Pakistan beat England by one wicket with 17 balls remaining at Gaddafi Stadium, reaching 243/9 in reply to 241 all out in the fourth match of Tri-Series 2026. Shadab Khan's unbeaten century rescued a chase that had unravelled through the top and middle order.
Duckett rebuilds after England's early losses
Pakistan's decision to bowl brought an immediate reward through Shaheen Afridi, who had Tom Banton and Joe Root caught for 4 and 5 respectively. Harry Brook's run-out left England 19/3, and although Jordan Cox helped halt that initial slide, his dismissal to Haris Rauf made it 52/4 in the tenth over.
Ben Duckett's 105 from 111 balls provided the foundation for recovery. His fifth-wicket partnership of 93 with Sam Curran gave England their first sustained progress, with Curran contributing 42 from 52 deliveries. Shaheen broke the stand by having Curran caught at 145/5 in the 27th over, preventing the pair from carrying that rebuilding work deeper into the innings.
Duckett struck 10 fours and 2 sixes, but wickets continued to interrupt his support. Raza Ullah caught Will Jacks off his own bowling for 13 before Arafat Minhas had Duckett caught by Salman Agha at 187/7. Liam Dawson followed without the total moving, caught off Raza, and Minhas then removed Jamie Overton to leave England 201/9. Raza finished with 2/38 and Minhas with 2/26.
Gus Atkinson ensured the innings did not end there. His unbeaten 36 from 28 balls included 3 sixes, and a last-wicket partnership of 40 with Henry Crocombe gave England a more substantial total to defend. Shaheen eventually had Crocombe caught by Babar Azam for 8, completing figures of 4/46 as England were dismissed in 46.4 overs.
Shadab and Rauf overturn Pakistan's collapse
England's bowlers reproduced Pakistan's early success. Atkinson dismissed Fakhar Zaman and bowled Babar, while Crocombe accounted for Saim Ayub between those wickets. Pakistan were 31/3 in the seventh over, with neither opener nor Babar able to establish the chase.
Saad Baig briefly changed its direction. He hit 7 fours in making 32 from 22 balls and added 43 with Salman for the fourth wicket. That was Pakistan's strongest partnership among the recognised top-order batters, but Overton ended it by having Baig caught at 74/4.
The next rebuilding attempt was slower and also broke down. Dawson removed Hasan Nawaz for 15, and Overton dismissed Minhas for 1 to leave Pakistan 103/6. Salman, who had held his ground through those losses, was caught off Dawson for 26 from 49 balls. Shaheen then fell to Overton, whose 3/43 had helped dismantle the middle and lower order; Dawson finished with 2/30 from his 10 overs.
Raza offered Shadab another brief period of support before Jacks bowled him for 8 at 154/9 in the 34th over. England needed only one more wicket, but Rauf's arrival brought the partnership they could not break.
Shadab finished with 113 not out from 96 balls, striking 13 fours and 5 sixes. Rauf remained unbeaten on 7 from 19 deliveries as their last-wicket stand carried Pakistan through the rest of the chase. The pair added 89 without being separated, transforming a position with almost no margin for another mistake into victory in 47.1 overs.