Event of the Day: England versus Pakistan
Our event of the day is the Fourth ODI between England and Pakistan at Trent Bridge in Nottingham. With two ODIs played, and one cancelled due to weather, England hold a 2-0 lead. However, they will be without their impressive captain, Eoin Morgan, who is banned from the match due to a slow over rate in the third ODI. Meanwhile, Pakistan will look to stage a comeback as their young hitters fight for a place in the World Cup squad. This is a match that you won’t want to miss. The World Cup is less than two weeks away. On the morning of May 30th, England will open the tournament against South Africa. But before that, they have two more ODIs against Pakistan. After rain derailed the first ODI, England broke out in ODIs two and three. In the second ODI, Pakistan failed to chase 361 runs despite 138 runs from Fakhar Zaman. In the third ODI, 128 runs from Jonny Bairstow and 76 from Jason Roy helped England successfully chase a hefty target of 358. Batting has been the name of the game in this ODI series - the two teams have scored 1531 runs across four innings and 19 overs, and the series has seen four centuries through the first three ODIs.
England will play the fourth ODI at Trent Bridge without their captain, Eoin Morgan. After a slow over rate violation during the third ODI, Morgan had to take the brunt of the punishment, as it was the second such rule violation in the last twelve months. Morgan’s captaincy has been a key component of this successful England white ball team since he took over in 2015 and he is extremely well-respected by his players. In his stead, Jos Buttler will take over captaincy duties for the fourth ODI. Buttler for his part is in a rich vein of form. In the second ODI, he put on a performance to remember, scoring 110 runs off only 55 balls. While he didn’t play in the third ODI, he will return to lead the team in Nottingham. England have not lost a bilateral series at home since 2015 and they will be eager for that streak to continue. However, Pakistan are not done yet. Their own batters have put on consistently strong performances as a number of young players prove their case for a place on the World Cup roster. With England looking to seal the series and Pakistan looking to stage a comeback, this is a match you won’t want to miss.
Honourable mentions around the globe go to the NBA, where the Milwaukee Bucks host the Toronto Raptors at the Fiserv Forum for game two of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Bucks lead 1-0 after the first game of the series with center Brook Lopez breaking out for 29 points as 30+ point games from both Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry were not enough for Toronto to hold on for the win. Be sure you don’t miss the next exciting match as Toronto look to even the series. Elsewhere, in the NHL, the St Louis Blues host the San Jose Sharks for game four of the Western Conference finals. After an overtime win on Wednesday night, the Sharks hold a 2-1 series lead. If they can win again tonight, they can win the series on home ice on Sunday. Be sure you don’t miss this all-important mid-series game. The PGA Championship continues today on the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York. The Giro d’Italia continues from Vasto to L’Aquila. In the Scottish Premiership play-offs Semi-final second leg, Dundee United host Inverness Caledonian Thistle at Tannadice Park. In the NRL, the Brisbane Broncos host the Sydney Roosters at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. The Internazionali BNL d’Italia continues at the Foro Italico in Rome.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Photos by ICC Cricket; Pakistan