Abu Dhabi: Paceman Steven Finn took a career-best 4-34 and Alastair Cook hit his highest score to help England beat Pakistan in a fortune-turning 130-run win in the first day-night international here on Monday.

Pak vs Eng 1st ODI

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Finn, left to serve drinks during England's 3-0 defeat in the preceding Tests,
destroyed Pakistan's batting with four early wickets off 29 balls to dismiss them for 130 in 35 overs after Cook's 137 helped his team to 260-7.


POST MATCH PRESENTATION

Cook: It was a good day for us. We got a very good score on the board and then Finn bowled well. It's been a hard, frustrating tour. We haven't played to our potential but we showed what we can do today. It is a different format and the pressure of men around the bat is gone, so we could bat better. Bopara did well, he just came in and played well and made it easier for me. It is great to start the series well, all the lads have been working very hard and we'll look to come back fresh for the next game. Finn bowled a great spell with the new ball and was backed up by Broad and Anderson, so it was a good team performance. We'll enjoy tonight.


Cook is the Man of the Match for his 137


Misbah: I think our batting was a matter of concern. I know that batting under lights is a bit tough but we just had to handle the new ball well. We need to be more disciplined against the new ball, 260 was not a big score on this track. Wicket played very good, as I said it is just about the new ball. England played better, their captain led the team by example with a very good knock, so credit to England. Ajmal has already proved himself in the Tests and is carrying his form into the ODIs. It's just one bad game for us, we will come back and do the basics right.

The win gives England a 1-0 win in the four-match series after a disastrous Test series -- their first as world number one in five-day format.

Pakistan looked all at sea against Finn who used the wind to move the ball.

The 22-year-old lanky paceman, who showed frustration at being sidelined in the Tests, showed his talent by trapping Mohammad Hafeez (five) and Asad Shafiq (nought) off successive balls in his second over.

He then had Younis Khan (15) in his fourth and Imran Farhat (ten) in his fifth to leave Pakistan tottering at 40-4.

Left-arm spinner Samit Patel then further shook Pakistan with the wickets of Misbah-ul Haq (14), Shoaib Malik (seven) and Shahid Afridi (28) to finish with 3-26. Graeme Swann, who took 2-19, had Umar Akmal (22) and Umar Gul (two).

Earlier Cook, whose previous best of 119 came against Sri Lanka at Lord's last year, hit 14 boundaries during a fluent 142-ball innings and shaped well against Pakistan's spin-dominated attack.

Given out leg-before off Mohammad Hafeez when 30, Cook successfully reviewed Australian umpire Simon Taufel's decision and carried the batting until the 47th over when he was finally bowled by Saeed Ajmal who finished with a career-best 5-43.

England captain Alastair Cook scored a career high one-day (ODI) total of 137 on Monday, but his side was restricted to 260-7 as Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal picked up five wickets in the first of a four-match ODI series at the Zayed Cricket Stadium.

Cook's total, which came in 142 balls and was helped by 14 boundaries, was only his third three-figure mark in 42 ODIs.
England were heading towards the 300 mark at 188-2, but Ajmal, who claimed 24 wickets in the recent three-Test series, applied the brakes.

Ajmal picked up 5-43 while Shahid Afridi took two wickets in as many balls earlier in the innings, as England continued to struggle against the spinners.

Cook and Ravi Bopara starred in a 131-run stand for the third wicket after England won the toss and elected to bat. Cook and Kevin Pietersen had put on 57 for the first wicket but the latter fell when he was totally outfoxed by a Afridi googly for 14.

Afridi, who is only playing in Pakistan's one-day matches, then struck in his very next ball to leave Jonathan Trott groping forward as the delivery struck his off-stump.

However, Cook and Bopara soon settled down and the England skipper took the attack to Afridi, hitting him for five boundaries.

Soon after, Cook completed his century, Bopara reached his 50 but was dismissed when he rushed out to Ajmal and was stumped on the same score.

Eoin Morgan's poor run continued when he lasted for just eight balls before being trapped leg before by Ajmal. The man-of-the-series in Pakistan's 3-0 rout of England in the Tests picked up his third wicket when Craig Kieswetter top-edged the spinner for nine to leave Cook fighting at the other end.

Cook finally perished when he tried to sweep Ajmal and soon England's tormentor got his fifth when he sent back Stuart Broad for one run.

Samit Patel and Graeme Swann put on another 28 runs for the unfinished eighth wicket stand as England put on a late surge before the end of the innings.



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