Jonny on the spot as England win again
Stand-in Bairstow guides England past shambolic Pakistan
Jonny BAIRSTOW was not meant to be playing at Headingley but when Jos Buttler was injured in the warm-up he took his chance to take england within a game of a one- day whitewash of Pakistan.
After the highs of the recordladen win at Trent Bridge this was a much more competitive game for england, who maintained their unbeaten run this season in whiteball cricket with a four-wicket win.
now a win in Cardiff on Sunday will complete their first home 5-0 one-day series triumph while Pakistan are left to reflect on their old-fashioned one- day incompetence that was once england’s trademark.
Pakistan were in the hunt when the giant figure of Mohammad irfan dismissed both england’s openers when they set off in pursuit of another below-par total but Bairstow steadied the ship in partnership with Ben Stokes.
Then, with the game in the balance, the 7ft 1in irfan was unable to come back for a second spell when his huge frame stiffened up, much to the fury of Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur, who was seen chuntering and stomping on the sidelines.
it was all too much for Arthur when irfan finally attempted to bowl his sixth over, delivered a terrible wide and then limped off, the perfect symbol of Pakistan’s shambolic 50-over cricket.
With him went Pakistan’s last chance as Bairstow delighted his home crowd before being run out for 61 with the winning post in sight, leaving Moeen Ali, with two late sixes, and David Willey to see england home.
it will be just as encouraging for england, with win-winter trips to Banglagladesh and india to come, that it wass their spinners who had proved the main threat against subcontinental batsmen on a slow Headingley pitch.
Moeen remains s england’s firsttchoice spinner inin Test cricket butt it is Adil rashid whoo takes the leading rolele in the white-ball game as he showed with three wickets in the face of another insipid Pakistan display.
Between them the great friends took five wickets while conceding just 86 in their 20 overs, Moeen not conceding a single boundary and luring Mohammad nawaz into somehow being stumped while playing a defensive stroke.
it came on the day it emerged tthat Moeen, who could be rested from the oneday leg of england’s tour of BBangladesh, will pplay in the TTwenty20 Pakiststan Super League in February.F ononly Azhar Ali, who was laterla forced to fill in for irfirfan with the ball, produced anythinga like the dynamic batting so lacking in his side as he smashed two sixes in his 80 before rashid had him caught on the boundary by Willey. it was looking like Pakistan’s worst batting performance yet in a royal London series. yet they were at least able to reach 247 for eight thanks to late impetus provided by the Swansea-born imad Wasim, who hit 57 off 41 balls.
Pakistan’s lethargy enabled england to continue easing Stokes back by allowing him to bowl just four overs, as he did at Trent Bridge, while Chris Jordan showed his ability at the death, conceding only 14 from his final four overs.
But it looked as though Pakistan would pull off an unlikely victory when irfan inspired a fightback by removing Alex Hales, who scored the small matter of 163 runs fewer than he managed at Trent Bridge, and Jason roy despite receiving two warnings for running on the pitch from Marais erasmus.
When the giant irfan held on to a top edged pull from Joe root and captain eoin Morgan’s tentative innings was ended by umar gul england were in trouble on 72 for four but the partnership between Stokes and Bairstow snatched the game from Pakistan’s grasp.
Stokes was unable to see the job through after holing out for 69 but england eased home with 12 balls to spare.
Buttler, who felt a tight hamstring to force his late withdrawal, should be fit for Cardiff, leaving Bairstow to contemplate a return to the sidelines and england to count their blessings with such a rich depth of talent.
Bairstow said: ‘i was told in the morning that Jos was fit but then i found out i was playing 32 minutes before the match. you just have to get on with it really. of course it’s frustrating not to have a regular place but we have a squad with such depth and we’re not even at our best yet.’
Morgan added: ‘ For Jonny to come in at the last moment and produce a man-of-the-match performance was outstanding.’