Rain ruins Pakistan’s chances

Rain caused there to be no result at Cardiff, where Pakistan were comfortably on top.

It first came between the England and Pakistan innings, meaning Pakistan’s target was reduced from 203 off 50 overs to 159 from 32. Aided by some poor bowling and a damp ball Pakistan raced to 46-1 by the end of the seventh over before the umpires decided the drizzle had become too heavy.

The only casualty was Shoaib Malik, who was lbw to Stuart Broad to give the youngster his first ODI wicket. England wouldn’t have minded play finishing with no result, this was perhaps a lucky escape for them following a poor display with the bat.

They were put in after Inzamam won the toss, the Pakistan risking to bat under lights due to the prospect of some early seam movement. He would not be disappointed. Mohammad Asif and Shoaib Akhtar found plenty early on, and Asif got his reward in the fourth over, when Strauss top-edged and pull to square leg. Trescothick and Pietersen followed in the next ten overs, the latter looking very uncomfortable against Asif as he was dismissed by him for the third time in four innings.

At 51-3, Ian Bell began to transfer some of his Test form in to the ODI game.He’d rode his luck, edging one through Younis Khan’s hands, but played his usual impressive strokes through the off-side. He reached 88, a career best, before he was run by a direct hit from Shahid Afridi. He put on partnerships of 47 and 68 with Paul Collingwood and Jamie Dalrymple respectively, although the pace was slow.

Bell’s run out triggered an alarming collapse of England’s lower order. Dalrymple was beaten all ends up by Akhtar with the next ball, and Mohammad Hafeez’s next over of a very good spell brought Chris Read’s tame dismissal. Bowling fast and furiously, Shoaib claimed two more wickets, Rikki Clarke slashed him to third man, while a swinging yorker did the trick for Sajid Mahmood.

England had collapsed from 166-4 to 173-9, five wickets for seven runs. Luckily for them, Darren Gough and Stuart Broad added a handy partnership of 29 to take them to 202 when Gough holed out in the last over.

England 202 all out
Ian Bell 88, Jamie Dalrymple 26
Mohammad Asif 3-28, Shoaib Akhtar 3-45, Shahid Afridi 2-38

Pakistan 46-1
Mohammad Hafeez 18*, Younis Khan 12*
Suart Broad 1-14

Match abandoned, no result