EDC vs PNC WCL 2025 Match 1 Highlights: Hafeez's 54-run innings helped Pakistan champions start the tournament with a win

EDC vs PNC WCL 2025 Match 1: Man of the Match

Mohammad Hafeez was named the man of the match for his batting performance in the first innings. The Pakistani skipper led from the front and scored 54 runs in only 34 balls in a knock that included eight fours. He came to the crease when his team found themselves in a tough position, having lost two wickets for a score of 27 runs. The Pakistan champions continued to lose wickets at Edgbaston; however, their skipper made sure that they reached a winning total.

EDC vs PNC WCL 2025 Match 1: Top Performers

Mohammad Hafeez - 54(34)

When Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez came to bat, the team's score was 27 runs for 2 wickets in 5 overs. In such a situation, the team needed a long and brilliant innings, which Hafeez played. Although wickets fell from one end of the team, despite that, Hafeez did not let the pace of the runs slow down and hit three consecutive boundaries in the 15th over. 

Although in an attempt to speed up the runs, he got out in the 17th over, till then he had played a brilliant inning of 54 runs in 34 balls, which included eight fours.

Aamer Yamin - 27(13)

After Mohammad Hafeez's brilliant innings, the Pakistan champions needed a good finish to take their team past 150. In this, the whole job was done by Aamer Yamin, who played an inning of 27 runs in 13 balls with the help of 3 maximum. The way he batted in the death overs is commendable. Together with Sohail Khan, he scored 22 runs in the 20th over with the help of three sixes, and with their help, Pakistan reached a respectable total of 160.

Phil Mustard - 58 (51)

This target was not easy for the England Championship team, which came out to chase the 161-run target. But Phil Mustard tried his best to give England the victory. He had a strike rate of 113 with the help of eight fours in his 58-run innings. He faced 51 balls in his innings and played a well-balanced innings, which kept England in the match. However, despite doing well for his team, they could not win the match.

Ian Bell - 51*(35)

After the dismissal of Phil Mustard, Ian Bell was the only batsman who played an aggressive innings and brought England closer to victory. In his aggressive innings, he batted at a strike rate of 146 and smashed five fours and two sixes. However, his good innings went in vain as Pakistan won the match by five runs.

EDC vs PNC WCL 2025 Match 1: 1st Innings summary 

In the first match, England won the toss and invited Pakistan to bat first. Proving the bowling decision right, England bowlers soon sent the Pakistani top order back to the pavilion.

Sharjeel Khan, who came to bat in the opening, got out early and returned to the pavilion. Kamran Akmal made 8 runs in 12 balls with the help of a four; similarly, Sharjeel Khan made 12 runs in 15 balls with the help of a four. By the time the first power play ended, the Pakistan champions had lost both their openers. After which, Umra Amin came to play at No. 3, and he got run out after scoring 6 runs in 9 balls. Seeing the innings of the Pakistan champions deteriorating, captain Mohammad Hafeez came to bat and stabilised the innings. However, Malik himself, who performed well in both batting and bowling in the last season, could score only one run and was out by Plunkett.

While Muhammad Hafeez was playing well on one end, there was no one to support him from the other end. Despite this, he managed the Pakistani innings alone. Although Mohammed Hafeez was out after scoring Fifty in the 17th over of the match, by then he had taken Pakistan towards a good total with his excellent innings. Aamer Yamin was successful in giving Pakistan the perfect finish it needed. In this match, he scored 27 runs in 13 balls with the help of 3 sixes. While Sohail Khan and Aamer Yamin took full advantage of James Vince’s over,  who came to bowl the last over of the inning, and together they scored 22 runs in this over. Pakistan managed to score 160 runs in the first innings due to a good captaincy innings by Mohammad Hafeez and good batting by Aamer Yamin in the death overs. From the bowling side of England, Tremlett and Plunkett managed to take two wickets each.

EDC vs PNC WCL 2025 Match 1: 2nd Innings summary 

England Champions came out to chase 161 runs in the second inning. But England's Champions could not get the start they wanted from the opening batsmen. Legendary test player Alastair Cook scored 7 runs in 15 games and was out in the 5th over of Rumman Raees. After which, James Vince, who came to bat at number 3, could not do anything special for the team and was out after scoring 7 runs in 9 balls. However, despite losing two wickets for 52 runs in 8 overs, Mustard kept the innings going from the other end. After two wickets fell, Ian Bell came to support Mustard, and together they handled the England innings well. England came back in the match due to the 55-run innings between these two batsmen. However, after that, Phil Mustard was out on Tanvir's ball after scoring 58 runs in 51 balls in 16 overs. His outstanding innings also included 8 important fours. Even after the dismissal of Mustard, the English team still needed 54 runs in 25 balls. After which, captain Eoin Morgan himself came to bat. 

These two batsmen scored 18 and 14 runs in the 18th and 19th overs and once again put England in a strong position in the match. However, in the last over when England needed 15 runs to win, Sohail Khan bowled well and helped Pakistan win the match by 6 runs. With which, Ian Bell's innings of 51 runs in 35 balls went in vain. He showed aggression in this inning and batted at a strike rate of 145 with five fours and two sixes. The 48-run partnership between Ian Bell and Morgan failed to give England a win. Pakistan Champions captain Mohammad Hafeez was the man of the match in this match due to his brilliant innings of 54 runs.

Key Moments of the Match

1. The last over of the first innings saw 22 runs scored by Aamer Yamin or Sohail Khan with 3 sixes, which was the most important turning point of the match. 

2. Captain Mohammad Hafeez played an innings of 54 runs, which became the second important moment of the match.

3. Aamir Yamin's explosive innings of 27 runs in 13 balls was an important moment of this match.

4. In the last over of this match, Sohaill Khan bowled when England Champions needed 15 runs to win. He bowled brilliantly and helped Pakistan win the match by five runs.

5. England were always in the match with the help of important figures from Ian Bell and Phil Mustard.