Jason Roy’s explosive hundred paved the way for England’s series-clinching three-wicket victory over Pakistan in the fourth one-day international at Trent Bridge despite a mid-innings wobble.
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Roy dined out on a flat batting pitch, reaching his eighth ODI century off just 75 balls with one of four sixes, before the hosts lost 4-15 in 17 balls to slip from 201-1 to 216-5 in pursuit of a target of 341.
Ben Stokes responded with 71no off 64 balls and shared a seventh-wicket stand of 61 with Tom Curran (31) as England got home with three balls to spare to take a 3-0 series lead with just one game, at Headingley on Sunday, to come before the World Cup warm-up matches begin.
Pakistan, put into bat, cruised past 300 for the third match in succession thanks to Babar Azam’s ninth ODI century but didn’t disappear out of sight as Curran pushed his World Cup claims by taking 4-75.
Babar’s 115 off 112 balls was the top-score in an innings of 340-7 that also featured fifties for Fakhar Zaman (57) and Mohammad Hafeez (59).
Babar Azam celebrates reaching his ninth ODI century
The home side – led by Jos Buttler in the absence of suspended skipper Eoin Morgan – made five changes from the side that won at Bristol on Tuesday, with pacemen Jofra Archer (1-62) and Mark Wood (2-71) opening the attack after winning recalls.
Wood – playing his first match in two months – was the quicker of the two by a fraction, averaging 90.8mph in his opening five overs.
The Durham seamer forced Imam-ul-Haq to retire hurt for just three by hitting him on the back elbow. The 23-year-old collapsed to the turf before being led off for a precautionary X-ray that revealed there was no break, allowing him to return to the crease in the 48th over.
The early blow was doubly tough on the in-form opener – Fakhar and Babar cashing in on a batsman-friendly track to share a stand of 107 before Curran broke through.
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Imam-ul-Haq retired hurt after being struck on the elbow by a Mark Wood delivery only to return.
Hafeez’s 37th half-century in 209 ODIs came after a couple of scares – Roy’s momentum denying him a sensational catch at long off and Buttler missing a stumping as the right-hander advanced to swing wildly.
Babar reached his century with a boundary off his 104th delivery, flicking Curran to fine leg, only for the Surrey seamer to hit back in his next over with a pace-off ball that Babar miscued to Archer at deep point.
Curran bagged his third scalp by yorking Imad Wasim and a fourth when Hasan Ali holed out after Shoaib Malik (41) went too deep in his crease against Wood and fell ‘hit wicket’ after smashing his stumps attempting to cut.
James Vince, drafted in for the rested Jonny Bairstow, shared an opening stand of 94 in just over 13 overs before deflecting a delivery from Mohammad Hasnain into his own stumps.
Roy’s progress to a third fifty in as many knocks this series was relentless after Farkhar failed to hold a chance on 25, and he motored towards three figures with two punishing sixes off one Junaid Khan over – the first a sensational scoop over fine leg.
Hafeez was on the receiving end as Roy romped to his century, splatting Mohammad Hafeez over extra cover, before gloving Hasnain down the leg-side.
His departure sparked a slump that saw Root, dropped on 32, Moeen Ali (nought) and Jos Buttler (nought) fall in quick succession – the skipper seeming to miscue off the back off his bat.
Stokes steadied the ship in partnership with Joe Denly, who contributed 17 only to be dismissed by superb one-handed, diving catch by Junaid Khan off his own bowling.
The all-rounder completed a 52-ball fifty with a four over extra cover and Curran matched him for adventure, smashing back-to-back boundaries off Hassan Ali to reduce the target to 34 off 24 balls.
Curran’s cameo came to an end courtesy of a Hasan Ali yorker only for Stokes to clear the deep point rope and Adil Rashid to nick past Sarfraz to leave just three needed off the final over.
Watch the fifth and final ODI between England and Pakistan live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10.30am on Sunday.
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