Pakistan beat England by 6 runs in 5th T20

LAHORE: Captain Moeen Ali’s fighting unbeaten half century went in vain as Pakistan successfully defended a below-par total to beat England by six runs in the fifth Twenty20 on Wednesday.

Needing 15 runs off the last over, Ali could hit just one six off debutant fast bowler Aamer Jamal to reach his 50 before England got restricted at 139-7.

Mark Wood’s pace had earlier dismantled Pakistan for 145 in 19 overs in the lowest total so far of the series, which Pakistan now lead 3-2. David Willey and Sam Curran both grabbed 2-23.

It was the second time in a row that England slipped while chasing a below-par total in the seven-match series. They lost the fourth T20 at Karachi by three runs when Pakistan chipped in with the last three wickets for just one run.

Ali made an unbeaten 51 off 37 balls, but Pakistan strangled England through spinners Iftikhar Ahmed (1-16) and Shadab Khan (1-25) in the middle overs and the run-rate kept on climbing.

“Today was the most disappointing performance with the bat for sure,” Ali said. “I felt we needed two big hits, I managed to hit one ... but it was a very good last over and you can’t take anything away from him (Jamal).”

Top-ranked T20 batter Mohammad Rizwan’s belligerent form in the series continued as he anchored Pakistan innings with 63, his fourth half century in the series after Ali won his fourth toss and elected to field.

Pakistan’s middle-order stumbled against Wood’s pace, which got rid of captain Babar Azam with a steep short ball and then had the wickets of Haider Ali and power-hitter Asif Ali with sharp short-pitched pacey deliveries.

Pakistan slipped to 100-7 in the 14th over when Shadab got run out in a mix-up with Rizwan as England kept coming hard with regular