Hafeez (left) had a fine match Photo Gallery: More pictures

Pakistan had Mohammad Hafeez to thank as they crept to a nervy victory after being on cruise control for most of the evening.

Hafeez hit an exquisite 69, his highest score in one-day internationals, but his team crashed from 158-4 to 194-8 and it needed some scrapping at the death before Pakistan squeezed home.

The tourists needed nine to win from the last three overs with two wickets in hand.

But debutant Rikki Clarke had to bowl two of those and when Mohammad Sami carved the last ball of his penultimate over to the fence, the match was as good as over.

The winning hit came from the second ball of the last over when Abdul Razzaq clubbed Clarke over mid-on for four.

Hafeez, whose off-spin had earlier brought him figures of 1-41, had given Pakistan a perfect platform.

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The 22-year-old, in only his 10th one-day international, took full advantage of a let-off after he had been dropped by Marcus Trescothick on 22.

For England, it was a case of what might have been. Three batsmen got into the 30s but none could go on, and wickets kept on falling at the wrong times.

They reached 96-2 inside the first 15 overs before collapsing to an inadequate total.

Vikram Solanki slammed six fours and a six in the first 40 minutes to hit 36 at a run a ball. But he was crucially bowled by Hafeez moments after driving the spinner straight down the ground for six.

By then, Trescothick (18) had already been caught behind as Sami struck the first blow to end a 45-run partnership for the first wicket.

Shoaib Malik took 3-26 in 10 overs of off-spin and he was well backed up by his colleagues.

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Like Solanki, Michael Vaughan was another to get going before getting out, while Andrew Flintoff reached 39 before he was well held at deep square leg.

The Pakistani reply began safely enough as Hafeez and Imran Nazir (33) put on 60 for the first wicket.

Rikki Clarke struck with his first ball in ODIs to end their stand.

But Yasir Hameed (23) helped Hafeez add a further 56 before he was brilliantly held by Anthony McGrath off Ashley Giles.

James Anderson, who had been expensive earlier on, fought back to take three wickets as the lights began to take effect and Darren Gough chipped in with a couple.

But it all came just a little too late to alter the result.

England: V Solanki, M Trescothick, M Vaughan (capt.), J Troughton, A McGrath, A Flintoff, C Read (wkt), R Clarke, A Giles, D Gough, J Anderson.

Pakistan: Rashid Latif (capt), Mohammad Hafeez, Imran Nazir, Yasir Hameed, Yousuf Youhana, Younis Khan, Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Malik, Azhar Mahmood, Mohammad Sami, Umar Gul.