Already we have a dearth of international games owing to the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic, and to add salt to the injury, weather is also not letting the matches to complete. The second and third tests between England and Pakistan were greatly affected by rain and now even in the first T20I we could not get a result. Pakistan’s captain Babar Azam won the toss and asked Eoin’s team to bat first. The 17th over of England’s innings was in progress when it started pouring down and we couldn’t see players out in the middle thereafter. Banton showed why he is so highly rated in limited overs. But other than his innings, game was mostly dominated by Pakistan bowlers who held England tight initially in the powerplay and again towards the end with several wickets.

Slow start

England didn’t start well as they lost Bairstow in the very first over of Imad Wasim. He played the shot straight in Imad’s hands who didn’t fumble. Thereafter, Shaheen Afridi and Md Amir bowled tight lines and did not let Malan and Banton score freely. After initially searching for swing they quickly went back to the tried and tested mixture of yorkers and slower balls that kept the batsmen in check. England could score only 34 in the powerplay of 6 overs.

Banton show

Tom Banton got an early reprieve off Afridi when he was dropped by Ifthikar at first slip. Then he took his time and scored at run a ball in the powerplay. It was only after the introduction of Shadab Khan that he let his natural game take over. He began the over with a six and then succeeded it with two more sixes in Shadab’s second over. Banton got to his fifty off 33 deliveries and celebrated it with another big one off Wasim. He also used unconventional shots to good effect, scoring boundaries and six by scooping Rauf towards fine leg region. But he perished trying to slog sweep Shadab against the spin and getting a top edge easily pouched by Wasim at mid off. Banton scored 71(42) that included 4 hits to the boundary and 5 hits over them.

Pakistan’s comeback

With Banton’s wicket Pakistan got back in the game and futher strengthened their grip with wickets at regular intervals. Morgan (14) was out while trying to sweep a full ball from Iftikhar taht he missed and it further struck his pads in front of the stumps. Shadab, then, got Moeen Ali caught behind for 8. Gregory was next to fall, being stumped off Wasim. Billings and Jordan were on the crease with England’s score 131/6 in 16.1 overs when the play was interrupted by rain never to resume again.