ONE-DAY INTERNATIONAL, CARDIFF:
England 202; Pakistan 46-1
Match abandoned, rain Asif's terrific new-ball spell was all-important for Pakistan |
The first one-day international between England and Pakistan in Cardiff was abandoned because of rain with the tourists in the ascendancy.
England were bowled out for just 202, with pacemen Mohammad Asif and Shoaib Akhtar each taking three wickets.
But with Pakistan then asked to chase 159 off 32 overs after the first break for rain, the heavens opened again with the score on 46-1 after seven overs.
Ian Bell's 88 and a Stuart Broad wicket were the only bright notes for England.
Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq elected to bowl first after winning the toss, despite knowing his team would have to bat under floodlights.
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Under thick afternoon cloud cover, the new ball nipped around off the seam, with Shoaib's pace and Asif's accuracy causing plenty of problems.
Andrew Strauss departed in the fourth over when an injudicious pull shot was top-edged to square leg.
Asif added to that first wicket when Marcus Trescothick backed away to leg and toe-ended a cut shot to wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal.
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Kevin Pietersen began cautiously, but the tactic bore no fruit as Asif produced a pearler which seamed off the wicket to take the outside edge, Akmal tumbling away acrobatically to complete the catch.
Bell, dropped on nine when Younis Khan parried a slip chance to the boundary, struck some pleasing boundaries off Rana Naved-ul-Hasan.
He proceeded to put on 68 for the fifth wicket with Jamie Dalrymple and with the score 163-4 at the end of the 40th over, England had finally built a platform to launch an attacking finale.
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But Pakistan struck with five quick wickets to seize back the initiative.
Bell was run out by Shahid Afridi's direct hit, Dalrymple bowled by a divine Shoaib inswinger, and Chris Read chipped a catch back to the off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez.
When Shoaib removed Rikki Clarke and Sajid Mahmood cheaply England were 173-9.
The crowd perked up a bit when Darren Gough carved 10 runs off Shoaib's final over, before Afridi, recalled to bowl the last over, had him caught at long-on.
Pakistan were due to begin their reply at 1845 BST but the rain began to fall while the players took tea.
An hour-and-a-half later the players did emerge from the pavilion but only seven overs were possible in steadily increasing drizzle.
But the dismissal of Shoaib Malik, lbw for five, at least gave Broad something to remember - a wicket in his first over of one-day international cricket.
Interview: England batsman Ian Bell