LONDON: Sarfraz Ahmed became the first Pakistan player to score a One-day International hundred at Lord’s as the tourists fought back after a dramatic collapse against England here on Saturday.

Sarfraz’s 105 was the cornerstone of Pakistan’s 251 all out — a seemingly below par total but one that looked well out of reach as they slumped to two for three following captain Azhar Ali’s decision to bat first.

Imad Wasim’s 63 not out was also his career-best score at this level and the left-hander helped Sarfraz add a valuable 77 runs for the sixth wicket.

Pacemen Chris Woakes and Mark Wood took three wickets apiece as England looked to go 2-0 up in this five-match series following their 44-run rain-affected win at Southampton on Wednesday.

Pakistan lost recalled opener Sami Aslam (one) following an England review after his attempted pull off Woakes was held down the legside by wicket-keeper Jos Buttler.

There was no hot-spot mark but Australian third umpire Simon Fry decide the spike on real time snicko was large enough to give Sami out.

But there was no doubt at all when Wood dismissed Sharjeel Khan for nought with an express delivery that cut sharply off the seam to knock over the left-hander’s off stump. Azhar also fell for a duck when caught behind off Woakes.

Babar Azam and Sarfraz kept England at bay, with Babar (30) hitting several stylish boundaries before he played on to Plunkett.

Pakistan were now 66 for four.

But Sarfraz, as he’d often done during the preceding 2-2 drawn Test series, frustrated England with a mixture of orthodox and improvised shots.

Shoaib Malik (28) struck a straight six against off-spinner Moeen Ali in a fifth-wicket partnership of 59 before Wood’s return saw him caught behind.

Sarfraz, whose lone previous ODI hundred was against Ireland at last year’s World Cup, completed a 124-ball century when he leg-glanced Plunkett for his sixth four. He then successfully reviewed Plunkett’s lbw appeal before he slog-swept Ali to Alex Hales in the deep.

Imad struck Plunkett for three boundaries in as many balls — an uppercut six followed by a straight drive and a cover drive — to go to a 57-ball fifty.

England’s fielding was shoddy at times but Plunkett held a brilliant diving one-handed catch at extra-cover to dismiss Wahab Riaz before No.11 Mohammad Amir was run out with one ball left in the innings.

Scoreboard

PAKISTAN:

Sami Aslam c Buttler b Woakes1

Sharjeel Khan b Wood0

Azhar Ali c Buttler b Woakes0

Babar Azam b Plunkett30

Sarfraz Ahmed c Hales b Rashid105

Shoaib Malik c Buttler b Wood28

Imad Wasim not out63

Hasan Ali c Root b Plunkett0

Wahab Riaz c Plunkett b Woakes6

Yasir Shah c Roy b Wood0

Mohammad Amir run out (Woakes)6

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-4, W-4)12

TOTAL (all out, 49.5 overs)251

FALL OF WKTS: 1-2, 2-2, 3-2, 4-66, 5-125, 6-202, 7-223, 8-236, 9-238.

BOWLING: Wood 10-1-46-3 (2w); Woakes 9.5-2-42-3 (2w); Rashid 10-0-51-1; Plunkett 10-0-50-2; Ali 10-0-54-0.

ENGLAND: Alex Hales, Jason Roy, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (captain), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wicket-keeper), Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.

UMPIRES: Marais Erasmus (South Africa), Tim Robinson (England)

TV UMPIRE: Simon Fry (Australia)

MATCH REFEREE: Jeff Crowe (New Zealand).

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2016