England Beats Pakistan To Win 2-1 In T20 Series

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Feb 28  : England won the Twenty20 series against Pakistan on Monday to add to its one-day international triumphs after Kevin Pietersen's unbeaten 62 led to a five-run victory that was sealed on the final ball.

Pietersen struck six fours and a six from 52 balls — scoring 40 runs in the last four overs — to spearhead England to 129-6, a total kept in check by offspinner Saeed Ajmal taking a wicket in each of his overs to finish with 4-23.

Jade Dernbach restricted Pakistan's chase to 124-6 when he clean-bowled captain Misbah-ul-Haq for 28 off the last ball of a final over that cost only seven runs when 13 was needed for victory.

Dernbach finished with 2-24 but it was captain Stuart Broad's penultimate over that put the pressure on Pakistan's batsmen, conceding only a single boundary and removing Umar Akmal for 22 from a skied shot in frustration straight to Graeme Swann at long off.

Shahid Afridi took two off Dernbach's first delivery of the 20th over but was run out next ball, failing to beat a strong throw of Jonathan Bairstow from long off.

Although Dernbach then bowled a wide, he kept his cool and conceded just three singles before knocking back Misbah's stumps.

"Jade Dernbach got a fantastic last over, there was lot of pressure on him in that last over and to hold the temper like he did was fantastic," said Broad, who won his first Twenty20 series as captain.

"We knew it was not a 150-160 wicket so we just held on and got ourselves to a competitive total. We knew if we really hung in there we could push it down to the wire."

Opening batsman Awais Zia — playing in only his third twenty20 match — gave Pakistan a solid start when he scored 23 in putting on 40 runs for the second wicket with Asad Shafiq.

Shafiq top-scored with 34 off 32 balls before he was run out in the 13th over, and England seamers then choked Pakistan batsmen in the last two overs.

"What can I say about this, I think it's a real disappointment for us (because) 129 was an easy target on this wicket but we could not make it in the end," Misbah said.

"We had resources, but we have to improve our performance in every part of the game — in batting, in bowling and especially in fielding."

Earlier, after Broad won his third successive toss, Pietersen's knock formed the nucleus of England's total.

Pakistan spinners were effective on the slow pitch of Sheikh Zayed Stadium and never allowed England to score freely.

Shahid Afridi's figures of 0-19 and Mohammad Hafeez's 0-22 exemplified their accuracy if not penetration, before Pietersen lifted England's total in the last four overs.

Samit Patel hoisted Ajmal for a straight six in his 16 off nine balls, and Pietersen ensured England's bowlers had a total to defend when he lifted seamer Aizaz Cheema over wide mid on for a six off the last ball of the innings.

Pakistan won the first game by 8 runs before England hit back with a 38-run win over the weekend.

The tour lasting nearly two months is now over, with Pakistan winning 3-0 in the test series but then losing the ODIs 4-0.

"We obviously didn't start well in the test matches, but we've shown some good fight to come back and win the one-day series 4-0 and now the Twenty20 series, so we finished on the high," Broad said.