Eoin Morgan and Dawid Malan guide England to T20 victory over Pakistan

Dynamic duo put on 112 from 62 deliveries as home side power to impressive five-wicket win at Old Trafford

England captain Eoin Morgan scored 66 as England beat Pakistan by five wickets in the second T20 clash at Old Trafford on Sunday, August 30. Getty

Dawid Malan and Lewis Gregory celebrate England's win. Getty

England's Dawid Malan finished the match unbeaten on 54. AFP

Haris Rauf celebrates with his Pakistan teammates after taking the wicket of Eoin Morgan. Getty

England's Jonny Bairstow on his way to 44 for England. AP

England's Jonny Bairstow after losing his wicket. Reuters

England batsman Tom Banton scored 20. AP

Pakistan bowler Shadab Khan celebrates the wicket of Tom Banton. Getty

Pakistan batsman Babar Azam hits a boundary on his way to 56. Getty

England's Adil Rashid, left, celebrates with teammates after the dismissal of Pakistan captain Babar Azam. AP

Pakistan's Mohammed Hafeez, left celebrates his half century. PA

Pakistan batsman Fakhar Zaman hits a six on his way to 36. Getty

England's Tom Banton takes the catch to dismiss Pakistan batsman Fakhar Zaman. PA

Pakistan's Mohammad Hafeez is caught be out by England captain Eoin Morgan playing this shot off the bowling of Tom Curran. AFP

England's Chris Jordan and Eoin Morgan celebrate taking the wicket of Shoaib Malik who was out for 14. Reuters

Eoin Morgan and Dawid Malan combined to guide England to a five-wicket win over Pakistan at Old Trafford.

The result put the home side 1-0 up in the T20 international series, with just Tuesday’s final game to play.

Even though the first game in the series, two days earlier, had been rained out a long way before its scheduled conclusion, Pakistan had already suffered criticism.

They had opted against trying either of their new young talents Haider Ali, the teenager, or Khushdil Shah. Instead, they went with two players closing in fast on their 40th birthdays.

Shoaib Malik and Mohammed Hafeez were both retained for this game. While Malik came and went quickly with the bat, Hafeez showed he still has plenty to offer.

Hafeez, who turns 40 in October, blazed 69 from just 36 balls. With captain Babar Azam having made his customary half century at the top of the order, Pakistan were able to post 195-4 from their 20 overs.

It meant England would require the biggest successful run chase in any T20 match at Old Trafford if they were to force victory.

There was only a brief moment they looked like they were going to do anything but win.

Tom Banton and Jonny Bairstow out on 66 for the first wicket – only to both fall in successive deliveries in Shadab Khan’s first over.

First, Bairstow top edged a slog to leg up to Imad Wasim on 44. Off the next ball, Shadab trapped Banton lbw with a googly.

Although Morgan and Malan started cautiously against the spin of Shadab and Iftikhar Ahmed, they were soon into their work.

Morgan has fond memories of Old Trafford already. It was at this ground where he struck a World Cup record for sixes in an innings as he razed Afghanistan’s bowlers in 2019.

He found his range again this time, hitting four sixes and six fours in a whirlwind knock worth 66 from 33 balls, on his way to the man of the match award.

Between him and Malan, they had the decisive alliance in the match, putting on 112 from 62 deliveries.

Although Morgan fell, to a catch by Khushdil – on as a substitute fielder – off the bowling of Haris Rauf, with the job still to finish, England had no trouble sealing the victory.

Sam Billings came to the wicket and maintained the rate with a breezy 10 off five balls, before he also fell to Rauf with the scores level.

Fittingly, it was left to Malan to score the winning runs. He hit the first ball of the final over for four, to finish on 54 not out from 36 balls.

That means Malan now has a career average of 54.50 in T20Is, with seven scores in excess of 50 in his 12 matches so far.

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Player ratings for England v Pakistan Test series