The Albany Gazette - Shadab century and record last-wicket stand carry Pakistan past England

Shadab Khan scored an unbeaten 113 and shared an ODI-record 89-run final-wicket partnership with Haris Rauf as Pakistan chased 242 to beat England by one wicket.

Pakistan’s chase looked doomed at 154-9 before a defiant 89-run, last-wicket stand between Shadab and No. 11 Haris Rauf secured Pakistan a dazzling win. Shadab smashed his first one-day ton to take Pakistan to 243-9 in 47.1 overs. England, which scored 429 and still lost in its last game against Sri Lanka, was earlier all out for 241 in 46.4 overs.

Playing his first game in the tournament, Shadab scored 113 not out off 96 balls and farmed most of the strike. Rauf (7 not out in 19 balls) hit the winning boundary as Pakistan enjoyed its third successive win.

It was the biggest last-wicket partnership in a successful chase in ODIs.

Left-handed opener Ben Duckett scored 105 for England — his fifth ODI century and first against Pakistan— after Shaheen Shah Afridi won his first toss in the tournament and elected to field after successfully defending 300-plus scores in the first two games.

It was England’s third successive defeat in the tournament after losing to Pakistan by 87 runs and seeing Sri Lanka pull off the second-highest successful run chase in ODI history despite captain Harry Brook scoring a blistering 114-ball double century.

Pakistan will take on Sri Lanka in their last league game on Tuesday after beating the Sri Lankans by 37 runs in the opening game.

Sensational Shadab, resilient Rauf

Rauf joined Shadab at 154-9 in the 34th over and launched a partnership neither side will quickly forget. While Shadab outsmarted England pace with his brilliant batting, Rauf gave him ample support by sensibly not going for expansive shots.

Shadab protected Rauf well by keeping the strike to himself and counterpunching the bowlers by hitting boundaries early in the over.

Gus Atkinson won an lbw decision against Shadab when Pakistan needed 21 for victory only to discover that the ball had tickled an inside edge. Shadab had even started walking toward the dressing room before deciding to take the review and he screamed in joy at the reprieve.

Shadab completed his century by playing a late cut off Atkinson for his 12th boundary before hitting the fast bowler over long off for a six to reduce the target to three runs off the final three overs.

Rauf drilled debutant fast bowler Henry Crocombe for a straight boundary to cap a remarkable recovery for Pakistan.

Before that, Jamie Overton (3-43) took two smart slip catches to remove both struggling opening batters Fakhar Zaman (10) and Saim Ayub (6) and Babar Azam will continue his search for a big innings after Atkinson pegged back his off stump as Pakistan slumped to 31-3 inside the first seven overs.

Brook then turned to Overton soon after the batting power play and the fast bowler responded immediately in his first over when 19-year-old Saad Baig (32) cut straight to Will Jacks at point.

Left-arm spinner Liam Dawson (2-30) and Jacks (1-18) then bowled tidily and raised England’s hopes of their first win.

Duckett century lifts England

Duckett revived England from a precarious 52-4 with a 93-run stand with Sam Curran, who made 42 off 52 balls.

Afridi picked up 4-46 and England lost four of the five top batters for single digits. That included the run-out of Brook, who went for a second run but fell short of his crease to an electrifying throw from debutant Razaullah.

England lost quick wickets and slipped to 201-9 after Afridi removed Curran in his return spell when he holed out to fine leg off a mistimed pull. Razaullah took 2-38, grabbing the wickets of Jacks and Dawson.

Duckett, who hit 10 fours and two sixes in his 111-ball knock, fell in the 37th over when he top-edged a sweep to fine leg against left-arm spinner Arafat Minhas before Atkinson (36 not out) shared a 40-run last wicket stand with Crocombe.

(A.Johnson--TAG)