Champions Trophy update: Pakistan on a roll

Morgan has to ensure a good bowling change as luck seems to be evading his team.

Ball continues and that's one run to Ali at long leg.

A short ball to Zaman and he pulls the ball over square leg for a boundary. Perfectly timed!

Ball bowls another half tracker and Zaman gets two runs down to deep mid-wicket.

Zaman living dangerously here. He swings his bat, gets a top edge and the ball falls at third man for a single. Mark Wood and Joss Buttler attempt a catch but the ball falls in no man's land. 

 

Wood continues. 

Zaman plays the ball to fine leg for a single. 

Nice tight ball to Ali, that is a dot ball. Ali then scampers for a run to square leg. 

A short ball and Zaman plays the ball over square leg for a boundary.

A bouncer to finish the over and that is 6 runs off the over.

Ball continues. 

Zaman gets a single to mid-off.

Short and wide delivery, Ali gets on the front foot and  punches the ball square of the wicket for a boundary, 

That's two dot balls to end the over.

Wow! Wood makes Ali play and miss. Another one. 

Some movement for Wood and another fine delivery.

Pakistan kept a little quiet here. 

Wood beats Azhar again. How did that miss the outside edge!

Just one run off that over and that a leg bye off the first ball of the over. Nice comeback by Wood to keep Pakistan in check.

Ball gives away 3 runs in his over which saw a mis-field by Rashid that allowed the batsmen an extra run.

Wood continues and gives just 3 off the over. 

Jake Ball continues and Zaman gets a four to backward square leg and then gets a quick single to gully.

Ali plays out three dot balls to end the over.

Wood continues and bowls three dot balls to Ali.

He then gets a run to mid-off.

Zaman tries to pull, mistimes the shot, gets a top edge and it falls wide of long on.

Wood ends the over with a peach, beats Ali. 

Jake Ball partners Wood at the other end.

And he bowls 5 wides to Azhar Ali. Ali then gets a single to backward square leg.

Zaman then plays out 5 dot balls. 

Mark Wood opens the bowling for England, who have a huge task ahead of them if they are to restrict Pakistan.

Pakistan's Azhar Ali opens the batting along with Fakhar Zaman.

And Pakistan race to 10 runs off the opening over with a boundary and a six. 

Junaid Khan brought on to bowl the final over.

He starts with a no ball and that is a free-hit, that's gone abegging. 

Jake Ball tries to play a heave but does not connect.

Ball gets treated to a brilliant yorker. 

Ball goes after Junaid, frees his arms, the ball lands deep and the fielders do well to keep it down to 2.

England go for a suicidal run and Mark Wood is run out, Sarfraz gets a direct underarm hit to affect the run out.

England all out for 211 in 49.5 overs.

Raees continues and Mark Wood gets off the mark with a single.

An over-pitched ball is send to third man for 4 by Plunkett. That is the first boundary since the 39th over.

Plunkett's gone! He slogs at a short ball only to be caught by Azhar Ali at deep square leg.

Wood takes a single off the last ball to keep strike.

Ali begins the over with a no-ball. 

Plunkett gets 2 runs to fine leg and is nearly gone as Raees misses the stumps off a direct hit.

What bowling.

Slower ball, Ali follows Stokes and gives him no room to play.

Frustrated Stokes and he mis-judges the slower ball, gets the leading edge, ball balloons into the air and is caught by Hafeez at cover.

Ali does it again!

The batsmen crossed and he then bowls a nice, fast yorker to Plunkett.

Ali finishes his brilliant spell with figures of 3 for 35.

Stokes digs out the Raees delivery to deep mid-wicket.

Pakistan's lovely relay fielding at the boundary to stop the ball from rolling on to the ad boards very impressive.

Stokes plays the ball into the air but short of long on, takes a single to bring Plunkett on strike.

Plunkett gets a run off a leg bye. 

Stokes back on strike but he cannot bisect the in-field.

Raees bowls a short ball that balloons up, a wide ball called and Stokes does well to keep the strike by running a quick single.

Ali continues and Stokes makes room and digs out the yorker for no run.

Stokes pulls the ball to long-on, wants two but slips as he completes the run at the non-striker's end.

Ali does well to field the ball off his own bowling.

Plunkett then plays the ball to third man for a single. Stokes ends the over with a single to keep strike. 

Raees getting some reverse swing here but is tackled nicely by the batsmen who run pick 5 runs in the over.

Pakistan have been inspiring in the field today and may we say this Hassan Ali is certainly the team's lucky charm. He comes into the attack and Pakistan have another wicket.

Hassan Ali comes back into the attack.

A short ball and Stokes pulls it to backward square leg for a single.

Is Rashid in trouble here?

Yes! Rashid is a long way off the crease and he's run out. A superb direct throw by Shehzad at mid-on sees the back of Rashid.

It's all up to Stokes now to prop England to a decent total.

Ali strays a bit and Stokes plays it through the leg side for a single.

That brings new man Plunkett to the crease and a defensive shot to end the over with a dot ball.

Two runs and a wicket from that over.

Raees brought back into the attack and he nearly has his man.

Rashid is beaten three times! What deliveries! 

Raees bowling around the wicket, the ball comes into Rashid, he gets the ball to short third man.

Wide ball and then Stokes runs a single square off the wicket. Just three runs come off the over.

Shadab continues and a rare misfield sees England sneak a couple. 

4 runs off that over too.

Junaid Khan continues and gives 4 runs in the overs, all coming in singles.

With 10 overs to go , the pressure will be on Stokes to up the ante but Pakistan have been impressive and will have to continue in the same vein to keep the total down.

Spinner Shadab Khan is brought into the attack. 

Stokes gets a single to backward square leg.

Rashid gets off the mark with a couple to backward point.

Rashid then gets a single to long on before Stokes plays out two dot balls to end the over.

Junaid continues and Stokes picks a single on the off-side to sweeper cover.

The ball tucks Moeen Ali, he plays a dot.

England lose their 6th.

Moeen gets a short ball, mistimes the pull and Fakhar Zaman takes a good running catch before falling to the ground at deep square leg and then a single to cover.

Stokes gets a couple to deep backward square.

Adil Rashid is the new batsman for England and he plays out a dot ball.

Hafeez brought back into the attack and Moeen does well to pick a boundary off him. A welcome boundary that.

6 runs come off the over.

Junaid Khan continues to Stokes. 

Stokes plays another dot ball and is bounced by Junaid.

The bowler doing a good job of mixing up his deliveries.

Ball is pitched up, Stokes times the ball for single after a mis-field at mid-off.

Moeen ends the over with a run to mid-wicket. That is just two runs off the over.

 

Play and a miss! Moeen chases Ali delivery and is beaten.

What a ball! It angles in and misses the top of the stumps by very little.

Moeen gets off the mark with a well-timed boundary, driven to deep backward point.

Moeen leaves the last one safely.

Junaid Khan gets his man!

Just a little movement, Buttler chases the ball, he gets an edge and caught behind by Sarfraz.

How many times before have we seen a drinks break ruin a partnership.

Moeen Ali at the crease and is welcomed by an attempted yorker that the batsman plays it to mid-wicket.

Junaid is firing in some nice, accurate delivery, giving very little away.

A decent bouncer to end the over. What a spell by Pakistan here!

 

Ali continues to tests Stokes. 

Stokes whips the ball to mid-wicket for a single after 3 dot balls.

Buttler just pushes a single to mid-off for a single.

Ali bowls another lovely, fiery over to give away just two runs. 

And that's drinks!

One cannot appreciate enough the accuracy of the Pakistan bowlers.

Junaid Khan comes back into the attack and bowls that neat length, giving just five runs off the over.

He tucks the batsman for room and there is nothing they can do.

Two left-handers at the crease and Sarfraz brings on his go-to man and Ali strikes! 

What captaincy from Sarfraz. 

Hassan Ali brought back into the attack and he starts around the wicket to Morgan.

Morgan plays a punch to mid-off for no runs. He then gets a run to third man.

Ball angles in, shaping in, Stokes gets the leading edge but goes past point down to third man for a single.

The ball gets the smallest of movements, Morgan chases the wide one and is caught behind by Sarfraz.

Ali strikes again! Cometh the hour, cometh the man. 

Joss Buttler gets off the mark with a single square of the wicket.

Dot ball to end the over.

Hafeez continues.

How did that miss! 

Stokes tries to go for the pull and Hafeez's ball just misses leg stump by millimetres.

Morgam takes a run to long-on, two balls later Stokes plays a similar shot for another single.

Stokes then finishes the over with a single to backward square leg.

Pakistan looking an inspired team here tonight. 

Not only is their bowling accurate but their has been impressive too.

Shabad continues.

Shadab continues, Morgan plays a reverse sweep and gets the much-needed boundary to third man.

Just two singles and that four coming off that over. 

That is a set batsman gone and England in a spot of bother as Ben Stokes comes to the crease.

Pak have put a short-man and slip in place for Stokes. 

A wrong-un played with a straight bat. 

Stokes gets off the mark with a single down to long-off.

Leg-spinner Shadab continues and Morgan gets a run to square leg.

Shadab strikes!

It's a wide ball, it bounced a bit, Root tries to cut at it but only hands a good catch to Sarfraz behind the stumps.

Root goes for 46 off 56. 

Hafeez and Shadab have given very little away here. Root and Morgan have been afforded just 9 runs off the last 2 overs. That is not very impressive of England.

Pakistan have done well to not allow England batsman to free their arms. The pressure is now slowly mounting on the hosts at the half-way stage.

Hafeez continues and Root starts off with a run to square leg.

Morgan cuts and that is a good stop by the cover fielder.

Morgan finds the gap, it's a short ball and Morgan pulls it through mid-wicket for boundary and then runs for a single to mid-wicket.

Root finishes the over with a single to long-off.

Shadab brought back and Root gets a run through sweeper cover. 

Sarfraz talking to his bowler, they make a change in field. 

Morgan plays the ball to backward square leg for a single.

Root then drives the ball down to long-off for a single.

Morgan ends the over with a dot.

 

Ali nearly has Morgan. The batsman tries to pull, gets an under edge but the ball races past a diving Sarfraz for a boundary to fine leg. 

After two dot balls, Morgan runs for a single to mid-on. Root finishes the over with a single to deep square leg.

Root and Morgan going on comfortably here. They don't need to take any chances and that is exactly what they are doing. Playing the deliveries to merit. 

Hafeez continues and Root and Morgan just happy to rotate the strike.

With a run-rate under 5, the 100 coming up in the 22nd over, Pakistan have done well to keep England under check on a flat wicket.

Ali continues and Root hares down the wicket after playing it to short mid-on.

Ali gives just  runs off his over.

Hafeez continues and Morgan pushes the ball to long-on for a single.

Root then plays the next ball just wide of Shadab at short mid-wicket who gets a hand to the ball but cannot stop the single.

Morgan plays the reverse sweep, he gets a bottom edge on to the pad. Umpire uninterested in the appeal.

Morgan plays the ball down past extra cover for another easy 2 runs.

Ali continues and Root punches the ball to cover for a single.

He then bowls in that channel, the ball goes past the off-side. Morgan let's it go to the 'keeper.

Morgan then cuts the ball down to third man for a single.

Ali bowls a bouncer,  Root is tempted to pull it but decides against it at the last moment. Umpire calls it wide.

Root then plays the ball a little wide off third man, who cuts it off at the boundary. The batsmen jog down for a couple.

Off-break bowler Mohammad Hafeez comes in to the attack and he starts off well. 

He gives just three runs off his opening over.

Danger man Hassan Ali comes in to bowl. And he strikes off his third ball!

Bairstow plays a pull shot, only to be holed out at mid-wicket to Mohammad Hafeez. 

Bairstow goes for 43.  

Bairstow's good fortune has finally run out. Good innings but a good breakthough for Pakistan.

The batsmen cross and Root taps the ball down to mid-on and scampers for a single.

This brings England captain Eion Morgan to the crease who starts with a forward defence.

England not taking any chances here and playing the spinners nicely.

Bairstow and Root are keeping the scorebord moving with singles and the odd boundary.

Wasim continues and Root gets a single to long-on.

Bairstow also then jogs for a run after playing it to long-on.

Root then gets a single wide of cover and Bairstow makes it four off the over with a single to long-off.

Shadab is welcomed back with a boundary.

That ball was right in the slot and Bairstow uses all muscle to hammer it behind the bowler for a four.

He then smashes a ball to long on for a single. Root then gets a run to sweeper cover.

Bairstow plays out two dot balls to end the over. 

Wasim continues and Root plays it to long on for a single.

Bairstow cuts but doesn't time it well enough to send it past point. 

One run coming off the last ball and Wasim has given just 2 runs in the over.

Shabad Khan is brought into the attack and the spinner nearly gets the man. Root gets a leading edge and just falls short of Babar at short cover.

He then bowls easy deliveries gifting the batsmen easy runs.

Root latches on to the shot ball and pulls it for a boundary through the vacant mid-wicket region.

Wasim continues and both batsmen are happy to just play him around and run the singles and that is six singles off the over.

The rub of the green evidently going in favour of England here. 

Raees continues and Pakistan nearly have the 2nd wicket. 

Bairstow goes after the bowling, it's a short arm jab, the ball goes over Azhar Ali at mid-wicket. He gets his finger-tips to it and the ball goes to the ground.

Seven runs come off that unlucky over. 

Imad Wasim continues and Pakistan probably want to keep the England scoring down for which his bowling will come in handy.

Bairstow plays the ball to long-on for a single.

Wasim bowling a tight line here, giving nothing away.

He gets Root flush on the front pad but the ball was probably going to miss.

Wasim doing a good job here and gives just one run in his 2nd over.

Wicket-taker Raees is persisted with and he continues in the right line and length to Bairstow.

Bairstow picks the ball and cuts it to deep backward point for a couple. 

He then just whips the ball off his hips for a single down to the leg side.

What a well-timed shot! Joe Root this time just clipping the leg-side delivery off his hips for a boundary past mid-wicket.

Pakistan will have to pick a couple of more wickets 

Sarfraz makes first bowling change, brings in left-arm orthodox spinner Imad Wasim and he nearly foxes new man Joe Root.

Root gets off the mark with a cut through to backward point for 2. 

Raees continues and after 2 dot balls Bairstow gets the ball right in the channel and he punches it down the ground for a boundary. 

He then gets a run to backward square leg.

THAT 'S  A WICKET!

Raees gets his first ODI wicket that of the in-form Hales.

What a strike! Hales goes for the expansive drive -- the bat wobbles in his hand -- only to be holed out at cover in the in-field.

Junaid Khan continues and that is 4 dot balls to Bairstow.

Nice push to mid-off and Bairstow hares off for a single.

Full delivery, slightly slow and Hales just drives that through covers for a sexy boundary.

Five runs given in the last two deliveries and that just spoils Junaid's figures for the over.

England enjoying a big chunk of luck with two LBW decisions against them being turned down after the review. 

Raees continues.

Hales gets a run to third man.

Raees bowls at Bairstow's pads here and he hits the ball to deep square leg for a single. 

Hales then plays the ball down to mid-wicket for a couple.

Hales is struck on the pads, a big appeal by Pakistan, umpire raises the finger.

Hales decides to go for the review and the on-field umpire's decision is reversed.

Junaid continues and Hales gets a run to backward point. 

Bairstow then sends the ball to long leg and scampers for 2.

Bairstow walks across and just works it off his hips for a boundary to deep square leg.

Bairstow gets another boundary, this time he gets on the front foot and jabs the ball over square leg for four.

He gets another couple of runs on the leg side. 

A dot ball to finish an otherwise expensive over. 13 runs coming off that one.

England 7-0 (2 ovs) vs Pakistan | Scorecard

Debutant Rumman Raees opens the bowling at the other end and Bairstow runs a quick run to mid-off

Hales hitting the ball nicely here, he gets the middle of the ball but the ball goes straight to the fielder at mid-off.

Hales charges down, hits the ball hard but that's a fine diving effort from mid-off to keep the runs down to just one.

Bairstow plays and misses. Good start for Raees.

England have brought in in-form Jonny Bairstow for opener Jason Roy and he will open with Alex Hales.

Junaid Khan opens the bowling with a nice yorker. Good way to start.

Pakistan have called for a review for LBW. Bairstow has been hit flush on the backpad here, On-field umpire gives not out and the third umpire stays with that after the review.

Lucky Bairstow and Pakistan have lost their first review here. 

Bairstow gets off the mark with a tuck down to square leg. 

Junaid getting the ball to get back into Hales here. 

Ball bowled a little too straight and Hales just punches it down the ground to get off the mark with a boundary.

What an eventful over to start proceedings.

England and Pakistan will both be vying for a place in the final of the Champions Trophy. 

England were finalists in the last edition of the tournament in the last edition of the tournament in 2013, where they finished runners up to India.

Pakistan will be hoping to seal their first Champions Trophy final berth with more disciplined cricket than the one they displayed against Sri Lanka in the previous match. 

Get set for an exciting encounter as the clock ticks down to the first semi-final,

Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed calls correctly, wins toss and elects to bowl first. 

Pakistan will be without paceman Mohd Amir who has been laid low by back spasm and has been replaced by Rumman Raees.

England will fancy their chances of extending the search for an elusive major global ODI silverware despite drawing a mercurial Pakistan in the first semifinal of the ICC Champions Trophy in Cardiff on Wednesday.

In Eoin Morgan's well-balanced unit, the world sees a chance for England to realise their dream.

Notwithstanding Pakistan's remarkable turnaround after a embarrassing loss to arch-rivals India in their tournament opener in Birmingham, hosts England will take to the field at Sophia Gardens with their nose ahead.

In Ben Stokes, they have one of the world's best all-rounder, who can inflict damage on the opposition with both bat and ball.

Joe Root is a world-class batsman and is the fulcrum around whom the England batting revolves.

Morgan and Jos Buttler complete the middle order, while openers Alex Hales and Jason Roy have the ability to be devastating at the top. Roy, though, has not been in the best of form and could be replaced by Jonny Bairstow for the last-four clash.

They also have a handy bowling attack to challenge any opposition.

Pakistan will be boosted by Sarfraz's match-winning knock in the team's three-wicket win over Sri Lanka, which put them into the semis.

That they managed to hold their own in a match where there was quite a few twists and turns, should boost Pakistan's morale.

The first semi-final of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy is just over half-an-hour away and already there is some bad news from the Pakistan camp.

There are whispers from the Pak dressing room that left-arm paceman Mohammad Amir is a doubtful starter for the match against England today.

He is down with back spasm and will most likely sit out of the crucial tie.