Alex Hales’ maiden one-day international hundred carried England to a wide-margin series-levelling victory over Pakistan at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
– Vohra’s view: Retired players should play for a cause
– RECAP: Younis Khan announces retirement from ODIs
– INTERVIEW: Joe Root – English cricket’s driving force
– FOLLOW: Live cricket scores from around the world
England arrived for this second ODI in need of a riposte after their trouncing here two days ago, and they duly delivered to make it 1-1 with two to play – thanks principally to Hales’ 109 out of 283 for five after Eoin Morgan won an im- portant toss.
Hales shared century stands for the first two wickets with Jason Roy (54) and Joe Root (63) to give the tourists a perfect platform for the last 10 overs – in which a further 56 runs was below par.
But that mattered little as Pakistan’s chase never threatened on an increasingly sluggish, used pitch, after David Willey quickly got rid of danger men Babar Azam and Mohammad Hafeez on the way to a career-best three wickets for 25 runs, while Chris Woakes (four for 33) did more damage.
The hosts were eventually all out for 188 in 45.5 overs, despite a battling 64 from No7 Sarfraz Ahmed, handing England a 95-run success.
Hales hit seven fours and two sixes as he reached three-figures for the first time in this format, from 111 deliveries, at his 21st attempt.
England’s openers did not need to take undue risk, while the pitch was at its best, and had 100 on the board in 17 overs.
Roy’s half-century at almost a run-a-ball contained eight boundaries, the most memorable a reverse-sweep which landed just inches short of the square-leg rope from the third delivery of Yasir Shah’s first spell.
Roy could not go on, spearing a drive at Wahab Riaz (three for 43) to mid-on – but Hales made the most of his opportunity.
There was just one half-chance, on 77, between his two sixes in the same Yasir over – a slog-sweep and a straight-drive – when Hales got an under-edge on an attempted cut, and Sarfraz could not hold on.
Root had a more significant moment of fortune on 30, mishitting a reverse-sweep at Iftikhar Ahmed to square-leg – where Wahab put down a straightforward catch.
His half-century contained just three boundaries, and 33 singles, as he fed Hales the strike in a partnership of 114 in 21 overs.
He’s back. This has been an exhibition from Alex Hales, and he sweeps Ahmed away to reach a maiden ODI ton #PAKvENG pic.twitter.com/JxgFF294AQ
— Nottinghamshire CCC (@TrentBridge) November 13, 2015
When Hales went in the 39th, neatly stumped by Sarfraz after missing a sweep to give Iftikhar a maiden wicket on debut, the onus was on Root to kick on.
He and others could not quite manage it against Wahab and Mohammad Irfan’s reverse-swing and changes of pace, Root eventually bowled aiming a mow to leg.
England’s innings had ended with a comparative whimper, but Willey started Pakistan’s with a bang.
Willey swung the ball into Babar who, promoted to open in place ofthe dropped Bilal Asif, went lbw. In his next over, he accounted for Hafeez – immovable for much of the recent Test series, and on the back of an unbeaten hundred here, but gone for a duck as he followed a delivery that held its line for a faint edge caught behind.
England had eliminated for a combined four runs the pair who gorged 164 and finished unbeaten in Pakistan’s opening win.
Woakes then got both Iftikhar and Shoaib Malik mispulling, England’s victory was already all but as- sured. He had his 50th ODI wicket when home captain and opener Azhar Ali dragged on a cutter from wide outside off-stump to make it 50 for five.
The game was up, but there was still further encouragement to come for England as Adil Rashid – who has had an often chastening tour – reassuringly got himself in the final column too at this ground where he recorded a five-wicket haul on Test debut last month.
For Pakistan, the avoidance of any unwanted new margins-of-defeat records – thanks to a seventh- wicket stand of 65 between Sarfraz and Anwar Ali – was as good as the evening got.
