Pakistan to lay the platform for a sizeable first-innings total on a reliable surface.

To cap a tough day for England, Hales was fined 15% of his match fee for showing dissent at the umpire's decision on Thursday and making "inappropriate comments" when he visited the third umpire's room.

From ducks to delight

Shafiq, who made a pair at Edgbaston batting at number six, responded to being promoted up the order with an innings which could prove pivotal to the outcome of this Test.

Coming in at 91-2 after nightwatchman Yasir Shah gloved a sweep off Moeen Ali to wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow, Shafiq capitalised on occasional slices of fortune to make his ninth Test century.

On 57, he edged a drive just over first slip, and had made 75 when an inside edge flew past a diving Bairstow's left hand.

However, Shafiq was proficient in the arc between point and wicketkeeper, showed disdain for Moeen's off-spin by finding the stand at mid-wicket, and demonstrated sufficient composure to spend 16 balls on 99.

He eventually fell to a splendid leaping catch by Stuart Broad at mid-wicket when pulling Finn, having added 150 for the fourth wicket with Younus.

Younus finally finds his form

If Shafiq came into this game on the back of a miserable third Test, Younus had not passed 33 in six innings in the series.

Although not at his most fluent on Friday, the 38-year-old drove well through cover when England's seamers overpitched and combined power and deftness to score with freedom off Moeen and Root.

Noticeably less jumpy at the crease than he has been this summer, Younus brought up a 139-ball hundred containing 15 fours in five overs before the close.

By that time he had seen Woakes remove Misbah-ul-Haq and Iftikhar Ahmed in the space of four balls, the captain edging to gully and the debutant well held by a scrambling Moeen off a top-edged pull.


Although Woakes' late burst renewed England's hopes of limiting their first-innings deficit and repeating their victory at Edgbaston, the continued presence of Younus remains their most pressing concern.



Day 3


England 328 & 88-4: Yasir 3-15
Pakistan 542: Younus 218, Shafiq 109
England trail by 126 runs

Younus Khan hit a magnificent 218 before Pakistan reduced England to 88-4 to assume firm control of the final Test of the summer at The Oval.

Yasir Shah claimed three wickets in five overs as England, faced with a first-innings deficit of 214, collapsed on the third evening to trail by 126.

Younus' sixth Test double hundred underpinned Pakistan's total of 542.

Sarfraz Ahmed made 44 and number 10 Mohammad Amir an unbeaten 39, adding 97 for the ninth wicket with Younus.


Victory would earn Pakistan a 2-2 series draw and maintain their hopes of moving to the top of the International Cricket Council Test rankings.


England in a spin

Yasir's return to form was timely. Having claimed 10-141 at Lord's but taken only four wickets at an average of 126 in the next two Tests, the leg-spinner wrecked the England top order to such an extent that an innings victory is not unrealistic.

After Wahab Riaz squared Alastair Cook to have him well taken at first slip, Yasir removed Alex Hales, James Vince and Joe Root in a spell of 3-4 in 22 deliveries.

Hales was lbw pushing forward to one that drifted in to clip his front pad, and Vince drove his third ball straight to short cover to end a series in which he has managed only 158 runs at 23.

"That's the end of his Test match career," former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott told BBC Test Match Special.

When Joe Root, who batted with minimal alarm in making 39, was trapped in front playing back to Yasir, England were reeling on 74-4.

His failed review reflected England's desperation rather than any genuine hope of it being overturned.

Younus goes large

If there were any doubts - given they must bat last - over the value of Pakistan's 12-run lead when they resumed on 240-6, they had been banished long before Younus was lbw to a James Anderson off-cutter shortly before tea.

The standing ovation he received was just reward for a 308-ball innings containing 31 fours, and four leg-side sixes off Moeen Ali, the last of which took him beyond 200.

Unbeaten on 101 overnight, Younus was unhurried in defence and impressive on the drive, rarely troubled by a tiring attack that struggled to extract movement from a true surface under blue skies.

Perhaps the most striking feature of Younus' innings was the manner in which he expertly marshalled the tail after Sarfraz, drawn forward, was superbly taken one-handed by Jonny Bairstow off Chris Woakes for 44.

Wahab contributed only four to an alliance of 31 for the eighth wicket, yet the partnership that did the greatest damage to England's mental state was the ninth, which spanned 20 overs.

Younus began by shielding Amir from the strike, but the number 10, who spent 23 balls on nought, hit Moeen for six to get off the mark and struck several flowing cover drives.

Younus in numbers

Younus' double hundred moved him level with Javed Miandad's Pakistan record of six
Three of Younus' six double centuries have come after the age of 35, equalling Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara's record

Younus and Sangakkara are the only players to have made 200 against six different opponents

Younus has 12 scores of 150 or more in Tests, the most for a Pakistani

Younus has reached 150 five times since turning 35, a record he shares with Australian Sir Donald Bradman, England's Graham Gooch and West Indian Brian Lara

Younus' 218 is the sixth highest score for Pakistan against England in Tests

'England are so frustrating' - what they said

Pakistan batsman Younus Khan on Sky Sports: "Pakistan cricket is all about that. Sometimes we were down, but the way we come back is good for us. That's why people follow us."

Former England batsman Geoffrey Boycott: "Pakistan played fantastically. They have done to England what England did to them at Old Trafford: they've batted them out of the game."

Ex-England captain Michael Vaughan: "Pakistan were fantastic at Lord's, had an off game at Old Trafford, came back strongly at Edgbaston but just had that iffy last day and a half, and they've been tremendous here.

"England are so frustrating. It's difficult to be a pundit with them - within five days they come out and play utter garbage."

England bowler Steven Finn: "The evening session hurt us. We've been in these situations before so we will come out on Sunday and fight for this Test."

'Final Test syndrome' - the stats you may have missed

The last time England won the final Test of a series was in 2014 against India; in six series since they have lost the final Test five times and drawn it once

The last time England conceded 500 was at Lord's last year against Australia, who scored 566

The dismissal of Wahab was only Bairstow's second stumping in 31 Tests; he has taken 77 catches

Only West Indian Colin Croft (33), India's Kapil Dev (32) and Australian Shane Warne (27) have take more than Woakes' 26 wickets in a series against Pakistan

Root, at 25 years and 227 days, became the fourth youngest player to reach 4,000 Test runs, after India's Sachin Tendulkar, team-mate Alastair Cook and new Zealand's Kane Williamson


Root became the first England player to score 500 runs in a series against Pakistan


Day 4

England 328 & 253
Pakistan 542 & 40-0
Pakistan won by 10 wickets


Pakistan completed a 10-wicket win over England on day four at The Oval to earn a 2-2 draw in the four-match series.

Resuming 126 runs behind at 88-4, England began well with consecutive half-century stands.

But two wickets fell in successive balls after lunch, including the enterprising Jonny Bairstow for 81 from 127 balls, and they were 253 all out.

Spinner Yasir Shah took 5-71 and, set a paltry 40 to win, Azhar Ali sealed the match with a six soon after tea.

Many would have welcomed a fifth Test to decide an intriguing series but the teams will next meet again in limited overs cricket.

A five-match one-day international series begins on 24 August, followed by a Twenty20 international on 7 September.

Pakistan triumph on Independence Day

The build-up to the final game had focused on England's quest to regain the number one Test ranking, but it was Pakistan who took a decisive step towards the top spot.

They will reach the summit if India do not beat West Indies in next week's final Test in Trinidad and Australia fail to win the final Test in Sri Lanka.

Having lost the previous two matches easily it was an impressive recovery, with 38-year-old Younus Khan reaching 200 for the sixth time and Shah claiming his sixth five-wicket haul in only his 16th Test.

Seamer Sohail Khan proved a useful addition, taking 13 wickets in the past two matches.

With their supporters basking in the south London afternoon sunshine, there was double celebration as victory was achieved on the nation's Independence Day.

No perils in the pitch

It was no typical end of Test minefield with the ball turning dramatically out of the rough or reverse swinging, and England set about their task in confident, composed fashion.

Bairstow, looking to score at every opportunity and resolute when defence was required, completed his fourth fifty of the series and was well supported by Gary Ballance until the left-hander fished at one wide of off-stump from Sohail Khan for 17.

The momentum was continued by first-innings centurion Moeen Ali, who lofted Shah high over wide long-on for six and looked in complete command before an uncharacteristically flat-footed prod at the leg-spinner was caught by wicketkeeper Sarfraz for 32 in the penultimate over before lunch.

A stunning piece of fielding from bowler Wahab Riaz gave Pakistan the breakthrough in the eighth over after lunch, hitting the stumps directly while lying down when Chris Woakes (4) was sent back in mid-pitch.

Having moved to 992 runs for the calendar year, Bairstow drilled the next delivery low to cover and the end of the innings came 35 minutes before tea, debutant Iftikhar Ahmed taking the final wicket of James Anderson (17).

Questions remain over England's batting

Security checks permitting, England's next Test assignment is a two-match series in Bangladesh starting in October, before a three-Test series in India.

Opener Alex Hales scored three half-centuries earlier in the summer against Sri Lanka but averaged only 18 in this series with a best of 54.

Having refunded a spectator £4.10 because of England's slow over-rate in the previous Test, he lost 15% of his match fee here for an angry response following his controversial dismissal to a low catch in the first-innings.

Neither James Vince's introduction to Test cricket or Ballance's return was a success, with Alastair Cook and Joe Root scoring 935 between them at an average of 66.78, compared to Hales, Vince and Ballance's 498 at 22.63.

There was also a fitness concern over one of the bowlers, Steven Finn going off shortly before the end with a hamstring injury that will require a scan, as England suffered their first home defeat when batting first since 2012.

Stats you may have missed

England have lost the last Test in six of their past seven series

Since 2015 England have won only Test out of six in London, losing four

In eight matches outside of the capital since 2015 they have won seven of eight

In home Tests this year Chris Woakes scored 282 runs and took 34 wickets

England's defeat means Australia 2004-05 and 2007-08 and South Africa 2012-14 remain the only teams to hold trophies against all nine Test opponents at the same time



ODI's (win 2pts, tie/no result 1pt)

ODI's (ENG 8-2 PAK, ENG 16-10 PAK Super Series - ENG win it)

1st ODI

Pakistan 260-6 (50 overs): Azhar 82, Sarfraz 55
England 194-3 (34.3 overs): Roy 65, Root 61
England won by 44 runs (DLS method)

England coasted to a 44-run win over Pakistan in a rain-affected first one-day international in Southampton.

Superb death bowling after a rain break kept Pakistan to 260-6, despite 82 from Azhar Ali and Sarfraz Ahmed's 55.

Jason Roy made 65 and Joe Root 61 in a second-wicket stand of 89 before the weather intervened to reduce England's target to 252 from 48 overs.

Three balls after the restart, on 34.3 overs, more rain ended the match with England well ahead on the DLS method.

After a fluctuating, evenly contested Test series was drawn 2-2, this comfortable victory gives England a 10-8 lead in the 'Super Series', where points awarded for results across all three formats.

Not only does it give the hosts a ninth victory in 10 one-dayers against Pakistan, it also ends a run of five ODI defeats in Southampton.


The next in the five-match series is at Lord's on Saturday.


2nd ODI


Pakistan 251 (49.5 overs): Sarfraz 105, Imad 63 not out
England 255-6 (47.3 overs): Root 89, Morgan 68
England won by four wickets

England produced another polished display to beat Pakistan at Lord's and take a 2-0 lead in the one-day series.

Having won easily at the Ageas Bowl on Wednesday, England reduced the tourists to 2-3 courtesy of impressive new-ball spells from Mark Wood and Chris Woakes.

Sarfraz Ahmed scored a superb 105 and Imad Wasim struck 63 not out to salvage a competitive total of 251.

But Joe Root's 89 and 68 from captain Eoin Morgan helped England to a four-wicket win with 15 balls to spare.

England's victory is their first in an ODI at Lord's since 2012, having lost their previous three at the ground.

They have now won 10 of the past 11 ODIs against Pakistan, and take a 12-8 advantage in the 'super series' to Trent Bridge for the third game of the five-match series.

England's devastating start

Despite the green wicket at Lord's, Pakistan captain Azhar Ali opted to bat first after winning the toss.

It would quickly prove to be a terrible decision as Woakes and Wood tore into the tourists' top order.

2-1 (1.4 overs): Sami Aslam is given out following an England review after gloving a short ball from Woakes to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler on the pull.
2-2 (2.2 overs): Sharjeel Khan is bowled by a brilliant ball from Wood that nips across the left-hander and takes out off stump.
2-3 (3.1 overs): Skipper Azhar plays a tentative shot to a Woakes ball that is just short of a length and edges to Buttler.

Sarfraz makes a game of it

Sarfraz joined the game with his side in dire straits but produced a classy innings to become the first Pakistan player to score a one-day century at Lord's.

With a strike-rate of 80.76 his was a constrained innings by modern one-day standards but a crucial contribution for his side to avoid embarrassment.

Pakistan are almost playing cricket in the '90s or early 2000s

Shortly after reaching his century he survived being given out lbw when a review showed Plunkett's off-cutter was missing leg stump.

But soon after, in trying to accelerate the scoring towards the end of the innings, he swept an Adil Rashid ball straight to Alex Hales at deep mid-wicket.

This left Imad, who hit cleanly to pass 50 but regularly lost partners, including Wahab Riaz to a superb one-handed diving catch from Plunkett.

Imad was last man standing when Wood and Woakes returned to add a third wicket each to their haul and help dismiss Pakistan with a ball to spare.

The innings did little to dismiss criticism that Pakistan have failed to adapt to what is now a big-hitting, fast-scoring limited overs game.

Indeed, their total was just six more than West Indies managed in their Twenty20 against India in Florida on Saturday.

Root stars as England cruise

England briefly threatened to replicate Pakistan's start when Jason Roy played on to Mohammad Amir off the second ball of the chase.

Alex Hales' poor recent form continued as he was bowled attempting a slog-sweep off spinner Imad to leave the home side vulnerable at 35-2.

But in Root and Morgan, England have two players whose temperament is matched by their ability and inventiveness to find run-scoring gaps in the field.

They took the game away from Pakistan, adding 112 together, during which Root became the 11th England player to score four consecutive ODI fifties and Morgan reached his first half-century in 13 innings.

After Morgan was bowled by Imad, Ben Stokes scored a typically rapid 42 from 30 balls to strengthen England's position so that even his dismissal and the subsequent loss of Buttler and Root could not prevent an England victory.

'Clinical' England impress Morgan

England captain Eoin Morgan: "It was a clinical performance from the boys. It probably only did a bit for the first few overs but we made it count with early wickets. Mark Wood is bowling really well at the moment.

"It is great to get some runs and contribute to a win. It is important that we don't take the position we find ourselves for granted. We have important games on Tuesday and Thursday and we need to build on the progress we've made."

Man of the match Joe Root: "Credit to the bowlers today - they were outstanding, especially first up. To set the tone like that was brilliant.

"You are always striving for perfection. Both times this series we have chased and known what we need to do and we have gone out and done it. Good teams find ways of winning."

Pakistan captain Azhar Ali: "We bat deep and have good bowling options. The guys coming in are suited to the new style of one-day game. We can take a lot of positives from this game."


3rd ODI

ENG 444/3
PAK 275
England win by 169 runs

England posted the highest ever one-day international total as they beat Pakistan by 169 runs at Trent Bridge to secure a series victory.

Alex Hales struck a record 171 and Jos Buttler made England's fastest ever 50 from 22 balls as England hit 444-3.

This surpassed the 443-9 posted by Sri Lanka against the Netherlands in 2006.

Pakistan were forced to bat aggressively but their batsmen struggled to build partnerships as they were bowled out for 279.

England have now won 11 of their past 12 ODIs against Pakistan and have a 14-8 'Super Series' lead, with two ODI games and a Twenty20 match remaining (all limited-overs matches are worth two points each).

Hales' record-breaking innings

Robin Smith's 167 against Australia in 1993 was the previous highest score by an Englishman.

Opener Hales had made just 7 and 14 in his previous one-day innings against Pakistan but he played positively after England won the toss and batted first on a good pitch.

Despite Jason Roy's early dismissal to a short Hasan Ali delivery, Hales' aggressive nature saw him register a 55-ball half-century, before earning a reprieve on 73 when he was caught off a no-ball.

His fourth one-day century was brought up from 83 deliveries but still Hales accelerated as he launched Hasan over midwicket to break Smith's 23-year record.

Hales targeted the on-side and left-arm seamer Wahab Riaz came in for particular punishment as the Notts man struck 44 runs from 26 deliveries.

He was trapped lbw by the next ball but left the field having hit 22 boundaries and four sixes.

Buttler and Morgan break record score

Joe Root played a supporting role to Hales, making 85 from 86 deliveries, but England could have stumbled once he fell in the 37th over.

However Buttler kept up the pressure on Pakistan with a succession of powerful shots all around the ground.

He struck a towering six over long-on and scooped Hasan to fine leg as he registered his half-century.

England captain Morgan added to the carnage by striking a Wahab delivery into the crowd for six as England passed their previous highest one-day total of 408.

Buttler had a late reprieve as he was bowled off a Wahab no-ball, before Morgan made his 31st one-day half-century by clubbing another six into the stand.

Buttler then struck the final ball of the innings over extra cover for four to finish on 90 not out and register a remarkable, unbeaten 161-run partnership with Morgan.

Struggles for Pakistan

Pakistan did not help themselves with a poor showing in the field, with several misfields giving England early boundaries.

The visitors were forced to bat aggressively from the start but the pressure of England's extraordinary total meant they could not build partnerships that would last through the innings.

Sharjeel made a quick half-century, flicking Chris Woakes off his hips for three consecutive boundaries before eventually being caught on the rope.

Ben Stokes took his first wicket since injuring his calf as he had Babar caught at cover, before Liam Plunkett dismissed Malik with a 90mph delivery.

The innings petered out before Mohammad Amir's entertaining cameo, as he made the first ever half-century by a number 11 in ODIs.

Amir made an attacking 58, thrashing Mark Wood for consecutive sixes before being caught and bowled by Woakes.


Records

444-3 - Highest ever ODI total
444-3 - Third highest List A total
171 - Highest individual ODI score by English batsman - Alex Hales
16 - Most sixes in an ODI innings by England
22 balls - Fastest ODI 50 for England by Jos Buttler
5 - Joint record for consecutive 50s for England in ODIs - Joe Root
248 - Highest ODI partnership at Trent Bridge
248 - Highest ODI partnership for England vs Pakistan
110 - 2nd most runs conceded in ODIs - Wahab Riaz
58 - Highest score by a number 11 in ODIs - Mohammad Amir


4th ODI

England 252 for 6 beat Pakistan 247 for 8 by four wickets


The England one-day bandwagon rolls on, a rare ODI series whitewash still in view, after they overcame a challenging position at Headingley. Chasing a modest 248 they were troubled by the returning Mohammad Irfan, slipping to 72 for 4, but two players who did not even feature in the world record at Trent Bridge, Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow, broke the back of the target with a stand of 103.

For Stokes, who has had a frustratingly truncated season, it was his first fifty in any international format since February. He played some fantastically crisp shots, not least a brace of drives early in his innings off Hasan Ali, and there was the chance for a maiden ODI hundred before he picked out deep midwicket.

Bairstow, meanwhile, had been a late call-up to play on his home ground after Jos Buttler tweaked a quad muscle during the warm-ups. He survived a tight run-out chance on 17 but had not lost any of his fluency from the Test series despite limited time in the middle since. He could not quite see the chase home in front of his home crowd, run out by a direct hit, his speed not saving him this time, but an adopted Yorkshireman - David Willey - finished the job alongside Moeen Ali with 12 balls remaining.

In the end, the result was comfortable for England once the middle-order pair found their stride and Irfan, who had caused the early problems, left the field with what was indicated to be cramp. When he tried to bowl again in the 42nd over he sent down one ball, which was so wide it missed the pitch, then walked off again. In the pavilion, Mickey Arthur had a face like thunder. With overs to fill, Azhar Ali was forced to bowl himself when Irfan may have forced a late wobble.

However, although perceptions can be warped so soon after seeing a record like 444 for 3, Pakistan's total appeared significantly short. It had been anchored by Azhar's 80 off 104 balls, but he was one of three wickets for Adil Rashid as England rarely lost control, although Imad Wasim again impressed with an unbeaten 41-ball 57. At least, though, there was a frisson of excitement early in England's chase for a crowd boasting strong Pakistan support.

Six years ago on this ground, Irfan was given a serve by the then captain Shahid Afridi after a poor performance contributed to a narrow Pakistan defeat. Afridi strongly suggest he would not play Irfan again. As with many things in Pakistan cricket it did not quite work out like that. Irfan's return to Headingley was briefly - but only briefly - more enjoyable.

In his second over he ended Jason Roy's breezy start with a delivery that climbed and took the edge, sharply held at second slip by Mohammad Rizwan, and in his fourth gained a nick from Alex Hales from round the wicket - a change of line forced on him when he was twice warned for his follow through from over the wicket.

The few moments that followed were the most intense of Pakistan bowling v England batting in this series as he roughed up Eoin Morgan from round the wicket. There was an appeal for a gloved hook - which was called wide - then a shout for caught behind which was reviewed but had clipped the back pocket.

Morgan was relieved to see out the over, the last of Irfan's opening spell. Azhar may ponder if his giant quick could have stretched to one more, while running hot, given his later absence. Still, Morgan did not last much longer as he fell offering slip-catching practice against Umar Gul.

At that point England were 72 for 4 having also lost Joe Root, who had been closing in on an England record six consecutive ODI fifties when he hooked to long leg where Irfan steadied himself. It was the trickiest position England had been in since the opening ODI against Sri Lanka, at Trent Bridge, when Liam Plunkett's last-ball six earned a tie. And this time there was no Buttler or, for that matter, Chris Woakes.

But they had Stokes, Bairstow and Moeen, which was more than enough. Stokes was given a life on 34, when Mohammad Nawaz couldn't hold what would have been a fine catch at deep square-leg from a fiercely struck sweep and Bairstow edged Imad narrowly wide of the keeper on 37. But Pakistan would have needed everything to go their way.

Azhar had kept his bowlers out of the initial firing line after winning the toss, but again Pakistan's batting was from another era. After 10 overs they were an unthreatening 40 for 1 with Azhar and Sami Aslam struggling to break free. Aslam's struggle was ended when he top-edged to Stokes at deep square leg and, after a promising stand of 49, Babar Azam cut Moeen's fourth ball to backward point.

England's spin duo took hold of the innings and they finished with 5 for 86 from their combined 20 overs. Plunkett's second catch was a standout as he flung himself to his left to pluck Sarfraz Ahmed's lofted drive off Rashid, who then made one straighten on Rizwan to trap him lbw.

Rashid signed off his bowling duties, in which his second five-over spell brought 3 for 17, by having Azhar caught at long-off. When Moeen, who did not concede a boundary during his 10 overs, got one to turn and bounce to beat Nawaz there was precious little left for the final flourish.

However, Imad, who had missed the carnage at Trent Bridge with a knee injury, enjoyed the return to pace. He took four boundaries off Plunkett over the space of two overs with as good a timing as any of the Pakistan batsmen had managed, before denting Willey's figures with 16 off the 48th over to reach a 32-ball fifty.

Chris Jordan was the pick of England's attack at the death, going for 14 in a four-over spell to close out the innings, as he regularly speared his yorkers under the bat. A performance, like Bairstow later on, that reinforced the depth and interchangeability within this England squad.


5th ODI

England 302-9 (50 overs): Roy 87, Stokes 75
Pakistan 304-6 (48.2 overs): Sarfraz 90, Malik 77

Pakistan won by four wickets

England missed the chance for a series whitewash as Pakistan earned a consolation four-wicket win in the fifth one-day international in Cardiff.

Chasing 303, Pakistan slipped to 77-3 before Sarfraz Ahmed (90) and Shoaib Malik (77) shared 163.

Despite a late wobble, the tourists got home with 10 balls to spare.

England's 302-9 came via 87 from Jason Roy and Ben Stokes' 75, but they took only 42 runs off the last eight overs in a slide of five wickets for 64.

They were stifled by some impressive pace bowling from Hasan Ali, who took 4-60, and Mohammad Amir (3-50).

Eoin Morgan's men also gifted wickets as a result of their desire to attack whatever the situation - a new approach to one-day cricket that has brought a dramatic improvement and spectacular results since the 2015 World Cup, including the record-breaking total of 444-3 in the third ODI.


England end the series as 4-1 winners, missing out on a first 5-0 home whitewash, and complete their summer with a T20 at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

Sarfraz and Shoaib salvage Pakistan pride

Pakistan, outplayed throughout the series, were firmly on the back foot when the extra pace of Mark Wood bowled Babar Azam and had Azhar Ali caught behind in the same over.

But Sarfraz and Malik combined to compile the highest Pakistan fourth-wicket partnership in an ODI against England.

When on nine, Malik offered a difficult chance to a diving Joe Root at short cover but, apart from that, the England attack had few answers.

Sarfraz, favouring the leg side, dished out some particularly brutal treatment to debutant left-arm spinner Liam Dawson.

Malik played the supporting role, but followed Sarfraz in needlessly holing out off Dawson and, when a Jonny Bairstow direct hit ran out Mohammad Nawaz, Pakistan had lost three wickets for 26 runs.

With 37 still required, Mohammad Rizwan and Wales-born Imad Wasim absorbed the pressure and ensured there was no further drama, delighting a large contingent of raucous Pakistan supporters in the crowd.

Rest and rotation leaves England short

England once again shuffled their side, leaving out spinners Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali partly because of the grey conditions in Cardiff and also to look at Hampshire's Dawson before the winter tours to Bangladesh and India.

If the amount of turn in the surface showed selecting only one spinner to be a mistake - Pakistan left-armer Imad was particularly effective for figures of 1-33 - then the visiting batsmen ensured Dawson endured a mixed debut.

Sarfraz swept and used his feet to hit through the leg side, while Malik hit two huge sixes.

Although Dawson would eventually remove both men, he and the recalled Chris Jordan went for a combined 122 from 15.2 overs.

Loss of momentum costs England

Still, it was posting a score that was no more than par that ultimately led to England's defeat.

While Roy sparkled off his pads and down the ground, and Stokes peppered the boundary after a slow start - the first 32 deliveries of his 76-ball stay yielded only 12 runs - the imposing total that looked likely at 170-4 from 30 overs did not materialise.

Bairstow pulled Umar Gul to deep square leg, Stokes lapped Hasan to short fine leg, Chris Woakes played on off the same bowler, Dawson miscued Amir to mid-wicket and David Willey was caught in the deep on the leg side.


With Hasan and Amir cleverly bowling the ball into the pitch, England were left to bat out the overs, falling short of a score good enough to complete the clean sweep.

Only T20 - ENG 16-12 PAK Super Series result

Pakistan 139 for 1 beat England 135 for 7 by nine wickets

New captain, new Pakistan? It's always dangerous to look too far ahead as far as their cricket is concerned, but after one night in Manchester Sarfraz Ahmed has a 100% record as T20 skipper.

It can be difficult at the end of a long tour to lift for a one-off T20 - the Super Series, of course, had already been decided lest anyone forget - but, amid the most frenzied atmosphere of the tour, which was marred by late pitch invasions, Pakistan secured a thumping nine-wicket victory with a massive 31 deliveries to spare.

They produced their most vibrant bowling and fielding display of the limited-overs leg of the trip to restrict England, who fielded the side which played the World T20 final in April, to 135 for 7: just 58 came off the final ten overs and only three boundaries were struck after the Powerplay.

The chase was a canter. Neither Sharjeel Khan nor Khalid Latif needed to bother with much running, by the end of the fourth over they had equalled England's paltry tally of 10 fours. Both reached their fifties with sixes, Sharjeel off 30 balls and Latif, who only flew in for this match, brought up his maiden half-century off 34 deliveries.

With the ball Imad Wasim and Wahab Riaz, the latter smartly held back for the latter half of the innings as he bowled all his overs from the 11th onwards, produced the telling contributions. Imad, who bowled the first over then returned after the Powerplay (and a clonk on the head at point) did not concede a boundary and removed both England openers. Wahab generated fearsome speed, upwards of 95mph on occasion, mixed with smart changes of pace, to leave the middle order in a tangle.

After a couple of early overs of assessing conditions, England initially made good progress as Jason Roy and Alex Hales took them to 53 without loss in the Powerplay. Then Roy was lbw trying to reverse sweep Imad and from there England almost went into reverse. Hales fell slog-sweeping at Imad, as he did at Lord's, and next ball Joe Root uppercut Hasan Ali to third man.

Jos Buttler, who missed the final two ODIs with a hamstring niggle, looked in the mood for a rebuilding job, but 9 off four balls became 16 off 14 after two tight overs by Wahab and Hasan. He then carved the first delivery of Wahab's second over to deep point.

Neither Ben Stokes or Eoin Morgan could get going and the harder England tried to hit the ball the worse off they became. England's batting depth came to their aid in the World T20, most notably against Afghanistan, but there was no late charge on this occasion.

When David Willey clubbed Sohail Tanvir through the leg side it was the first boundary for 7.3 overs - and it would be the only one of the final 10 overs, an extraordinary statistic whether you are looking at from an England or Pakistan perspective.

Given England's struggles to find the boundary after the first six overs, it felt a waste to see Liam Plunkett, who has shown this season he can clear the rope from the outset, only come in with three deliveries remaining and end up not facing a ball.

Pakistan dealt exclusively in boundaries until the third ball of the third over when Latif, who had taken 20 off Chris Jordan's first over, tapped a single off Plunkett. The bowler was so shocked, that two balls late he flung a bouncer for five wides down the leg side.


After the fours came the sixes. Sharjeel deposited Stokes, playing his first T20I since the World T20 final, over long leg then twice took Adil Rashid over the leg-side boundary. Rashid, at least, had a modicum of revenge when another attempted smite down the ground was skied to cover. He should have had a second wicket, too, but Buttler missed a stumping chance off Babar Azam. It summed up England's night, as their season ended with a whimper.