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2nd report T20I: England captain Eoin Morgan broke 66 33-ball runs to help his team to a five-wicket victory over Pakistan in Twenty20’s second international game on Sunday.
Pakistan scored a challenging 195-4 after losing the draw at Old Trafford before England finished 199-5 in 19.1 overs.
England starters Jonny Bairstow (44) and Tom Banton (20) shared a 66-run partnership. When they departed into the two-ball space, Morgan came in to hit six fours and four sixes to maintain momentum.
Pakistan skipper Babar Azam (left) and his English counterpart Eoin Morgan during the draw before the third Q20I. AP
He was fired with 18 required in the final three overs, but Dawid Malan, the junior partner in a 112-run position who changed the game with Morgan, went to another fifty to help England cross the line with five balls to spare.
Malan’s 54 undefeated on 36 balls, his seventh score of over 50 in just 12 T20 innings, helped England advance through the series 1-0 on a day when the BBC screened live coverage of a cricket match for the first time in 21 years.
Morgan is averaging 48.4 with a 174.1 strike rate in the 14 Q20s he has played for England since the beginning of last year, and the Irishman attributed his form to the confidence he feels in his role.
“Even before the series started, inside T20 cricket the last two years at internationals and some nationals are my best numbers to date, which is great,” Morgan said. He added: “Before I became captain, jumping up and down the order, I didn’t feel as comfortable with it, but now that it’s my decision I feel more comfortable.”
Pakistan’s innings, bolstered by 56 of 44 balls from captain Babar Azam and a more belligerent 69 of 36 deliveries from Mohammad Hafeez, were in vain and they must now win the third and final T20 on Tuesday to avoid a series loss.
The first T20 was abandoned to no avail due to rain in Manchester on Friday.
England won 1-0 a series of tests affected by rain.
With input from The Associated Press
