ABU DHABI: England Lions clinched a tense two-wicket win over Pakistan Shaheens at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium on Tuesday, wrapping up the three-match unofficial T20I series with a comprehensive 3-0 whitewash.
The tourists were steered to victory by an outstanding unbeaten innings from captain Jordan Cox.
Put in to bat first, Pakistan Shaheens recovered from an early setback to register a fighting total of 162-6 from their 20 overs.
Saqib Mahmood provided the initial breakthrough, dismissing skipper Shamyl Hussain for a duck off the second delivery of the innings.
Maaz Sadaqat led the resistance with a well-crafted 53 from 36 balls, striking four fours and two sixes before becoming Scott Currie’s second victim. Currie struck again soon after, removing Sameer Minhas for 10.
Abdul Samad added 11 off as many deliveries before falling to James Coles, who later claimed his second wicket by dismissing Hasan Nawaz for 16 off 18 balls. Wicketkeeper Rohail Nazir was also sent back early, departing for a second-ball duck to Currie.
Competitive score against England Lions
A strong finish from the lower order lifted the Shaheens to a competitive score. Saad Masood remained unbeaten on 29 from 22 balls, hitting four boundaries, while Shahid Aziz injected momentum with a brisk 30 off 18 deliveries, including two fours and two sixes.
For England Lions, Currie was the standout bowler with figures of 3/27 in three overs. Coles claimed two wickets, while Mahmood picked up one.
Chasing 163, the Lions were guided home by their skipper’s commanding knock. Cox produced a scintillating unbeaten 75 from just 37 deliveries, hammering five fours and six sixes, and ensured his side crossed the line in the final over.
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He received solid support from Dan Mousley, who made 28 off 23 balls, and Ben McKinney, who contributed 20 from 18 deliveries.
Despite ending on the losing side, the Shaheens’ bowlers kept the contest alive until the closing stages. Maaz Sadaqat and Saad Masood claimed two wickets each in their four-over spells, while Sufiyan Muqeem, Mohammad Salman and Shahid Aziz took one apiece.
However, the target proved marginally beyond reach as England Lions finished on 163-8 in 19.3 overs, sealing victory with three balls remaining.
Pakistan Shaheens
The series formed part of the England Lions’ development tour of the UAE, aimed at providing emerging players exposure to competitive international conditions. For the Pakistan Shaheens, the fixtures served as a crucial platform to test their bench strength and assess players on the fringes of national selection ahead of a busy international calendar.
Having already secured the series with victories in the opening two matches, England Lions entered the final T20 with confidence and momentum. Their ability to chase under pressure was a recurring theme throughout the series, with the middle order consistently stepping up in tight situations.
For Pakistan Shaheens, however, the series highlighted both promise and areas requiring improvement. While several batters managed useful starts across the three games, converting those into match-defining scores proved challenging. The bowling unit showed discipline at various stages, particularly in the powerplay and middle overs, but struggled to close out games in high-pressure moments.
Jordan Cox’s leadership and consistency stood out as one of the defining features of the series. The Lions captain not only marshalled his resources effectively in the field but also led from the front with the bat, underlining his growing reputation as one of England’s most promising white-ball prospects. His composure in tight run-chases was particularly noteworthy, reflecting the depth in England’s development structure.
England Lions
On the other hand, Pakistan Shaheens will draw positives from individual performances. Maaz Sadaqat’s contributions with both bat and ball in the final match underlined his all-round value, while Saad Masood’s lower-order hitting provided late impetus. The bowling attack, featuring a mix of pace and spin, demonstrated the variety available in Pakistan’s talent pipeline.
The clean sweep will provide England Lions management with encouraging signs as they continue to build depth beneath the senior national side. With England’s white-ball teams often rotating due to packed international schedules, strong performances at Lions level enhance competition for places and ensure a steady supply of ready replacements.
For the Shaheens, the focus will now shift towards regrouping and addressing the finer margins that separated the two sides. Close finishes across the series indicate that the gap was not insurmountable, but sharper execution in key phases — particularly at the death with both bat and ball — will be essential going forward.
Overall, the three-match contest offered competitive cricket and valuable experience for both sides, with England Lions emerging as deserved winners while Pakistan Shaheens gained meaningful exposure against a well-drilled opposition.
