England take series with 121-run win

Three wickets apiece for Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann stop a resurgent Pakistan in their tracks.

KARACHI: Three wickets apiece for Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann stopped a resurgent Pakistan in their tracks and sealed a thumping 121-run victory with 13 overs to spare for England in the decisive fifth and final one-day international at The Rose Bowl on Wednesday.

It was a do or die game for both teams. Pakistan wanted to end the tour on a winning note and draw some attention away from the spate of match-fixing rumours that have been hounding them on the tour. England needed the win to end the summer on a high and go into their Ashes tour, with their confidence intact.

Eoin Morgan produced his second superb century in consecutive ODI appearances at the Rose Bowl to help England post a respectable 256 after some brilliant Pakistan bowling pegged them back in the early overs. Morgan’s latest Rose Bowl fireworks also saw him deservedly took the man-of-the-match award. And while Pakistan for once got a great start from the openers they failed to maintain the momentum when first two wickets by Broad and then some great off-spin by Graeme Swan completely sent the run-chase off course.

Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, who finished with three wickets for 40 runs, was impressive in first spell and this will be a memorable return to top-flight cricket for him.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 23^rd, 2010.