England captain Jos Buttler and Phil Salt shared a superb 89-run opening stand, while Pakistan’s skipper Babar Azam surpassed 4,000 T20I runs as the tourists were bowled out for 157. All matches from the T20 World Cup will be broadcast live on Sky Sports from June 1-29.
Jos Buttler and Phil Salt powered England to a commanding seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in the fourth and final T20I, securing a 2-0 series win at The Kia Oval just days before their T20 World Cup defense begins.
Captain Buttler, back in the squad after the birth of his third child, scored 39 runs, including seven fours and one six, leading the charge with Salt (45) in an explosive 82-run partnership achieved in just 6.2 overs. England’s aggressive batting saw them reach 158-3, comfortably chasing down Pakistan’s 157, with four-and-a-half overs to spare. The team now heads to Barbados for the T20 World Cup, live on Sky Sports.
Earlier, Pakistan’s Babar Azam (36) and Mohammad Rizwan (23) made a strong start with a 59-run partnership in 36 balls after being put into bat. However, England’s Jofra Archer (1-31) and Adil Rashid (2-27) led a fightback. Pakistan’s middle order faltered, slipping to 86-5, with Shadab Khan and Azam Khan both dismissed for ducks. Liam Livingstone (2-17) further dented Pakistan’s innings, including a double-wicket maiden in the 15th over, removing Usman Khan (38) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (0).
Adil Rashid (2-27) and Mark Wood (2-35) each took two wickets as Pakistan’s batting crumbled a week before their World Cup opener against the USA. Babar and Rizwan’s solid start was undone by Archer’s breakthrough, dismissing Babar with a slower ball. Rashid then bowled Rizwan, sparking a collapse that saw Pakistan tumble from 65-2 to 86-5.
Iftikhar Ahmed (21) and Usman Khan (38) attempted a recovery with a 40-run partnership, but Jordan’s catch off Livingstone’s bowling ended it. Wood’s 95mph pace cleaned up the tail, with Naseem Shah (16) edging to Buttler and Haris Rauf (8) run out by Livingstone in the final over.
England’s batting prowess was on full display, preparing them well for their World Cup campaign. Rauf (3-38) was the standout bowler for Pakistan, but their efforts were insufficient. Despite Salt being dropped on 34 by Azam, he was soon dismissed, caught by Rizwan. Rauf also took Buttler’s wicket and bowled Will Jacks (20), leaving England at 112-3.
Jonny Bairstow (28*) and Harry Brook (17*) guided England to victory with a 46-run partnership, with Brook hitting a six to seal the series win.
Babar Azam: Pakistan Playing Well in Patches “We started well but faltered after my dismissal. The middle order needs to improve. We have injuries but also positives. Our play is good in patches.”
Jos Buttler: I Just Want to Keep Improving “I aim to keep improving, trying new things in my game. This gives me fresh energy and motivation. There’s a good feeling in the squad, and everyone is stepping up. More games would have been nice, but we have experienced players, many from the IPL, so we aren’t short on cricket.”
Every match from the T20 World Cup will be live on Sky Sports from June 1-29. England’s first match is against Scotland in Barbados on Tuesday, June 4, at 3:30 pm UK and Ireland time.
Credit: Sky Sports
