Andrew Strauss missed his deserved century on Saturday, but paceman Liam Plunkett (3-51) filled the role of super sub with perfection and led England to a 42-run victory over Pakistan in the first limited-overs cricket international.
Strauss’s 94 helped England score 327 for four off their 50 overs and Plunkett, who replaced Kevin Pietersen, claimed three wickets for 51 runs as Pakistan were bowled out for 285 with more than three overs to spare.
Pakistan had a chance to shot at the big target when they needed 88 off the last 10 overs with six wickets in hand.
However, Plunkett removed Mohammad Yousuf (59), dangerous Abdul Razzaq (13) and Shoaib Malik (50) in his successive overs. Pakistan lost their last six wickets for just 23 runs in space of 18 deliveries and Andrew Flintoff claimed the last two wickets off successive deliveries.
Pakistan were well on course when Salman Butt (67) and Younis Khan (60) gave them a promising run-charge and put on 117 runs in 18 overs after Kamran Akmal (5) dragged paceman James Anderson’s short delivery back on to his stumps in only the second over.
Left-handed Butt, dropped on four by Paul Collingwood at point off Steve Harmison’s second delivery of the innings, carved out eight fours and forced Flintoff out of the attack after the Lacashire all-rounder conceded 41 runs in his first four overs.
Butt brought up his half-century with a straight six over the head of Flintoff off 47 balls that also featured seven fours.
Younis soon completed his 21st 50 in one-day internationals off 45 balls with five fours and a six.
Harmison got his revenge when Butt was caught by Flintoff in the paceman’s first ball of the second spell, while Khan also departed four overs later after scoring 60 off 56 balls.
England bowlers dried up boundaries from there on and left-arm spinner Ian Blackwell bowled a good spell of 10 overs for 45 runs.
Earlier, Strauss (94) and big-hitters Flintoff (72 not out off 65 balls) and Pietersen (56) powered England to 327 for four with contrasting half-centuries after captain Marcus Trescothick won the toss and elected to bat.
Strauss top-scored with 94 off 98 balls, but it was Flintoff who lifted England’s total to more than 300. Flintoff added 90 runs off the last 11 overs with Paul Collingwood (34 not out) and gave England their best-ever total in a limited-overs international in Pakistan off its 50 overs.
Flintoff hit three boundaries and a six in medium-fast Rana Naved’s one over that cost Pakistan in all 20 runs late in the innings.
Pietersen accelerated the momentum midway through the innings with a rapid 56 off 39 balls before Kamran Akmal smartly stumped him down the leg side off spinner Shoaib Malik’s wide delivery in the 30th over.
Strauss was demoted to number three after Matt Prior’s (45) wish was fulfilled to open the innings with Trescothick, who could contribute only 13 before he was deceived by Naved’s slow delivery in the eighth over and was caught at mid-off.
Strauss was then involved in three half-century partnerships — adding 51 runs with Prior and further 91 runs off just 77 balls with Pietersen.
Strauss looked set for his third one-day international 100 and added 52 runs off 57 balls with Flintoff, but pulled straight to Salman Butt at the mid-wicket boundary after hitting six fours in his innings.
Flintoff fully capitalised on a dropped chance on 31 when he was missed by diving Younis Khan at short mid-wicket. The all-rounder ensured the England bowlers will have a large total to defend under lights, hitting five fours and three sixes in his unbeaten knock.
Naved was the most expensive bowler with one wicket for 75, while paceman Shoaib Akhtar (0-60) finished his quota of 10 overs without a wicket. — Sapa-AP