NOTTINGHAM, July 17: A lightning-fast opening stand of 150 in 15 overs between Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan set up Pakistan’s 31-run win over England in the first Twenty20 at Trent Bridge.
Captain Azam hit 85 from 49 balls and Rizwan 63 from 41 in a Pakistan record total of 232-6.
England lost four wickets in the first seven overs, and its hopes flickered thanks only to Liam Livingstone with a career-best 103.
But Livingstone was seventh man out in the 17th over and England was soon all out for 201 with four balls left.
England’s senior stars returned from self-isolation but failed to copy the domination their second string achieved against Pakistan in the one-day international series, beating the visitors 3-0.
Pakistan rebounded from the ODI humiliation, and after being forced to bat first.
Babar and Rizwan received good support from Sohaib Maqsood, 19 from 7, Fakhar Zaman, 26 from eight, and Mohamad Hafeez 24 from 10 as they easily eclipsed their previous highest T20 score of 205 in 2018 and last April.
Livingstone’s 42-ball century, the fastest by an Englishman in T20s, arrived with his ninth six – more than the rest of the team combined.
Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shadab Khan took wickets each. (AP)
