Century for Andrew Strauss in England win over Pakistan

Strauss century helps England win

England edged to a four-wicket win over Pakistan at Headingley to take a 2-0 lead in the one-day series. Openers Kamran Akmal (74) and Mohammad Hafeez (43) shared 122 after Pakistan opted to bat, and Asad Shafiq hit 50 in their 294-8, Stuart Broad taking 4-81. Andrew Strauss put on 146 with Jonathan Trott, but fell for 126 in the 45th over and Eoin Morgan went in the next. Six were needed from the final over but Michael Yardy and Tim Bresnan guided their side home with three balls left. An exciting finish in good conditions was exactly what the series needed, given England's dominance in the Test and Twenty20 matches. Another improved Pakistan performance saw them come agonisingly close, but they succumbed to their seventh defeat in eight internationals against England this summer. The opening stand was their highest first-wicket ODI partnership against England and more than the entire team has made on five occasions during the international matches on this trip. 

Bresnan's first three overs went for 25, and the 50 partnership was recorded in 53 balls courtesy of a rare James Anderson misfield.  The bright Leeds sunshine and flat surface gave little assistance to the bowlers, but England's fielding in general was unusually lax and tactics with the ball that previously proved so effective did not work.Yardy has often stemmed the scoring with his unique brand of flat slow to medium left-arm, but he conceded 26 in his opening four overs. It was Paul Collingwood who made the breakthrough, ironically with an off-cutter, to trap Kamran marginally on the line of off-stump when sweeping, while Hafeez was bowled via the inside edge and pad off Graeme Swann, who found some spin and was relatively economical. Mohammad Yousuf, who made only eight in the first ODI and looked out of place in the Twenty20 matches, again started slowly before gradually beginning to find his touch. 

Things did not improve for Yardy when he returned to the action and was wristily flicked over mid-on for six by Yousuf. The 36-year-old reached 46 before he got a faint edge to a lifting ball from Broad, leaving him with only one half century in his last 10 ODI matches. But the momentum was maintained by Shafiq, who displayed an elegant straight bat throughout and, when launching Swann for six, one of the most expansive follow throughs of recent years. Umar Akmal added a breezy 28 with three successive fours in a Broad over that also contained two wickets, although Pakistan may have felt that more than 73 should have been made from their final 10 overs. Indeed England were ahead of the rate from the off with left-handers Strauss and Steven Davies playing in calm fashion, picking off the loose balls and using the pace of Shoaib Akhtar to good effect. But Shoaib, often measured above 90mph despite having the appearance of a man clearly in the twilight of his career, angled one across to take the edge of Davies and the scoring slowed. 

Strauss backed away to smash Shoaib down the ground and record the 50 in the ninth over but he was reprieved next ball on 23 when the giant Mohammad Irfan, rather incongruously stationed at leg gully, could not get his 7ft 1in frame down in time and spilled the low chance. The England captain had another moment of fortune on 39 when Umar Gul nipped one back and the ball flicked off the glove before being superbly snaffled by a wrongfooted Kamran diving back to his right, but umpire Billy Doctrove deemed that no contact had been made. After a quiet period Strauss recorded both the England 100, and his 23rd ODI half century, in magnificent fashion when he skipped down the wicket to Shahid Afridi and sent a sweetly timed stroke high over mid-wicket for six, leaving his team needing 188 from 30 overs. Afridi took himself out of the attack having conceded 22 from three overs and Strauss and Trott were then content to keep things progressing steadily with singles, sharing England's highest second-wicket ODI partnership against Pakistan as they put on 146. The gargantuan Irfan continued to have difficulties: with his fielding, with his bowling - which despite his great height was again wicketless and largely unthreatening - and then to cap it all, with his fitness. But there was hope for Pakistan in the 33rd over with 106 still needed when Trott was run out by a direct hit after wandering out of his crease following an appeal for lbw. 

And with the required rate touching seven per over for the first time, Collingwood holed out to long-on for 19, the all-rounder having reached 50 only twice in 19 international innings this summer. Morgan survived a tough chance on one when a thick edge would not stick in Kamran's gloves and Strauss departed with 47 needed when he missed a sweep at a quicker ball and was lbw. England's ice-calm finisher Morgan played one trademark reverse flick for four but lofted a catch to deep cover with his team 35 short of their target. Yardy made a composed unbeaten 13 and shared 22 with Ravi Bopara, but the Essex batsman was caught in the deep and with both sets of fans in fervent mood, Gul bowled the final over. Bresnan saw a top-edged hook fly over the wicketkeeper's head for four as England leapt up to second in the one-day rankings, but Pakistan will be hopeful of reversing their fortunes in the third match of the series at The Oval on Friday.

Second one-day international, Headingley:
England 295-6 (49.3 ovs) beat Pakistan 294-8 (50 ovs) by four wickets

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