Babar Azam led from the front as Pakistan beat England by 31 runs in the first Twenty20 international at Trent Bridge on Friday despite a blistering hundred from Liam Livingstone.
Pakistan captain Azam made 85 and shared an opening stand of 150 with Mohammad Rizwan in a national record T20 total of 232-6.
But Livingstone gave the hosts hope with a 42-ball century, England’s quickest in a T20 international and the fifth fastest of all-time, hitting six fours and nine sixes on his way to three figures.
Yet it wasn’t enough to prevent Pakistan going 1-0 up in this three-match series, with England bowled out for 201 after Shaheen Shah Afridi and Shadab Khan took three wickets apiece.
This was Pakistan’s first victory of their 2021 tour following a 3-0 reverse in a one-day international series.
Azam, fresh from a superb hundred in the third ODI at Edgbaston on Tuesday, faced just 49 balls as he and Rizwan took a toll of an experimental England attack.
The skipper was in typically elegant form while hitting eight fours and three sixes before he was caught behind off David Willey.
England soon found themselves 69-3 in a frantic start to their chase with fast bowler Afridi taking a brilliant caught and bowled to dismiss Dawid Malan on his way to 3-30.
Jason Roy’s rapid fifty kept England in the hunt before Livingstone, looking to establish himself in the England set-up, found his range with consecutive sixes off leg-spinner Shadab Khan.
Livingstone needed just 17 balls for his fifty before Khan hit back by dismissing Roy.
England captain Eoin Morgan fell cheaply to leave the hosts looking to Livingstone.
The Lancashire all-rounder went to his hundred in style with a six before Khan had him caught in the deep.
England’s tail now had too much to do and Afridi ended the match when he bowled Matt Parkinson with four balls left in the game.
The series continues at Headingley on Sunday.