England cruise to emphatic 4-0 series win against Pakistan as hosts finish World Cup preparations in style

Joe Root and Chris Woakes on form at Headingley.
AFP/Getty Images
Will Macpherson19 May 2019

England romped to a 4-0 series victory over Pakistan and will arrive at a rare home World Cup in the even rarer position of favourites.

In the final match at Headingley, there was no staggering centurion – their matchwinner was Chris Woakes, with his five for 54, and is just one of many England players looking in rude health.

The whole game, played before a poor crowd, had an end-of-term feel. England waltzed carelessly to 351, then by the time Woakes had three wickets for no runs in his first two overs of the reply it was clear that Pakistan, on six for three, were not going to win.

Sarfraz Ahmed and Babar Azam added an air of respectability to the score line. It was freakish fielding from Adil Rashid and Jos Buttler sealed the job for England.

England’s was a curious innings. Their batting had a blasé feel, from Eoin Morgan’s admission that he had opted to bat first only to replicate losing the toss at the World Cup, to the soft dismissals of each of the top four.

Rashid also impresses before World Cup selection.
Getty Images

It is strange a team can make 351 and still appear to have left 100 runs out there – and still win by 54 runs, despite the opposition having a last wicket stand of 47 – but that is just this England team’s style.

When James Vince and Jonny Bairstow got going against some awful bowling, it seemed for a fleeting moment like the only thing that would prevent England making 450 was a surprise declaration.

Vince hit the first two balls for four, and had a further five boundaries before breezily, typically pulling to deep square-leg for 33. Shaheen Shah Afridi, the best of a bad bunch of bowlers, was the beneficiary of some Classic Vince.

Joe Root picked up where he left off, with six fours in his first 14 balls, and England had 104 in the first 11 overs. And then Bairstow got out just as softly as Vince, punching Imad Wasim straight to long-on for 32.

Pakistan had two very expensive wickets, and barely deserved them, but improved markedly thereafter. They brought on some part-time spin to clog England up, and it worked. Morgan took 25 balls to hit a boundary, and Root went 23 balls between his sixth and seventh, which brought up a 37-ball half-century.

England had 147 on the board after 20 overs, but were yet to hit a six. Never mind, Morgan hit one over mid-off in the 21st, cow in the 22nd, and pulled another in the 23rd, dislodging a tile on the Rugby Pavilion in the process.

Root and Morgan had put on 117 but their partnership appeared to end at the perfect time, as it brought Jos Buttler to the crease with 20 overs remaining and plenty on the board. He came in when Morgan skied a pull to midwicket, but Buttler never quite got going.

When Root fell in almost identical fashion to Vince, Buttler and Moeen Ali fell in the same Imad Wasim over.

England had had another wobble, Moeen had another duck, and Pakistan – led by Imad – had taken three for 52 between overs 30 and 40. Imad got through his 10 overs with three for 53.

Wickets steadily tumbled throughout the final five overs and it was only the late impetus of Curran – including some remarkable ramps and scoops – that carried England to 351. It was still the highest ODI score at Headingley.

AP

Only 127 had come in the last 20 overs, but it still looked plenty. Woakes struck with his third ball, Fakhar Zaman caught at second slip, then twice in his second over – another maiden.

Abid Ali and Mohammad Hafeez both went lbw, although the latter should have reviewed. It took Pakistan 14 balls to score off Woakes.

At the other end, David Willey found life tougher. Despite returning later to dismiss Asif Ali, he seems – of the quicks – most at danger when England’s final squad is named on Tuesday, although he may survive if England decide they do not need Liam Dawson or Joe Denly to back-up Moeen and Rashid.

Willey’s opening spell of none for 26 got Babar and Sarfraz’s excellent stand of 146 going but, just as they were beginning to manoeuvre Pakistan back into the game, they were stuffed by remarkable run out.

First, a mix-up between the wickets left Babar short after Buttler’s throw and Rashid’s no-look swivel combined to break the stumps.

Next, Buttler intercepted Sarfraz’s cut off Moeen with his knee, and ran the wandering batsman out. Between times, Rashid pulled off a brilliant diving catch to dismiss Shoaib Malik. He is supposed to be England’s weakest fielder.

Woakes swept up the wickets of Imad Wasim and Hasan Ali in his second spell before Rashid finally broke the last stand. Both are easy to underestimate, but utterly vital to England’s hopes over the next two months.

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