Key events

2m agoWICKET! England 177-5 (Curran c sub b Rauf 27)
16m agoWICKET! England 165-4 (Root b Naseem 33)
47m agoWICKET! England 128-3 (Brook b Arafat 5)
54m agoWICKET! England 120-2 (Banton c Afridi b Arafat 57)
1h agoFifty for Tom Banton!
1h agoWICKET! England 91-1 (Duckett c Fakhar b Rauf 43)
3h agoPakistan reach 300!
3h agoWicket! Naseem c Overton b Baker 1 (Pakistan 296-9)
3h agoWicket! Faheem Ashraf c Jacks b Curran 39 (Pakistan 285-8)
3h agoWICKET! Arafat c Brook b Baker 59 (Pakistan 283-7)
3h agoFifty to Arafat Minhas!
4h agoWICKET! Hasan Nawaz b Overton 79 (Pakistan 211-6)
4h agoDrinks! It's England v Hasan
4h agoFifty to Hasan Nawaz!
5h agoWICKET! Saad Baig c Curran b Atkinson 35 (Pakistan 133-5)
6h agoDrinks! England well on top
6h agoWICKET! Babar Azam b Jacks 34 (Pakistan 59-3)
6h agoWICKET! Saim Ayub c Curran b Baker 8 (Pakistan 31-2)
7h agoPreamble

WICKET! England 177-5 (Curran c sub b Rauf 27)

Pakistan now hold the edge! Curran shakes his head after pulling Haris Rauf directly to deep backward square, where substitute Ghazi Ghori completes a fine catch. Curran failed to fully commit to the shot and will regret that decision as he leaves the field. It was an untidy knock: 27 from 39 balls with no fours and one six.

31st over: England 175-4 (Curran 27, Cox 6) Cox claims his opening boundary with a fine stroke, driven between mid off and extra cover from Naseem. He attempts another drive that proves more tentative and is beaten. This remains gripping - I would rate Pakistan as narrow favourites, though William Goldman understands such matters better than I do.

"Afternoon Rob," says Simon McMahon. "The late-career revival must be highly rewarding (I am still hoping, but we can dream, right..?) George Foreman comes to mind, and Nicklaus at the 86 Masters, Bristow 1997. There must be many others that I am sure the OBO hive mind will reveal. Graham Gooch? Doug Mountjoy?"

They likely achieved more early in their careers than Tom Banton (and Damien Martyn), but I will not argue about it with you on the information superhighway.

30th over: England 170-4 (Curran 26, Cox 2) Those loose shots from Duckett and especially Banton now appear more expensive. Arafat switches ends to replace Saim and allows five singles. "It is about milking," says Waqar Younis, "for the next few overs."

This is finely balanced; England require 133 from 120 balls.

29th over: England 165-4 (Curran 23, Cox 0) Replays confirm Root bottom-edged the ball from Naseem onto the stumps - yet it stayed low and may have carried a touch of reverse swing too.

WICKET! England 165-4 (Root b Naseem 33)

After 11 straight overs of spin, Naseem Shah returns and claims the major wicket immediately! Root had little opportunity against a swift, straight ball that stayed low and knocked back the off stump. As a wise observer once noted, pace is pace.

28th over: England 164-3 (Root 33, Curran 22) It appears Pakistan aim to use as many spin overs as possible before dew becomes an issue. Saim is reverse swept for two by Root in an over costing five.

England need 139 from 132 balls.

27th over: England 159-3 (Root 30, Curran 20) Another controlled over from Arafat, who holds figures of 5-0-19-2 alongside his 58-ball 59 earlier.

26th over: England 156-3 (Root 30, Curran 17) A poor delivery from Saim is pulled powerfully over midwicket for six by Curran. That is a vital boundary, England's first since the 18th over. Saim will feel annoyed - he has been accurate, but that one invited punishment.

On Sky Sports, Urooj Mumtaz believes the dew should begin to influence play in the next 20 or 30 minutes. That often eases batting under lights.

25th over: England 147-3 (Root 28, Curran 8) Curran attempts to cut the strong Arafat and is beaten. He has started unevenly compared to Root, but we know he excels at recovering in white-ball cricket.

Three from the over. Pakistan have tightened control since the bonus wicket of Banton.

24th over: England 144-3 (Root 28, Curran 7) For the second over in succession, Saim Ayub allows only four singles. He performs a useful role with his occasional offspin, consuming overs and steadily raising the required rate. It now stands at 6.11, or 159 runs from 156 balls.

23rd over: England 140-3 (Root 26, Curran 5) Root reverse sweeps Arafat neatly for three. England's last boundary came in the 18th over but that should not concern Root and Curran yet. Root has 26 from 22 balls, Curran 5 from 10.

"Using the OBO to follow while at work," writes Michael Duggan. "But until Brook was out it seemed a routine chase. Spin makes it more interesting - as it always does."

Amen to that. And it is not even mystery spin.

22nd over: England 135-3 (Root 22, Curran 4) Low-risk cricket from Root and Curran, who collect two singles each from Saim's fifth over. England cannot afford another swift wicket; on the other hand, Pakistan may consider recalling one of their quick bowlers at this end.

"Afternoon Rob, afternoon everyone," wrote Eddy Nason about 10 minutes ago. "Root and Brook at the crease, and I should feel comfortable in two of the worlds best batters occupying the crease for England, but this is Pakistan - it all feels like a trap..."

Eddy has just added: "So I guess it was a quickfire trap."

21st over: England 131-3 (Root 20, Curran 2) Sam Curran has been promoted to No5, chiefly to provide England with a left/right pairing. He is also a reliable presence in a mini-crisis.

WICKET! England 128-3 (Brook b Arafat 5)

Brook is bowled by an excellent delivery! Arafat has shifted the match atmosphere by striking twice in his opening two overs. Brook misjudged the length and stayed back when he should have advanced. Yet it was a superb ball from around the wicket that straightened sharply to strike the top of off and middle. There is a contest here now.

20th over: England 125-2 (Root 18, Brook 5) England milk Saim for six runs, none from boundaries. The required rate is not pressing so they can settle in.

Temba Bavuma continues strongly in Gqeberha, where South Africa have recovered from 110 for 6 to reach 340 for 7.

19th over: England 121-2 (Root 16, Brook 1) The new batter is Harry Brook, who averages around 700 in Pakistan.

WICKET! England 120-2 (Banton c Afridi b Arafat 57)

The left-arm spinner Arafat Minhas strikes with his third ball! Banton drives a short ball straight to midwicket and leans on his bat in surprise. It was a sharp catch from Afridi, but Banton knows he should have struck the ball either straight down or over the top. Eventually he leaves the field, still regretting the runs he failed to add. Banton scored 57 from 53 balls and, in the language of 2009, looked the goods.

18th over: England 117-1 (Banton 55, Root 15) Root glides Saim for four - a classic shot, executed beautifully. England score off every delivery, with 10 from the over. They hold a strong position here, though it is worth recalling they were 143 for 0 chasing 326 v Sri Lanka and lost.

17th over: England 107-1 (Banton 51, Root 9) The required rate hovers near a run a ball, allowing Root to bat at his natural pace. That includes taking a boundary when Rauf bowls a short ball on the hip. Fine shot, placed deliberately fine to beat the fielder on the boundary.

Things can shift rapidly, especially when these sides meet, but right now England are cruising.

Fifty for Tom Banton!

16th over: England 101-1 (Banton 50, Root 4) Banton cuts Ayub for two to reach another assured fifty: 46 balls, five fours, two sixes. Top Bantz indeed.

England need 202 from 34 overs.

15th over: England 96-1 (Banton 48, Root 1) Banton nears another fifty with a lovely stroke, an on-drive for four off Rauf. He was 6 not out from 16 balls; he is now 48 from 43.

"Whisper it, Rob, but is Tom Banton the opener we have been seeking all along for ODI cricket?" says Guy Hornsby "I know he has been around for ever, but at 27 he appears to be in his cricketing prime. It is easy to forget he was barely into his twenties when he debuted in white-ball cricket, but it feels so triumphant when a player struggles early on then comes back mid-career. A small sample size, even more so up top, but averaging 42 at a strike rate north of 100 in 50-over cricket is exciting, even if it is only me."

Permission to be really boring and say it is too early to judge? I like the way he complements Duckett, mind, and he plays some fine strokes. I am also with you on the appeal of players excelling in their second career. Damien Martyn - who missed six years of Test cricket because of one poor shot - is one of my favourite examples.

WICKET! England 91-1 (Duckett c Fakhar b Rauf 43)

Time after time, Haris Rauf produces something special. He has broken through with a good bouncer that Duckett top-edged straight to Fakhar Zaman at fine leg. A disappointed Duckett departs for a lively 45.

14th over: England 88-0 (Banton 43, Duckett 43) Saim Ayub is the first spinner into the attack. Ben Duckett holds a fairly animated discussion with the umpires about something; what, I do not know.

No turn for Ayub but he starts economically: three dot balls, two singles, one two.

Mid-match reading

13th over: England 84-0 (Banton 42, Duckett 40) England planned to build an opening partnership of Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell. Then Bethell was injured, Tom Banton moved up the order and now all bets are off. It is a small sample size - three and a bit games - but as an opener Banton is averaging 83 and has a strike rate of 117.

Banton drives a pair of twos off Rauf, who replies with a sharp bumper that Banton evades.

12th over: England 80-0 (Banton 38, Duckett 40) Two more boundaries to Duckett off Faheem. The first was a gift, a little touch to fine leg, but the second was superbly timed through backward square.

Under Eoin Morgan, England chased 300+ to win an ODI on 11 occasions, but it has happened only once since 2021. This batting line-up looks well suited for such targets, at least on a good day. But they faltered against Sri Lanka last month - after an even stronger start - so they will be keen to finish the job here.

11th over: England 70-0 (Banton 37, Duckett 31) Haris Rauf also enters the attack. The cricket is rarely dull when he bowls, and he is as likely as anyone to claim the wicket(s) Pakistan need. Duckett plays a defensive stroke that bounces into the ground and over the stumps; he turned round nervously before realising it was not going to disturb his stumps.

Four singles and a wide from Rauf's first over.

10th over: England 65-0 (Banton 35, Duckett 29) Faheem Ashraf, a more measured right-arm seamer, replaces Naseem Shah. He begins with five dot balls, only to stray in line and length with the sixth. Duckett strikes a cut for four.

"Moving on to less contentious ground, do you subscribe to the view that ODI tactics are changing in the last year or so with the advent of swapping back to a single white ball after the 34 over mark?" asks Lord Baron, sorry Brian Withington. "Apparently only Ireland, India and England have maintained run rates in the latter stages over the relevant period, which have seen marked increases in reverse swing. I am not sure the number of games played under new conditions yet meets the requirements of statistical significance yet, so your thoughts would be even more valuable than usual, he insinuated winningly."

Arf. I have not buried myself in the numbers - that is in the diary for Friday evening - but from what I have seen it has been a success. Do not take my word for it: Mike Atherton, whose thoughts really are valuable, has been full of praise for it on the Sky Sports podcast.

9th over: England 61-0 (Banton 35, Duckett 25) Duckett clips Shaheen through midwicket for four, then batters another boundary through the covers. All of a sudden, England's openers are rampant: they have scored 47 from the last five overs.