Razzaq’s Cameo Lifts Pakistan to Thrilling Win

The two-match series was shared after England won the first match on Friday by seven wickets.

Pakistan reached the target of 149 with six balls to spare. Razzaq remained not out on 46 from 18 balls, including five sixes. He hammered Ajmal Shahzad for 17 runs in the 19^th over and scored the winning run by smashing a six over long on. Yasif Arafat was not out on five.

England were on the verge of winning when Pakistan lost five wickets for 78 by the end of the 13^th over. But Razzaq and Fawad Alam changed the equation with some superb hitting as the duo added 48 runs from 4.1 overs for the sixth wicket. Alam made a 20-ball 28 with two hits to the fence.

For England, Swann bowled a sensational spell, taking three crucial wickets for 14 runs in four overs. He bagged the scalps of Shahid Afridi, Umar Akmal and Shoaib Malik and raised hopes of an England win. Spin was introduced in the seventh over and Swann took the wicket of Shoaib Malik in the very first ball, with wicketkeeper Matt Prior making a smart stumping.

Malik, who added 36 runs for the third wicket with Umar Akmal, made 13 from 16 balls. Swann provided the breakthrough in the 11^th over as he took the wicket of Afridi, who was caught by Eoin Morgan at wide long on. Afridi, playing for the first time after receiving a two-match ban for ball tampering, scored eight runs from nine balls. Swann finished his spell by taking the wicket of Akmal, who tried to loft one over midwicket and was caught by Morgan.

Fast bowler Ajmal Shahzad made a sensational international debut for England by taking took two wickets in his first over, sending back both Pakistan openers Imran Nazir and Imran Farhat. Shahzad, who became the first British-born Asian to play for Yorkshire, however went for 13 runs in his second over.

Earlier, Kevin Pietersen’s brilliant half-century powered England to 148-6 in their 20 overs after being asked to bat first. Pietersen, who played a crucial role in Friday’s win, was at his attacking best from the moment he arrived at the crease after Joe Denly’s dismissal in the fourth over. He and Jonathan Trott added 98 runs for the second wicket at the rate of almost eight runs per over.

Pietersen gave enough moments for the crowd to enjoy as he smashed 62 runs from 40 balls, including four fours and three sixes. He departed in the 18^th over, falling leg before to Saeed Ajmal. Trott, meanwhile, progressed at a slower pace, making 39 from 51 balls with three fours.

Yasir Arafat was the most successful bowler for Pakistan as he took three wickets for 32 from his four overs.

Gul took the wicket of the dangerous Morgan for nine after the batsman had hit Gul for an effortless six over deep square-leg in the 17^th over. Captain Paul Collingwood and Luke Wright gave the much needed momentum by hitting Gul for two sixes as they took 17 runs from the 19^th over.

Arafat bowled an excellent last over by taking the wickets of Wright and Tim Bresnan. Denly was the first batsman to go when Arafat cleaned up the Kent player for five. Both Arafat and Razzaq bowled brilliantly in the opening overs, restricting the chances of big shots.

England had to wait till the fifth over to hit their first four, with Pietersen smashing Razzaq over the mid-on. Pietersen also hit England’s first six, hammering Ajmal over the long off in the ninth over. Friday’s matured innings helped Pietersen regain his form and the Dubai crowd was delighted to see an entirely different player on Saturday.

Email: pradeep@khaleejtimes.com