Pakistan beat England by 87 runs in ODI tri-series opener
Arafat Minhas took 6 for 40 after scoring 59 to lead Pakistan to an 87-run win over England at Rawalpindi.
Pakistan defeated England by 87 runs in the opening match of the ODI tri-series at Rawalpindi on Tuesday. Arafat Minhas claimed career-best figures of 6 for 40 after scoring 59, and England collapsed from 91 for 0 to 215 all out while chasing 303.
Ben Duckett and Tom Banton each made 47 in the opening stand, but the middle order folded once Joe Root and Sam Curran were separated. Arafat took five of the last seven wickets and completed a run-out to finish the innings in 38.4 overs.
England face Sri Lanka at the same venue on Thursday. The three-team tournament features two matches between each side, with the top two teams contesting the final in Lahore on October 31.
CricHubb Take
England's middle-order fragility remains unresolved. The same batting group that posted three consecutive bilateral series wins lost seven wickets for 50 runs once the opening stand was broken, exposing a narrow margin between their recent success and collapse under pressure.