Babar Azam leads Pakistan T20 victory charge against England despite Liam Livingstone ton

Livingstone smashed England's fastest century off just 42 balls

Cricket - First Twenty20 International - England v Pakistan - Trent Bridge, Nottingham, Britain - July 16, 2021 Pakistan's Babar Azam during the match Action Images via Reuters / Ed Sykes

Pakistan's Babar Azam catches out England's Jason Roy.

Pakistan's Babar Azam during his innings.

Pakistan's Babar Azam celebrates his 50 during the Twenty20 International match at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.

Pakistan batsman Mohammad Rizwan comes out to bat.

Mohammad Rizwan takes on the England attack.

England's Liam Livingstone celebrates his century against Pakistan. The hosts still lost the match by 31 runs.

Livingstone celebrates his century.

Liam Livingstone reaches his 100.

England player Liam Livingstone in the field.

Babar Azam led from the front as Pakistan beat England by 31 runs in the first Twenty20 international at Trent Bridge despite a blistering century 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.

"It was an incredible knock," said England white-ball captain Eoin Morgan of Livingstone's innings.

"The biggest compliment I could pay him is our changing room has watched some incredible knocks from (Jason) Roy or (Jos) Buttler or (Moeen) Ali and that knock was as good as any of them. He was incredible."

Yet it wasn't enough to prevent Pakistan going 1-0 up in this three-match series, with England bowled out for 201 after player of the match 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 the one-day series.

Azam, fresh from a superb hundred in the third ODI at Edgbaston on Tuesday, faced just 49 balls as he and Rizwan took apart an experimental England attack.

The skipper was in elegant form while hitting eight fours and three sixes before he was caught behind off David Willey.

England made a frantic start to their chase with fast bowler Afridi taking a brilliant caught and bowled to dismiss opener Dawid Malan on his way to 3-30.

Roy's rapid 32 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 Khan.

Livingstone needed just 17 balls for his fifty before Khan hit back by dismissing Roy.

Morgan fell cheaply to leave England 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.

"When you look at the chase the huge positive is only one of us got going and we were right in the game until the second last over," said Morgan.

"Today wasn't our day. Pakistan bowled well and put our bowlers under pressure."

The series continues at Headingley on Sunday.