RESULT
3rd ODI (D/N), Bristol, May 14, 2019, Pakistan tour of England
(44.5/50 ov, T:359) 359/4

England won by 6 wickets (with 31 balls remaining)

Player Of The Match
128 (93)
jonny-bairstow
New
ENG
Full commentary

9.23pm So that's the end of that. Another remarkable contest, another England victory while chasing a total. They are in a good place heading towards the main event. Join us again at Trent Bridge on Thursday. From Alan, Ranjith and myself, good night!

Jonny Bairstow is Man of the Match: "When you get into positions like that, to make a big hundred, it's frustrating when you drag one on. You want to make 170-180. Jason and I complement each other pretty well. Having a laugh out there, enjoying each other's success."

Eoin Morgan: "Extremely proud, we felt that was on par, and Jonny and Jason were brilliant. With the bowling, we made in-roads in the first ten overs. Pakistan came back and posted a par score. When guys perform like this it builds confidence, for looking ahead, it builds confidence in the group."

Mark Wood should be fit for Trent Bridge, he adds.

Sarfaraz Ahmed "As a captain, 360 is not an easy target to chase. But there are some postiives. Before the World Cup, both openers played very well. And Asif Ali, it's a good sign for us."

9.16pm Right, let's hear from the chief pony himself. It's time for some presentations...

9.13pm Dez: "If England are 1 trick ponies, please explain why they've won virtually every away series recently too - ranging from Sri Lanka to New Zealand??" Because their trick is awesome? Even if they sometimes cock it up...

Harneet Singh: ""One Trick Ponies", "Flat Track Bullies", "One Dimensional". Agreed the bowling is a bit weak - though a lot changes with Wood and Archer but to call the batting one-dimensional? You don't beat Australia 4-1 in Australia if you're one-dimensional. And that's only one of the examples, mind. Also, if the rare collapses make England a so called "One Trick Pony" - and that's a ridiculous term by the way - then you need to not watch the game at all. "

Mark: "Well... that was pretty brutal. Don't whinge about it: imitate it and try to execute it even better than England are. England's style of play has refreshed a tired format in the way that Sri Lanka's careful batting changed ODIs in the 1990s."

9.11pm Hypocaust: "This series currently has the highest run rate (7.15 rpo) of any men's ODI series or tournament of 2+ matches.

9.06pm Well, what are you supposed to make of that then? England were theoretically challenged today, but turned a stiff chase into a cakewalk, thanks to Jonny Bairstow's seventh ODI hundred. Valuable time in the middle for Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali, and another pair of decent knocks from Jason Roy and Joe Root. England's batting is cooking on gas ... now, about their bowling.

For Pakistan, it was a day to remember for Imam-ul-Haq, a massive 151 from 131 balls seemed to have set his side up for a shot at squaring the series. They need some extra oomph in their bowling... perhaps Shadab Khan's return from illness can give them a World Cup lift?

Ghalib: "Now I have seen the most biased side of yours. Had the catches been taken 300 could have been a dream for England today. It's Pakistan that offers such a low level game. Don't expect to do it against Ind, Aus, NZ, SA...." Yes, there is that too ... but England do bat pretty deep. And Jos Buttler was rested today too.

44.5
1
Asif Ali to Morgan, 1 run

pushed into the covers. England have demolished a massive target with 5.1 overs to spare!

44.4
1
Asif Ali to Moeen Ali, 1 run

hoicked to the leg side, scores level

44.3
1
Asif Ali to Morgan, 1 run

pushed calmly down to long-on

Ananth: "This England team is a one trick pony practically built for playing on absolutely flat tracks. Even a little assistance for any kind of bowling derails this side, as we've seen in the past. Now hoping that it gets exposed some time during the WC. " What a trick though. If I had a pony that could unicycle over a tightrope, but occasionally fall off it, I'd be pretty chuffed...

44.2
4
Asif Ali to Morgan, FOUR runs

outside off, and dumped through the covers. Too easy

44.1
2
Asif Ali to Morgan, 2 runs

smashed firmly down to long-off, on the back foot

end of over 4416 runs
ENG: 350/4CRR: 7.95 RRR: 1.50
Moeen Ali45 (35b 4x4 3x6)
Eoin Morgan9 (8b 1x6)
Shaheen Shah Afridi 10-0-83-0
Faheem Ashraf 9-0-75-1

Salman: "Andrew, if Pakistan had scored 400, would they be enough? I doubt that." Extraordinary, isn't it? Ludicrous really

43.6
Shaheen Shah Afridi to Moeen Ali, no run

pumped on the up into the off side. England need single figures for victory

43.5
6
Shaheen Shah Afridi to Moeen Ali, SIX runs

a fraction short, and smoked long! Right under the shot, lifting it into the stands! The midwicket crowd fetches its hard hats

Mustafa Moudi: "For me the greatest thriller in the World Cup was not when Gayle or Guptill scored their Double Centuries (No disrespect intended to their great knocks) but the AUSvsNZ in League Stage where a mere 152 made NZ sweat really hard. That is real Cricket, this is some other game !!" Agreed. That was scintillating

43.4
1
Shaheen Shah Afridi to Morgan, 1 run

misses the yorker but not by much, worked to the leg side

43.3
1
Shaheen Shah Afridi to Moeen Ali, 1 run

fuller length, a decent yorker, but timed with some power to deep point

43.2
4
Shaheen Shah Afridi to Moeen Ali, FOUR runs

over-pitched, Moeen holds his shape gloriously, rifles his hands through the line, and over long-off!

43.1
4
Shaheen Shah Afridi to Moeen Ali, FOUR runs

wide full-toss, that's just a pie, and guzzled through backward point! England aren't home yet, but jolly nearly!

end of over 439 runs
ENG: 334/4CRR: 7.76 RRR: 3.57
Eoin Morgan8 (7b 1x6)
Moeen Ali30 (30b 2x4 2x6)
Faheem Ashraf 9-0-75-1
Shaheen Shah Afridi 9-0-67-0
42.6
Faheem to Morgan, no run

a bottom-handed bunt to mid-off

42.5
6
Faheem to Morgan, SIX runs

swung lustily into the crowd! Another sweet connection as Faheem bangs it in too short

Faisal: "As a Pakistani fan, if Amir gets to world cup, he would be thanking God for the chicken pox to keep him out of these two matches. Don't think any bowler can help his case on these roads." Well, it's a fair point. Poor Denners hasn't benefitted from playing, after all, unlike Liam Dawson!

42.4
Faheem to Morgan, no run

hopping back and across, defended on a leg-stump line

42.3
2
Faheem to Morgan, 2 runs

punched into the covers

42.2
Faheem to Morgan, no run

on leg stump, hopping into the pad

42.1
1
Faheem to Moeen Ali, 1 run

on the back foot, tapped to the leg side

end of over 422 runs • 1 wicket
ENG: 325/4CRR: 7.73 RRR: 4.25
Eoin Morgan0 (2b)
Moeen Ali29 (29b 2x4 2x6)
Shaheen Shah Afridi 9-0-67-0
Faheem Ashraf 8-0-66-1

Joel H: "Surely the fact that Denly hasn't come out now has all but confirmed his fate. Are they likely to pull Liam Dawson out of Hampshire's match with Warwickshire to play in the last two ODIs?" You know what, I think they might. And so does George Dobell

41.6
Shaheen Shah Afridi to Morgan, no run

fuller length, tighter line, thumped to cover

41.5
Shaheen Shah Afridi to Morgan, no run

tidy line outside off, Morgan opens up with a respectful leave-alone, possibly the first we've witnessed from England all series...

Peter: "Never cease to be amused at the fans of some teams complaining about a flat wicket in England. Great grasp of irony. Same flans complained about the green tops they saw when visiting these shores in yesteryear" Whatever it is, it is going to the dogs, I tell you

41.4
1
Shaheen Shah Afridi to Moeen Ali, 1 run

full toss, an open-faced skew down to third man