Pakistan restrict England to 135-7 in T20

MANCHESTER – Imad Wasim and Wahab Riaz led an impressive Pakistan bowling performance as the tourists held England to 135 for seven in their lone Twenty20 international at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

Left-arm spinner Wasim removed both England openers Jason Roy and Alex Hales on his way to a fine return of two for 17 in his maximum four overs without conceding either a four or a six.
Left-arm quick Riaz followed up with three for 18 as England, fielding the same side beaten in the last over of April’s World Twenty20 final, managed just a solitary boundary in the concluding 10 overs of their innings.

Hales (37) and Roy (21) were the only batsmen to pass 20 in the innings, with the next-best score Jos Buttler’s 16 on his Lancashire home ground.
Pakistan had an early scare when Wasim, who conceded just two runs in the first over of the game, was struck a painful blow in the next over when a hard-hit shot from Hales reared up off a practice pitch and hit him on the head.

But he returned to stop England’s innings in its tracks.
Roy, a good straight hitter, was lbw when trying to reverse-sweep Wasim.
England then lost two wickets in two balls to be 67 for three.

Hales, also strong down the ground, was clean-bowled on the sweep by Wasim off the last ball of the ninth over.
The next delivery saw Joe Root (six) tamely upper-cut Hasan Ali to Shoaib Malik at short third man.

Buttler got off the mark by cover-driving Ali for four before he holed out after slicing Riaz offside.

England’s innings never recovered with wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed — in his first match as Pakistan T20 captain — catching opposing skipper Eoin Morgan (14) off Riaz to leave the home side 110 for six.
David Willey (12) hoisted Sohail Tanveer for a rare boundary before he holed out off Riaz in the last over.

Scoreboard

ENGLAND:J Roy lbw b Imad Wasim 21A Hales b Imad Wasim 37J Root c Malik b Hasan 6J Buttler c Khalid b Wahab 16E Morgan c Sarfraz b Wahab 14B Stokes c Babar b Hasan 4M Ali not out 13D Willey c Malik b Wahab 12L Plunkett not out 0 EXTRAS: (lb8, w4) 12TOTAL: (7 wkts, 20 overs) 135FOW: 1-56, 2-67, 3-67, 4-93, 5-104, 6-110, 7-132.
BOWLING: Wasim 4-0-17-2; Tanveer 4-0-35-0; Amir 4-0-33-0; Hasan 4-0-24-2; Riaz 4-0-18-3.
PAKISTAN: Khalid Latif, Sharjeel Khan, Shoaib Malik, Sarfraz Ahmed (capt/wkt), Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Hasan Ali, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir, Wahab Riaz, Sohail Tanveer.