England vs Pakistan, 2nd ODI at Abu Dhabi, , Feb 15 2012 - Ball by Ball Commentary

RESULT
2nd ODI (D/N), Abu Dhabi, February 15, 2012, England tour of United Arab Emirates
250/4
(49/50 ov, T:251) 230

England won by 20 runs

Player Of The Match
102 (121)
alastair-cook
New
PAK
Full commentary
end of over 498 runs • 2 wickets
PAK: 230/10CRR: 4.69 RRR: 21.00
Saeed Ajmal7 (4b 1x4)
Steven Finn 10-1-34-4
Stuart Broad 10-0-54-1

That's that then chaps. England win again, still two more games to come in this series and then three T20s so still plenty of cricket to come from the Middle East. Next up is Saturday, again an 11am GMT start and we're back to Dubai for the next couple of matches. But before that the CB series from down under is back at 3.20am GMT on Friday and we'll have live commentary on Australia against Sri Lanka. Hope you can join the guys then and i'll be back with Monty on Saturday for the next game in this series...bye for now...

Presentation time...of the sensible awards... Best Bowler goes to Steven Finn again...Performance of the Match to Samit Patel for wickets and a catch...Man of the Match awarded to Alastair Cook for his second century in succession...

"Today batsman realised their duties at the top of the order but the main difference was the fielding," says Misbah. "We kept losing wickets at the wrong time. It was the job of the top six to get the runs."

"It was a slightly different wicket to Monday, it was slower. We thought 250 would be tough to chase down," says Cook. "We knew when we bowled up front it was the best time to bat and we got ahead of the game with Steve Finn especially. We fielded outstandingly well."

So there we have it, England lead the series 2-0 and continue their comeback after the whitewash in the Test series. Once again it was captain Cook who set up England's total with another hundred from the top of the order and once again it was Steven Finn who led England's defence, he finished with 4 for 34, identical figures as the first ODI

Pakistan had a real shout throughout that chase but kept losing wickets at bad times to keep England sniffing. Shahid Afridi bounced a couple of big hits to the boundary but when he fell, the innings totally crumbled.

48.6
W
Finn to Cheema, OUT

swing and a miss, Cheema bowled and England win by 20 runs. A length ball, a real tailender's swipe across the line and the stumps pinged back

Aizaz Cheema b Finn 1 (2b 0x4 0x6 3m) SR: 50
48.5
1
Finn to Ajmal, 1 run

steps away and cracks a drive to extra cover off a bottom edge

48.4
4
Finn to Ajmal, FOUR runs

step across the stumps and a paddle over short long leg brings four, good shot, plenty more of that required for what would be somewhat of a miracle

48.3
2
Finn to Ajmal, 2 runs

a length ball heaved off low on the bat over mid on, they'll get a couple

48.2
1
Finn to Cheema, 1 run

full and straight, chopped into the covers, the scramble through

Last rites coming up, Pakistan had their chance in this chase but couldn't quite see it through...Cheema the last man...

48.1
W
Finn to Umar Gul, OUT

full, missed, lbw and this game is all but over. A quick, straight delivery is too good for Gul, a great yorker right up there, Gul missed and that would have cannoned leg stump

Umar Gul lbw b Finn 5 (5b 1x4 0x6 7m) SR: 100

So now it should be a formality for England one thinks...

end of over 485 runs • 1 wicket
PAK: 222/8CRR: 4.62 RRR: 14.50
Saeed Ajmal0 (1b)
Umar Gul5 (4b 1x4)
Stuart Broad 10-0-54-1
Steven Finn 9-1-26-2
47.6
Broad to Ajmal, no run

full on leg stump, strikes the pad

47.5
1
Broad to Umar Gul, 1 run

another swing, off the toe to third man

47.4
4
Broad to Umar Gul, FOUR runs

could there be hope yet...a great hit over cow corner, lovely strike, picked up of a length and it blazes to the boundary

47.3
Broad to Umar Gul, no run

swung outside off and another play and miss

47.2
Broad to Umar Gul, no run

length outside off and played and missed at

47.1
W
Broad to Misbah, OUT

oh what a take! Kieswetter takes an absolute pearler running back behind him to remove Misbah and Pakistan's last hope. Misbah tried to swing a full Broad ball to leg, got a big top edge, it whirled behind the keeper who raced back and was nowhere near it but at the last moment, dived full length to his left to make the grab with both hands. An absolutely fantastic bit of work from Kieswetter and that should win England this game

Misbah-ul-Haq c †Kieswetter b Broad 47 (59b 2x4 0x6 110m) SR: 79.66

Out comes Gul ahead of Ajmal, this is the right move but it still needs Misbah to play a blinder for Pakistan to win here...

end of over 474 runs • 1 wicket
PAK: 217/7CRR: 4.61 RRR: 11.33
Misbah-ul-Haq47 (58b 2x4)
Steven Finn 9-1-26-2
Stuart Broad 9-0-49-0
46.6
W
Finn to Abdur, OUT

full, another swing, back goes the off stump and this time Rehman's torturous innings is ended. He tried another heave to leg and is put out of his misery, missing by miles. That has just eaten up deliveries and potentially handed the game to England

Abdur Rehman b Finn 1 (12b 0x4 0x6 23m) SR: 8.33
46.5
Finn to Abdur, no run

swing and miss, clatters out middle stump but of course it doesn't count, crucially a dot ball though

Free hit...

46.5
1nb
Finn to Abdur, (no ball)

fired into the pads, no run back to the bowler...but a no ball! Again silly extras

46.4
1
Finn to Misbah, 1 run

heave to leg, Trott's out there and can field to keep them to only one

What was wrong with the length bowling that Rehman was nowhere near?

46.3
1
Finn to Abdur, 1 run

full and Rehman gets a bat on it to point and they scramble a run

Four ball for Rehman again...

46.2
1
Finn to Misbah, 1 run

pushed away from back of a length into the off side and they take a run

46.1
Finn to Misbah, no run

length ball on off stump and blocked

Finn back into the attack...Misbah has to be the man...

end of over 466 runs
PAK: 213/6CRR: 4.63 RRR: 9.50
Abdur Rehman0 (8b)
Misbah-ul-Haq45 (55b 2x4)
Stuart Broad 9-0-49-0
James Anderson 9-1-36-2

Lucky for that wide, otherwise it was four more dots in succession...

45.6
Broad to Abdur, no run

length and Rehman tries to go leg side with a heave and misses by a huge distance

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