England v Pakistan, 1st T20I, Old Trafford – Rain returns to ruin T20I series opener
It was predicted before the match began that the 1st T20I between England and Pakistan would have several interruptions. Well, for the best part of the first half of the game, there weren’t any. But, it turned out that all the interruptions were reserved until the 17th over of the first innings, which eventually resulted in the match being washed out.
Having won the toss, Pakistan captain Babar Azam had no hesitation in putting the hosts in to bat. They got off to the best possible start, as Jonny Bairstow, trying to drill a tossed up delivery away, guided it straight back to Imad Wasim’s hands in the first over. Pakistan had an opportunity to scalp the other opener, Tom Banton in the next over itself after he edged Shaheen Afridi to first slip, but Iftikhar Ahmed, stationed in that position, could not hold on to the chance.
The Pakistan bowlers, Imad, Shaheen, Amir and Haris collectively kept things really tight, restricting the explosive Banton and Dawid Malan to ones and twos and the occasional boundary, as England managed only 40 off the first 7 overs.
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Banton finally managed to break the shackles when Shadab Khan was introduced into the attack with a slog…swipe rather than sweep over mid-wicket for six. He then scooped Haris Rauf for over the wicketkeeper, Rizwan, who after dropping his right glove, grabbed the cap off his head and rather comically attempted a futile chase, probably thinking he’d be able to run faster with the cap in hand.
Banton smashed Shadab for two consecutive sixes in the next over before some more kamikaze Cricket followed, this time from England. Banton squeezed out the third ball off Shadab straight to Hafeez at backward point. For some reason, Malan, who had been slightly out-of-sorts today, hared up the pitch, only to see Banton turning around and bemusedly looking at him, and Hafeez lobbing the ball back to the bowler’s end. Shadab calmly gathered and picked out a bail from the wicket, and Malan, stranded three-quarters away from safety, had to trudge back to the dressing room.
Malan’s wicket brought Eoin Morgan to the crease. Now, Morgan, in this England Cricket team, epitomises the meaning of playing positive Cricket. The first ball he faced, from Shadab, was disdainfully reverse-swept for four through backward point.
Imad Wasim, brought back into the attack, went for 15 in his third over. Banton got to fifty with a single off the first delivery, his first in T20 Internationals, and then Morgan and he launched Wasim for sixes over square leg and deep mid-wicket.
Banton seemed to be on song by then, scooping Haris Rauf for a four and six in the next over. He looked set to score a big hundred, but unfortunately for him, he got a top edge trying to slog-sweep Shadab Khan next over, skying the ball in the process, and Imad Wasim at mid-off took a comfortable catch.
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Morgan followed next over, leg before to Iftikhar Ahmed’s off-break in his first over. Wickets continued to tumble after that; Rizwan did well to latch onto a poke from Moeen Ali off Shadab after fumbling initially. All-rounder Lewis Gregory followed next over, beaten by a quicker one from Imad Wasim after skipping down the wicket, and Rizwan had his second dismissal in two overs.
Eoin Morgan got off to a brisk start, but failed to capitalize on it
The game seemed to be right in the balance after Pakistan strongly came back, having been on the receiving end of an onslaught from Banton in the middle-overs, when the English weather decided to spoil all the fun for the umpteenth time this summer. The rain refused to relent for over an hour, following which the groundsmen tried to mop up the outfield. They failed to do so due to the amount of rain that fell, which left the match officials with no choice but to call the game off.
Brief scores:
England 1st Innings 131/6 (16.1 Overs)
Banton 71, Malan 23, Imad 2/31