[Jeebers]

Jesus H Christ, just get some wickets God dammit

[themaclad]

Going to be an interesting finish

[Lord Snooty]

Close day 3:
Pakistan 234 & 146/3 

England 306
Pakistan lead by 74 runs with 7 wickets remaining

---

If they get a 200 lead, we're stuffed.

[Jeebers]

Nailed that one Snoots, two tests lost we shouldn't have, bloody shambles

[Lord Snooty]

Not watched much of the three tests but it sounds very much like the last tour over there. Three matches we were in contention to win but lost. This time we have improved by drawing the first test. 

Thingy whatsisface, the coach who's name I've forgotten, says there are places up for grabs. Well the next test match starts on Boxing Day in South Africa. Where are these players supposed to prove their worth?

I think it's time for Ding Dong to hang his boots up. Moeen Ali should go back down the order. Can't see Patel or Rashid ever playing for the England test team again.

So who comes in? Plunkett and Willey have to go on the next tour. And why isn't Jack Brooks ever mentioned as an England player? Is Jason Roy ready for a step up to tests? Is Sam Billings a good enough wicketkeeper/batsman? It appears that neither Butthead or Bairstow are. 

As for the future, Yorkshire schoolboy Matthew Fisher could be the surprise call up next summer.

---

Bayliss. Trevor Bayliss. Just came to me now. 

---

Pakistan 234 & 355

England 306 & 156 
Pakistan won by 127 runs

---

September

30 England arrive in UAE

October
5-6 v Pakistan A, Sharjah (07:00 BST) - Match drawn Scorecard
8-9 v Pakistan A, Sharjah (07:00 BST) - Match drawn Scorecard
13-17 1st Test, Abu Dhabi (07:00 BST) - Match drawn Scorecard
22-26 2nd Test, Dubai (07:00 BST) - Pakistan won by 178 runs Scorecard

November
1-5 3rd Test, Sharjah (06:00 GMT) - Pakistan won by 127 runs Scorecard
8 One-day practice match (v Hong Kong), Abu Dhabi
11 1st ODI, Abu Dhabi (d/n) (11:00 GMT)
13 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi (d/n) (11:00 GMT)
17 3rd ODI, Sharjah (d/n) (11:00 GMT)
20 4th ODI, Dubai (d/n) (11:00 GMT)
23 v UAE XI (Twenty20), Abu Dhabi
26 1st Twenty20 international, Dubai (d/n) (16:00 GMT)
27 2nd Twenty20 international, Dubai (d/n) (16:00 GMT)
30 3rd Twenty20 international, Sharjah (d/n) (16:00 GMT)

[Lord Snooty]

November 8 - One-day practice match (v Hong Kong), Abu Dhabi.


England won by 161 runs 


Scorecard

[Lord Snooty]

Pakistan v England

The 1st ODI Match
Wednesday November 11th 

at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
starting at 15:00 (11:00 GMT)

Team news:


The recall for Younis Khan might force Mohammad Rizwan out of the XI, despite a solid start to his international career, with Pakistan's main issue being how best to balance the side. Bilal Asif looks the prime candidate to support Yasir Shah in the spin department but Shoaib Malik, fresh from Test retirement and career-best figures with the ball, filled that role in the warm-up against Nepal, allowing an for an extra batsman in Babar Azam. Azhar Ali missed the final ODI of the tour of Zimbabwe with the toe injury that kept him out of the first two Tests against England but will resume at the top of the order.


Pakistan (probable): 1 Azhar Ali ©, 2 Ahmed Shehzad, 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Bilal Asif/Mohammad Rizwan/Babar Azam, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed (w), 8 Anwar Ali, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Yasir Shah, 11 Mohammad Irfan.


Eoin Morgan is set to play his first competitive match since being hit on the head by Mitchell Starc back in September. Jos Buttler has been passed fit after suffering a finger injury in England's warm-up win over Hong Kong and will retake the gloves from Jonny Bairstow, while the absence of Ben Stokes - who hurt his collarbone during the third Test but would have sat out this series anyway - means James Taylor should stay in the XI despite Joe Root's return after he was rested against Australia. Liam Plunkett and Chris Jordan are the other pace-bowling options in the squad.


England (probable): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Alex Hales, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan ©, 5 James Taylor, 6 Jos Buttler (w), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 David Willey, 11 Reece Topley.

[Lord Snooty]

England 216 (49.4)

Pakistan 217-4 (43.4)
Pakistan won by 6 wickets 

---

Scorecard

---

September

30 England arrive in UAE

October
5-6 v Pakistan A, Sharjah (07:00 BST) - Match drawn Scorecard
8-9 v Pakistan A, Sharjah (07:00 BST) - Match drawn Scorecard
13-17 1st Test, Abu Dhabi (07:00 BST) - Match drawn Scorecard
22-26 2nd Test, Dubai (07:00 BST) - Pakistan won by 178 runs Scorecard

November
1-5 3rd Test, Sharjah (06:00 GMT) - Pakistan won by 127 runs Scorecard
8 One-day practice match (v Hong Kong), Abu Dhabi - England won by 161 runs Scorecard
11 1st ODI, Abu Dhabi (d/n) (11:00 GMT) - Pakistan won by 6 wickets Scorecard
13 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi (d/n) (11:00 GMT)
17 3rd ODI, Sharjah (d/n) (11:00 GMT)
20 4th ODI, Dubai (d/n) (11:00 GMT)
23 v UAE XI (Twenty20), Abu Dhabi
26 1st Twenty20 international, Dubai (d/n) (16:00 GMT)
27 2nd Twenty20 international, Dubai (d/n) (16:00 GMT)
30 3rd Twenty20 international, Sharjah (d/n) (16:00 GMT)

[Lord Snooty]

Pakistan v England

The 2nd ODI Match
Friday November 13th

at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
starting at 15:00 (11:00 GMT)

Team news (from Cricinfo):


Now that Younis Khan's stage-managed farewell is done and dusted, Pakistan will reshuffle their middle order and must also be questioning whether to continue the experiment of Bilal Asif as a pinch-hitting opener. Iftikhar Ahmed is the squad replacement for Younis and wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan is also back after briefly returning home for the birth of his child.


Pakistan (probable) 1 Azhar Ali ©, 2 Ahmed Shehzad, 3 Mohammad Hafeez, 4 Shoaib Malik, 5 Babar Azam, 6 Bilal Asif, 7 Sarfraz Ahmed (w), 8 Anwar Ali, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Yasir Shah, 11 Mohammad Irfan.


England tend to respond to defeats in the opening game of a series with an unchanged side. They remain committed to Jos Buttler in limited-overs cricket even though Jonny Bairstow might continue to keep him out of the Test side in South Africa. It would seem counterintuitive not to field two spinners, especially when Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid have batting ability on their side, but with a small total to defend they were again easily picked off in the first game. Rashid finished with 0 for 60 from nine overs and looked in need of a psychological lift while Moeen is bowling as if all offspinners are a threatened species.


England (probable) 1 Jason Roy, 2 Alex Hales, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan ©, 5 James Taylor, 6 Jos Buttler (w), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 David Willey, 11 Reece Topley.

[themaclad]

The traditional defeat away from home the next defeat is tomorrow