END OF OVER:35 | 7 Runs 1 Wkt | PAK: 130/10 (131 runs required from 15 overs, RR: 3.71, RRR: 8.73)
- Wahab Riaz8 (21b)
- Stuart Broad6-2-21-1
- Graeme Swann7-3-19-2
So, England win by 130 runs, ending Pakistan's seven-match ODI winning streak in the process. Not even Nostradamus saw this result coming. Winning the toss looks to have been key, as batting under lights was so difficult for Pakistan - there was only a little seam movement for Finn but he exploited it ruthlessly. Alastair Cook, meanwhile, can have a wink and a smile ready for the next time he bumps into the likes of Botham and Atherton.
As Khurram notes: "So Pakistan lose by 7 runs to Alastair Cook."
Pakistan, meanwhile, looked a shadow of their hungry, relentless selves of the last few weeks. Ajmal's second spell aside, the bowling was workmanlike and none of the batsmen was able to last very long at the crease - Umar's 39-ball innings was the most enduring. Still, I'm sure we can let them off the odd slack showing, given the sustained excellence of some of their cricket in recent times.
Awards time ... Cook gets most runs (as if we needed to be told that) and he's also named Man of the Match. There are also assorted baubles for Saeed Ajmal and Steven Finn.
Misbah-ul-Haq: "The batting [let us down] - 260 wasn't a big score. I know that batting under lights is difficult but we have to do better against the new ball. Otherwise the wicket played very good. Of course, we can come back. We're going to come back, do things right on Wednesday."
Alastair Cook: "It's been a hard tour, it's been frustrating we haven't played up to our potential ... Glad we got off to a winning start today. It's a different format, less pressure around the bat. Ravi came in and played very well and that helped me. All the lads put in a good performance. Finny bowled well, backed up by Jimmy and Broady - it was a good team performance."
That's the presentations done with, then. England are 1-0 up, with three matches to go - we'll see if Pakistan can strike back against the empire on Wednesday. Thanks for your comments - cheerio!
Saeed Ajmal c Cook b Broad 5 (29m 21b 0x4 0x6) SR: 23.80
Seriously, what do these two think they're doing? I know Pakistan have been very good at Test cricket recently - but someone has informed them of the change in format, haven't they? Anyway, Broad replaces Finn ...
END OF OVER:34 | 3 Runs | PAK: 123/9 (138 runs required from 16 overs, RR: 3.61, RRR: 8.62)
- Saeed Ajmal3 (19b)
- Wahab Riaz3 (17b)
- Graeme Swann7-3-19-2
- Steven Finn10-1-34-4
END OF OVER:33 | 6 Runs | PAK: 120/9 (141 runs required from 17 overs, RR: 3.63, RRR: 8.29)
- Wahab Riaz1 (14b)
- Saeed Ajmal2 (16b)
- Steven Finn10-1-34-4
- Graeme Swann6-3-16-2
So, no five-for but a superb showing from Finn. He ripped out the top order and set up the win for England. Er, that is assuming Ajmal and Riaz don't put on another 140 from here ...
