After defeating England by 31 runs in the first T20I, Pakistan took a 1-0 lead.

Thanks to excellent performances by all the players of the team, Pakistan defeated England by 31 runs in the first high-scoring T20I to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. Electing to bat after losing the toss, Pakistan’s team made a huge score of 232 runs in the stipulated 20 overs. In reply, England’s team was all out for 201 runs in 19.2 overs.

Opening batsman Mohammad Rizwan and captain Babar Azam got the team off to a great start. Both shared a crucial 150-run partnership for the first wicket. Rizwan hit eight fours and a six in his 41-ball 63, while Babar hit eight fours and three sixes in his scintillating 85 off 49 balls. After the dismissal of both, Sohaib Maqsood, Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Hafeez played short but stormy innings to take the team to a huge score of 232. Maqsood made 19 off seven balls, Fakhar 26 off eight balls and Hafeez scored 24 runs in 10 balls.

Pakistan’s bowling was also better as all the bowlers were able to take wickets. Shaheen Afridi and Shadab Khan took three wickets each, while Imad Wasim, Mohammad Hasnain and Harris Rauf took one wicket each. Pakistan’s fielding was also good. Talking about England, only Liam Livingstone was successful in batting. Due to his century, England could reach the score of 200. Livingstone hit an explosive century of 103 runs in 43 balls, which is England’s fastest century in T20 Internationals, including six fours and nine sixes. Apart from him, salami Jason Roy batted well. Roy played a stormy innings of 32 runs in 13 balls with the help of two fours and three sixes. In the bowling, Tom Karen took the most two wickets, while David Willey, Saqib Mahmood and Lewis Gregory took one wicket each. Shaheen Afridi was adjudged ‘Player of the Match’ for taking three wickets for 30 runs in 3.2 overs.

Both the teams will play the second T20 match in Leeds tomorrow (July 18)