room outside off to drive and Pietersen does so viciously ... it goes straight through the extra-cover fielder and all the way to the rope. So, that's how to win ODI cricket in Asia - simples
Pakistan vs England, 3rd ODI at Dubai, Feb 18 2012 - Ball by Ball Commentary
RESULT
3rd ODI (D/N), Dubai (DICS), February 18, 2012, England tour of United Arab Emirates
New
ENG
Full commentary
How do England spell victory? In this case E-M-P-H-A-T-I-C. A nine-wicket win puts the the tourists 3-0 up with one to play and secures a first series victory in Asian conditions since Sri Lanka in 2007 - and only England's third since 1987. And this performance, having lost the toss, has been the most impressive so far by Alastair Cook's men.
Right from the moment he lasered his third ball to the square boundary, Pietersen looked in the groove today. He was brutally dismissive all round the wicket to reach his first ton since Cuttack in 2008 - a day he also scored 111 not out. Cook, Finn and Stuart Broad can also feel pretty pleased with their performances, while Pakistan will rue another top-order collapse, which meant impressive innings from Umar Akmal and Shahid Afridi were in vain.
Anyway, it's awards time - and the topline news is that Umar Gul hit the biggest six of the game. Oh, and Pietersen was Man of the Match.
Pietersen: "Most importantly we're 3-0 up, so it's a series win away from home. I said I was not getting luck, I was getting starts and getting out but with a little bit of fortune I made runs today. I suppose I was a bit more possitive this evening, looking to run at the ball, hit the ball. [On DRS] Definitely not, I start again on nought on Tuesday - it's a great leveller is cricket so I'm not going to say I've cracked it."
Misbah-ul-Haq: "Full credit to England, the way they are performing, their seamers are putting pressure on our batting line-up and restricting us - and it was a wonderful performance by their batsman. It was a good pitch but we kept on losing wickets - we were looking for 270-280. Cricket is all about pressure, when you feel pressure, things start to go wrong. We need to set better targets and give our bowlers a better chance."
Cook: "Again our bowlers were outstanding. To keep them to 220 on that wicket was a fantastic effort. Everyone contributed and 220 was quite a bit below par. [Expect to be 3-0 up?] You can always hope can't you? We didn't play well in the Test series but that doesn't make us bad players over night ... We've put in some really good performances and can take credit for that. Win or lose, you work hard as a team. We kept our chins up through the Test series and stuck to our guns and got the results."
Anyway, that's it from me and Alex. Can England secure a tit-for-tat whitewash from out of leftfield? Join us to find out on Tuesday. Cheerio!
37.2
4
Cheema to Pietersen, FOUR runs
37.1
•
Cheema to Pietersen, no run
length, knocked to short midwicket
end of over 3711 runs
ENG: 222/1CRR: 6.00 • RRR: 0.07
Eoin Morgan24 (32b 2x4 1x6)
Kevin Pietersen107 (96b 9x4 2x6)
Shahid Afridi 8-0-52-0
Aizaz Cheema 6-0-36-0
Just one more'll do it ... And KP should now get the honour.
36.6
4
Afridi to Morgan, FOUR runs
tossed up and humped back over Afridi's head to the boundary
36.5
2
Afridi to Morgan, 2 runs
turned off his legs this time, to deep backward square
36.4
•
Afridi to Morgan, no run
outside off, cut hard to the point fielder
36.3
4
Afridi to Morgan, FOUR runs
looped up, a full toss really, and driven from under his nose through extra cover. England are almost there
36.2
•
Afridi to Morgan, no run
off-stump line, driven back
36.1
1
Afridi to Pietersen, 1 run
on the stumps, chopped to point
end of over 368 runs
ENG: 211/1CRR: 5.86 • RRR: 0.85
Kevin Pietersen106 (95b 9x4 2x6)
Eoin Morgan14 (27b 1x6)
Aizaz Cheema 6-0-36-0
Shahid Afridi 7-0-41-0
So, you know earlier when I suggested Pietersen was bluffing in that interview about his form ... well, what I didn't say was that I was bluffing.
35.6
1
Cheema to Pietersen, 1 run
well wide of off and clattered to deep backward square
35.5
4
Cheema to Pietersen, FOUR runs
short, hammered down the ground on the back foot. Babe Ruth couldn't have hit that better
35.4
2
Cheema to Pietersen, 2 runs
touch short, Pietersen walks across and bunts it off his hips in familiar style - he's properly chuffed, and why not? He removes his helmet and displays that familiar roundhouse fistpump. That's his first ODI hundred in more than three years
35.3
•
Cheema to Pietersen, no run
length, outside off, driven on the up to extra-cover
35.2
•
Cheema to Pietersen, no run
defended back down the wicket, Cheema fields and throws down the stumps - but KP is back in his crease
Pietersen on 99, then ...
35.1
1
Cheema to Morgan, 1 run
room to cut outside off stump and hit hard to third man, who fields and then falls over, as if a rug had been pulled from under his feet
end of over 356 runs
ENG: 203/1CRR: 5.80 • RRR: 1.33
Eoin Morgan13 (26b 1x6)
Kevin Pietersen99 (90b 8x4 2x6)
Shahid Afridi 7-0-41-0
Aizaz Cheema 5-0-28-0
34.6
1
Afridi to Morgan, 1 run
short, leg side and swivel-pulled down to long leg
34.5
•
Afridi to Morgan, no run
googly, given some air, chopped into the ground towards point
34.4
1
Afridi to Pietersen, 1 run
tossed up, driven down the ground
34.3
•
Afridi to Pietersen, no run
wide of off and turning further - left
34.2
•
Afridi to Pietersen, no run
on the stumps, jabbed away defensively on the back foot
34.1
4
Afridi to Pietersen, FOUR runs
looping, bouncing ball, landing on off and turning away ... too much room for Pietersen, who slaps a drive past extra-cover
From the other end, it'll be Shahid Afridi ...
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