KARACHI: Middle-order batters Harry Brook and Ben Duckett smashed robust maiden half-centuries in England’s thumping 63-run win in the third T20 international against Pakistan in Karachi on Friday.

Brook scored a 35-ball 81 not out while Duckett cracked an unbeaten 42-ball 69 to lead England to an impressive 221-3 in their 20 overs after they were sent in to bat at the National stadium.

Shan Masood led Pakistan’s recovery in a 40-ball 65 not out but they finished well short on 158-8 in 20 overs to give England a 2-1 lead in the seven-match series.

The match proved an anti-climax to Pakistan’s big ten-wicket win in the second game on Thursday that avenged their first game defeat by five wickets two days earlier, both in Karachi.

Fast bowler Mark Wood — playing for the first time since March this year following an elbow surgery — dismissed Babar Azam (eight) and Haider Ali (three) while Mohammad Rizwan fell for eight and Iftikhar Ahmed six left the home team reeling at 28-4.

Wood finished with 3-24 while spinner Adil Rashid took 2-32.

Masood and Khushdil Shah (29) added 62 for the fifth wicket but the asking rate climbed as England’s pace-cum-spin attack continued to put the pressure.

Masood’s knock had three boundaries and four sixes.

Earlier, England posted the highest total against Pakistan by any team in all T20Is beating the 211-3 Sri Lanka made in Dubai in 2013.

Debutant Will Jacks set the platform for England with a sparkling 20-ball 40 with eight boundaries before Brook and Duckett took the attack to the Pakistan bowlers.

Brook cracked five sixes and eight boundaries while Duckett hit six and eight boundaries as the pair added 139 runs off just 69 balls — a record fourth-wicket stand for England in all T20Is.

For Pakistan, leg-spinner Usman Qadir was the pick of the bowlers with 2-48 while pacer Shahnawaz Dahani went for 62 runs in his four wicket-less overs.

Dahani’s figures are the second worst by a Pakistani bowler in a T20I, just short of Usman Shinwari who conceded 63 in his four against South Africa at Johannesburg in 2019.

England are on their first tour of Pakistan since 2005.

The remaining matches are in Karachi (Sunday) and Lahore (September 28, 30 and October 2).

Teams:

Pakistan: Babar Azam (captain), Mohammad Rizwan, Haider Ali, Haris Rauf, Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, Shahnawaz Dahani, Shan Masood, Usman Qadir

England: Moeen Ali (captain), Will Jacks, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Liam Dawson, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Phil Salt, Reece Topley, Mark Wood