Half-centuries from Saud Shakeel and Mohammed Rizwan wrestled momentum back for Pakistan after Jayden Seales’ triple-strike had put West Indies in the box seat in Multan. On a surface tailor-made for spin, it was the fast bowler who proved the pick of the bunch, exploiting pace and slight seam movement to send debutant Mohammad Hurraira, Kamran Ghulam and Babar Azam back for single figures. Pakistan had, at that point, been reduced to 46 for 4, with West Indies looming ominously over the tail. But a gritty unbeaten 97-run rearguard for the fifth wicket, from Rizwan and Shakeel, thwarted the visitors for the rest of the day, to ensure Pakistan would end the day with a semblance of control.

After the start was delayed by four hours owing to heavy fog that enveloped the ground, Pakistan won the toss and batted first in hazy conditions with the floodlights on throughout the course of the day. Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie bowled the first ball, an indication of how both sides perceived the pitch upon which each played three specialist spinners. Motie got rid of Pakistan captain Shan Masood early on, squeezing him down to the debutant wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach on the on side, but for the rest of the hour, it was Seales’ show.

He had been sniffing right from the outset, and got his reward when Hurraira hung his bat out and edged to the keeper. It was followed up by a beauty to remove Kamran Ghulam, who had just dispatched an outswinger to the boundary. The next ball, he attempted to shoulder arms but it seamed back into him wickedly, rapping the thigh, with Hawk-Eye showing it would have clipped the top of off.

The big fish came soon after, another glorious use of the seam. Seales hit a hard length which Babar looked to parry into the off side, but it shaped away just enough to kiss the outside edge through to Imlach. Babar would review, but, like Ghulam, he would not be reprieved.

The innings threatened to fall apart at that point, but Saud Shakeel, seasoned on surfaces like these, restored some order to proceedings for Pakistan. The sting was taken out of the quicks and the spinners negotiated deftly, while Mohammad Rizwan at the other end kept his concentration levels up as West Indies continued to prowl.

There was a notable acceleration from the pair after tea, right from when Shakeel got to his knees and swept Kevin Sinclair for four. It was a shot that brought the pair bounty through the session, giving them a release shot as the ball began to rip. The next six overs produced seven boundaries with Rizwan the chief aggressor, brave enough to use his feet to spin and ensuring the strike kept ticking over.

There remained plenty for the visitors to get excited about. A number of balls beat the outside edge by a whisker, and Shakeel popped one up dangerously close to short midwicket just shy of a half-century. But when he got there, and Rizwan followed up soon after, the milestones were both well-deserved. By now, the light had been deteriorating consistently, and midway through Kraigg Brathwaite’s first over, the light-metre came out, and the players went off. By then, Pakistan were arguably the happier side, having been dragged by Rizwan and Shakeel towards a rather less perilous position than they found themselves in after the first hour.

Brief scores:
Pakistan 143 for 4 in 41.3 overs  (Saud Shakeel 56*, Mohamed Rizwan 51*; Jayden  Seales 3-21) vs West Indies

[Cricinfo]

The Ashes are within touching distance for Australia after Ashleigh Gardner’s maiden international century turned a stuttering innings into a comprehensive 86-run victory in Hobart to leave them 6-0 up and requiring just two points for retention.

Gardner’s run-a-ball century rescued Australia from 59 for 4 in conjunction with Beth Mooney and Tahlia McGrath, the latter made a 38-ball fifty, then they were launched over 300 by a late onslaught from the recalled Georgia Wareham.

In the chase, Tammy Beaumont and Nat Sciver-Brunt made half-centuries but both fell to Wareham in what became a starring return to the side. Then just as Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Amy Jones were raising hopes of a dramatic push towards the target, Phoebe Litchfield produced a stunning diving catch running back from cover to remove Wyatt-Hodge.

After that, England faded quickly, losing 6 for 22 with Alana King taking a career-best 5 for 46 to make it nine wickets in the last two matches, and once again there was daylight between the sides. To cap her day, Gardner took one of the more remarkable boundary catches when she was able to toss the ball back at deep midwicket as she went over the rope, then dive full-length forward to grab the rebound.

It all meant that England were left needing to win all three T20Is and the Test to reclaim the Ashes for the first time since 2014.

To chase over 300, they needed someone to replicate Gardner’s superbly-paced century that had come up from 100 balls after she had sped through the 90s with consecutive boundaries off Sciver-Brunt. It was only the second ODI century ever to come from No. 6 or below.

McGrath’s role was also vital with Australia’s innings still in the balance at 154 for 5 when she joined Gardner. Her form has come under scrutiny in recent times, as she has shifted down the order to No. 7, so this was a timely performance from the vice-captain.

In all, 104 runs came off the final 10 overs in a formidable display of Australia’s batting depth. Sophie Ecclestone, who went for 17 off the last, finished with the second-most expensive figures of her ODI career with the top three all against Australia.

In a frenetic start to the game, England called on the DRS three times inside the first four overs, burning both reviews but getting the call right when Litchfield gloved a pull down the leg side after she had made a positive start with three crisp boundaries.

Shortly after they used up their reviews by going upstairs for a caught behind appeal against Ellyse Perry, she flicked a delivery off her pads straight to Lauren Filer at short fine leg with Lauren Bell’s muted celebration acknowledging it was more fortune than a plan.

Alyssa Healy had not been able to go through the gears during the powerplay and fell shortly before the restrictions ended when she pulled Sciver-Brunt to deep midwicket. Australia’s situation became more precarious when Annabel Sutherland completed a lean one-day series as she drove to mid-off, a similar dismissal to the second game in Melbourne.

The mantra of the Australian side is never to take a backward step even when faced with difficulties, and Gardner responded by lofting Ecclestone straight down the ground for six. Mooney then took two boundaries in three deliveries off Charlie Dean.

Gardner brought up her half-century from 53 balls and Mooney from 63. However, Mooney couldn’t convert when she tried to clear the off side against Dean and could only sky into the ring. But what was an opening for England was soon closed off by the skill and power of the Gardner-McGrath alliance in what were the best batting conditions of the series.
Megan Schutt struck in the first over of the chase when Maia Bouchier lofted to mid-off and England’s reply took a huge dent when Heather Knight edged behind with Healy taking a sharp chance standing up to the stumps.

Beaumont and Sciver-Brunt rebuilt through a stand of 89 in 18 overs but with such a hefty total to chase the run-rate pressure was always mounting. Beaumont upped her strike rate with three boundaries in six balls to reach fifty but was bowled off her pads in Wareham’s first over in ODIs since last March.

Not for the first time, Sciver-Brunt stood as the key figure. She went to a 53-ball fifty but couldn’t convert, beaten by a delivery from Wareham that skidded on into the stumps.
While the required rate hovered around eight an over it was not out of sight for England and four boundaries in four balls between Wyatt-Hodge and Jones suggested they, like Australia, may be able to make hay in the closing overs.

But then Wyatt-Hodge aimed to lift King over the off side, Litchfield ran back from cover, dived full length and held the catch as it came over her shoulder. Once again, Australia had seized a vital moment and with it were a step closer to seizing the Ashes.

Brief scores:
Australia Women 308 for 8 in 50 overs (Ashleigh Gardner 102, Tahlia McGrath 55, Beth Mooney 50, Georgia Wareham 38; Nat Sciver-Brunt 2-51, Charlie Dean 2-53, Lauren Bell 2-72) beat England Women 222 in 42.2 overs (Nat Sciver-Brunt 61, Tammy Beaumont 54, Danni WyattHodge 35, Amy Jones 30; Alana King 5-46, Megan Schutt 3-57, Georgia Wareham 2-27) by 86 runs

[Cricinfo]