creeeeeeeekeeeeeet

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

No. Umpires call. They used to offer it to the batting side. Might still do. But once you go off that sets the light level that play will end at rest of the time.

Should be batting teams call in my view though.

It's really pissed me off has this. Firstly, I've no idea as to why these games are being played in the UAE anyway - I've played in front of more people than were there last night. However, if a game's being played in a floodlit arena and they still have to go off for the light then the game shouldn't be being played there in the first place, for me, as it's clearly unfit for purpose.

Pakistan play 'home' games in the UAE as no one will play in Pakistan for fear of being blown up! There are lots from Pakistan living here, but most work 6/7 days a week and get holidays once a year to go home. That and earning pittance means they're unlikely to go watch. The westerners will go, but it's still pretty hot and humid in the day at the moment to be sat not getting pissed in a cricket stadium all day. If they played it in Dubai there would have been more there I reckon though.

[BWFC_Insane]

No. Umpires call. They used to offer it to the batting side. Might still do. But once you go off that sets the light level that play will end at rest of the time.

Should be batting teams call in my view though.

It's really pissed me off has this. Firstly, I've no idea as to why these games are being played in the UAE anyway - I've played in front of more people than were there last night. However, if a game's being played in a floodlit arena and they still have to go off for the light then the game shouldn't be being played there in the first place, for me, as it's clearly unfit for purpose.

What I think irritates me, is when they play test matches in locations that go dark quickly at night but still don't start early enough to realistically bowl a full days overs.

In England in the summer it is fine to play till 7pm or even a bit beyond. Non issue, unless it is very cloudy or whatever.

But when they play in the Windies or indeed UAE it goes dark very rapidly by 6. So they should start earlier, if floodlights would not be adequate to light the stadium alone.

[thebish]

oooh look - we bowled 'em out for 234 - seamers doing the damage despite us picking 3 spinners on a turning pitch!

[Bruce Rioja]

oooh look - we bowled 'em out for 234 - seamers doing the damage despite us picking 3 spinners on a turning pitch!

I couldn't be arsed following this series. The Umpires calling bad light in Abu Dhabi showed the whole thing up for the farce that it is as far as I'm concerned!

[TANGODANCER]

England 222-4 at stumps on day 2, with Taylor 74 not out, in reply to Pakistan 234 all out. .

[Montreal Wanderer]

England 222-4 at stumps on day 2, with Taylor 74 not out, in reply to Pakistan 234 all out. .

Slow progress with less than 500 runs in two days.

[BWFC_Insane]

England 222-4 at stumps on day 2, with Taylor 74 not out, in reply to Pakistan 234 all out. .

Slow progress with less than 500 runs in two days.

Wicket is taking spin by all accounts. So not a shabby performance at all from England. Good first session tomorrow and they're in control. Need a decent lead because it sounds like batting last on this isn't going to be pretty!

[TANGODANCER]

306 all out ( a lead of 70 ish) and they are 146-3, second innings. Interesting...

[TANGODANCER]

Pakistan all out and we need 284 to win?

[TANGODANCER]

We lost. A real chance to win and we made 156 all out. Pretty pathetic.

[BWFC_Insane]

We lost. A real chance to win and we made 156 all out. Pretty pathetic.

Our bowling attack wasn't good enough. We don't have a top line spinner. That is the problem. 280 on this wicket was a huge ask.

[Prufrock]

Cook, Root, Anderson and Broad. Huge gulf between them and the rest of a v average squad.

[TANGODANCER]

Cook, Root, Anderson and Broad. Huge gulf between them and the rest of a v average squad.

There was a time when I'd have had Bell and Matt Prior right up wih them. Sadly. that time has gone.

[Worthy4England]

Pakistan all out and we need 284 to win?

That would still have been in the top 40 highest 4th innings winning totals ever....number 30 is 297....

[thebish]

Jos Buttler hit England's fastest one-day international century to lead them to an 84-run win over Pakistan in Sharjah and a 3-1 series victory.

[thebish]

we just can't stop winning!!

Sam Billings' thrilling half-century led England to a 14-run win over Pakistan and a 1-0 lead in the three-match Twenty20 series.

Billings, in the side for the rested Jos Buttler, blasted 53 from 25 balls to take the tourists to 160-5 in Dubai.

They had earlier been rescued from 19-3 by Eoin Morgan (45 not out) and debutant James Vince (41).

Pakistan slipped to 42-4 and 75-7 and only reached 146 as England leaked runs at the end of the innings.

England, who won the one-day series 3-1 after losing the Tests 2-0, have now won four successive T20 internationals.

Their build-up to the World T20 in India in March continues on Friday at the same ground.

Morgan explained the omission of Buttler and Joe Root was to give opportunities to others before the World T20.

The absence of Buttler, who struck a 46-ball hundred in the final one-day international, came as the biggest surprise, with the likes of Michael Vaughan and Kevin Pietersen tweeting their disapproval.

Still, the man who took the gloves in his place, Billings, provided the catalyst for England's victory.

When he arrived at the end of the 14th over, England were 95-4 and the game was in the balance. By the time he was run out off the last ball of the innings, he had blasted the tourists to a winning score.

Time and again he targeted the on side - all of his boundaries came off his legs. In one seven-ball spell, he took three fours and two sixes, including two outrageous and inventive back-to-back scoops off the 90mph Wahab Riaz that went for six and four.

His 24-ball half-century is the joint-second fastest by an England batsman in T20 internationals, after the 23-ball fifty of Ravi Bopara against Australia in 2014.

[thebish]

and again!! slightly tighter squeeze this time - but we're basically unbeatable!

[thebish]

yay - and a-chuffin-gain with the aid of a super over!!!

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

and again!! slightly tighter squeeze this time - but we're basically unbeatable!

You do realise you are responsible for the impending and inevitable embarrassing world cup campaign

[Bruce Rioja]

yay - and a-chuffin-gain with the aid of a super over!!!

I saw this 'super over' business this morning. Looked anything but, to me. What the bithering feck's a 'super over'?