Cook sets tone as England win at long last
Captain excels with best ever one-day score while Finn does the damage with the ball as Pakistan are crushed by 130 runs in one-sided series opener
ENGLAND one-day captain Alastair Cook admitted to feeling a combination of jubilation and relief after his century helped set the tone for his side’s first significant victory of their troubled tour of Pakistan.
The Essex left-hander compiled a career-best score of 137 in England’s total of 260-7, which proved more than enough to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series after Steven Finn returned figures of 4-34 to help bowl the hosts out for just 130.
Victory represented a much-needed shot in the arm for English morale in light of the 5-0 drubbing Cook’s side took in India last October which proved a precursor to the more recent travails of the Test team who were similarly whitewashed by Pakistan earlier this month.
“It’s always good to start off the series well, and to play close to our potential – which I don’t think we’ve done on this tour – is really pleasing,” said Cook.
“I thought one to 11 today were outstanding. I’ve always said, as captain, you’re judged by results -– and we didn’t play very well (in India), and I take responsibility. But today was a really good day for the side. We did need the win on tour, and it was great to be able to contribute to it.”
Cook’s effort underpinned an England innings that lurched violently from varying degrees of despair to positions of near total dominance before they were forced to settle for a par total.
The experiment to open with Kevin Pietersen failed to reap instant dividends – the South African-born star hung around for 36 balls but managed only 14 runs before he was bowled by Shahid Afridi – while there were also failures for Jonathan Trott, Craig Kieswetter and Eoin Morgan.
Spin, meanwhile, which caused so much havoc in the Test series, accounted for all seven English wickets to fall with Saeed Ajmal helping himself to another five-fer.
Encouragement was, however, to be found in the composure of Ravi Bopara, reduced to the role of spectator for most of the tour, who made a pleasing 50 from 69 balls, while the performance of England’s attack, and particularly Finn, ensured a belated first international victory of 2012 for England.
FIRST ODI
ENG 260-7 | Pak 130 all oUT
The Toss: Cook calls correctly and chooses to bat. No return for Tim Bresnan who is deemed short of match fitness.
12.5 Overs: A promising start is undone by Afridi who accounts for KP and Trott in consecutive balls
35.1 Overs: Cook goes to his third ODI hundred with a boundary off Ajmal
36.6 Overs: Bopara brings up his seventh ODI fifty and at 188-2 England look set for a big total
50 Overs: Despite a late flurry from Swann and Patel England finish on 260-7 after Ajmal weaves his magic to end with 5-43
2.2 Overs: Pakistan’s response gets off to an awful start as Finn traps both Shafeeq and Hafiz leg-before in the space of two balls.
6.5 Overs: Younis does well to even get an inside edge to a Finn snorter and Kieswetter takes a fine catch. Pakistan in trouble at 27-3
8.5 Overs: The same Finn-Kieswetter combo does the trick again as Farhat is caught behind
14.4 Overs: Misbah’s gone and so too, in all probability, has the match. Patel slides one past the Pakistan captain’s defences and the hosts are reduced to 53-5
36.6 Overs: Broad takes the final wicket of Ajmal as England wrap up a conclusive 130-run victory