Pakistan Secure Second Consecutive Win with 87-Run Victory over England

Pakistan secured a comfortable 87-run victory over England in the second match of the tri-nation ODI series, thanks to an outstanding all-round performance from Arafat Minhas.

The 21-year-old left-arm spinner emerged as the hero of the match at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, scoring a half-century and claiming six wickets to guide Pakistan to a convincing win.

Chasing a target of 303 runs, England made an impressive start. Openers Tom Banton and Ben Duckett put together a 91-run partnership. Haris Rauf broke the stand by dismissing Duckett, who scored 45 off 45 balls. Minhas then struck to remove half-centurion Banton, who made 57 off 53 deliveries, triggering a collapse in the England camp.

England struggled to cope with Minhas’s spin as he dismantled their batting lineup. After bowling England captain Harry Brook for just five, Minhas dismissed Jordan Cox (18), Jamie Overton (1) and Will Jacks (19). He completed his six-wicket haul by removing Adil Rashid for a duck. England were eventually bowled out for 215 in 38.4 overs. Minhas finished with figures of 6 for 40 from 8.4 overs, while Haris Rauf claimed two wickets and Naseem Shah took one.

Earlier, Pakistan suffered an early setback after being put in to bat. Gus Atkinson struck with the very first ball of the innings, dismissing opener Fakhar Zaman for a golden duck. Saim Ayub also departed cheaply for eight. Babar Azam (34) and Saad Baig (35) attempted to steady the innings, but the hosts found themselves in trouble at 133 for five.

Hasan Nawaz and Arafat Minhas then took charge, adding a crucial 78 runs for the sixth wicket to revive Pakistan’s innings. Hasan Nawaz top-scored with a blistering 79 off 74 balls, hitting five fours and four sixes. Minhas contributed 59 off 58 deliveries, including nine boundaries. Towards the end, Faheem Ashraf provided further momentum with a quickfire 39 off 26 balls. His contribution helped Pakistan score 91 runs in the final 10 overs, finishing at 302 for nine in their allotted 50 overs.

For England, Sonny Baker claimed three wickets for 65 runs, while Gus Atkinson took two for 35.

Following their 37-run victory over Sri Lanka, this was Pakistan’s second consecutive win in the series. England and Sri Lanka will face each other in the next match at the same venue on Thursday, October 22.