Another Cook ton seals England win

Published on Thursday 16 February 2012 03:28

Alastair Cook’s second hundred in successive one-day internationals underpinned victory as England went 2-0 up with two to play against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi.

Two days after his career-best 137, Cook (102) became the tenth England batsman – and first since Paul Collingwood five years ago – to make back-to-back ODI centuries.

The captain had to work a little harder in England’s 250 for four this time – dropped by wicketkeeper Umar Akmal on 28, having chosen to bat first on a slow pitch – and his team did too, to get home by a mere 20 runs, compared to Monday’s 130-run win.

Cook manufactured some memorable shots among his ten fours for a 118-ball hundred, in a match which bore similarities to the first one of the series here. Cook’s success at the toss, his man-of-the-match hundred, Ravi Bopara’s second consecutive 50 and identical figures for Steven Finn (four for 34) were constants from the tourists’ first success, on this quick return to the Zayed Stadium.

But for variation it was Samit Patel, with the ball and in the field, who made the most telling interventions as six Pakistan batsmen made double figures but Misbah-ul-Haq top-scored with just 47.

Cook and Kevin Pietersen shared their second 50 opening stand in as many attempts together. Shahid Afridi used up Pakistan’s DRS for an lbw against Pietersen which vindicated the umpire and spared the batsman, but Pietersen could add only three more runs before Saeed Ajmal hit him in front anyway in his first over with an off-break that beat the forward poke.

Cook survived when Akmal dropped a faint edge from an attempted cut at Afridi, but the wicketkeeper held a routine catch to see off Jonathan Trott after a waft at a wide ball from Aizaz Cheema.

Cook and Bopara enjoyed a stand of 78, the third-wicket pair’s accumulation peaking with 38 runs in the batting powerplay, only for Cook to go soon after when he poked a googly back to Afridi. But Bopara kept his cool and Eoin Morgan weighed in with the first six of the series in a partnership of 56 inside the last ten overs.

An opening stand of 61 between Mohammad Hafeez and Imran Farhat ended when the former fell to a tame clip to midwicket off James Anderson.

Stuart Broad then ran out Farhat and Patel was responsible for the next two wickets, Younus Khan lbw pushing forward and Azhar Ali bowled off-stump.

Patel then dived to his left at cover to take a good low catch off Finn to see off Akmal.

Misbah-ul-Haq had survived on 29 via an umpire’s call lbw on DRS against Finn – and after Afridi survived a chance at long-off to Broad and then hit ten from two balls in Patel’s last over, English nerves were fluttering again.

But a wicket maiden from Anderson, Afridi bowled heaving to leg, gave the tourists breathing space as Finn then bowled Abdur Rehman and in the 48th over Misbah fell to a mishit at Broad which was caught by wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter.

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