Diminutive batsman James Taylor guides England to cusp of series win with half-century in third one-day international against Pakistan in Sharjah
England skipper Eoin Morgan saluted the performance of James Taylor after the diminutive batsman struck a composed half-century to guide his side to a six-wicket victory against Pakistan in the third one-day international in Sharjah yesterday.
Taylor struck 67 not out and shared an unbroken stand of 117 with the under-pressure Jos Buttler, who amassed 49, as England chased down their victory target of 209 with 19 overs to spare to take a 2-1 series lead.
For the second match in succession all-rounder Chris Woakes starred with the ball, taking 4-40 from 9.5 overs, as Pakistan collapsed from a position of strength at 132-2, losing their final nine wickets for just 116 runs.
Taylor did not feature for England during their one-day series against New Zealand in the summer despite captaining the side against Ireland in May, but has become a principal cog in Morgan’s limited-overs plans.
“Every role we have given him in the team he has excelled in and tonight was no different, particularly given the tricky circumstances,” said Morgan of Taylor, who averages 63.67 in his last eight ODI innings.
England’s 2-1 advantage in the four-match tussle means they can clinch a first one-day series win in Asia since their 4-0 success against Pakistan in 2012 by avoiding defeat in Dubai on Friday.
“The performance was hugely satisfying and one of the most pivotal things in the performance was the chase. The pitch turned a lot more than we expected it to and I thought the partnership between Buttler and Taylor was outstanding.
“It was a huge step forward for us, particularly our middle-order and batting unit having absolute clarity in what we were doing and playing in such a positive way. It was a magnificent win and we’ve earned the right to go and win the series.”
England were teetering at 93-4 having initially been reduced to 27-2 after the early departures of opener Jason Roy and Yorkshire’s Joe Root, before Taylor snatched the reins and registered his seventh ODI 50.
While Buttler’s return to form was significant – the wicketkeeper-batsman had accumulated just 16 runs in his previous four innings – so was that of Woakes. Prior to the past two ODIs, in which he has claimed eight scalps, Woakes had failed to take a wicket in his previous six.