Twitter Reactions: Tom Banton wreaks havoc before rain forces no result

Continuing with a Bradmenseque consistency, the rain won another match between England and Pakistan during the English summer. Only 16.1 overs of play happened before the heavens opened up and the players went off the field. The rain stopped eventually but not before spoiling the outfield to the extent that umpires had to abandon the match.

Tom Banton’s blazing maiden T20I half-century was the highlight as he capitalized an opportunity quite perfectly in Jason Roy’s absence. He played a range of shots during his 42-ball 71 and dominated the Pakistan bowlers convincingly. Much to Pakistan’s ire, Iftikhar Ahmed dropped a sitter at slips off Shaheen Afridi when Banton was on 5.

The Somerset-bloke looked brittle at the start on a surface that had been under covers for long due to rain and consumed 19 deliveries for his first twenty runs. However, he soon found himself going easy as the spinners took charge. Banton swept Shadab Khan with audacity while he walloped Afridi with power. Earlier in the day, his partner Jonny Bairstow was dismissed cheaply, although the new man Dawid Malan looked happy to play the second fiddle alongside Banton,

The turnaround

Banton targeted Shadab in particular as he plonked back-to-back sixes off him in the 9th over leaving him bamboozled. It was in the same over that fortunes swayed the tourists’ way as the supporting actor Malan was found at the same end as his partner eventually being run out.

Coming in next, Eoin Morgan slammed a four to get off the mark and a six off his third delivery to clear his intentions. England was cruising as they added 32 runs in the next four overs that followed. Although Iftikhar Ahmed had other plans as he pinned the English skipper in front to follow with a successful shout for lbw. Mohammad Rizwan rushed into the fissure created by Ahmed as he made Moeen Ali edge to the wicketkeeper.

Lewis Gregory trying to boldly step out against Imad Wasim in the next over and giving a stumping opportunity to a man making least mistakes this series- Mohammad Rizwan, meant that the hosts lost 4 wickets in a space of as many overs.

Rain stops play

Just when Pakistan started to take some heart by running through the English middle-order quickly after boring the brunt of Banton’s willow, the clouds hovering over Old Trafford started pouring in. The outfield had soaked enough water and the toil of the groundsmen to get the field ready did not pay off.

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