A FIGHTING effort by England’s inexperienced bowlers, led by the youngest of them all in Stuart Broad, restored a degree of optimism for the remaining two matches of the one-day NatWest Series and beyond, even if it was not enough to bring victory in a tight climax last night. Pakistan ultimately took an unassailable 2-0 lead with seven balls to spare.

But even as Inzamam-ul-Haq clubbed the winning boundary at the Rose Bowl, the tale was in danger of being overtaken by another ball-tampering controversy. Sky Sports cameras highlighted pictures of Shoaib Akhtar running his left thumb along the skin of the ball below the seam earlier in the afternoon.

The sequence was suspicious but inconclusive, because at no stage was it certain that his nail dug into the ball. Mike Procter, the match referee, was aware of the pictures and was studying the footage at the close of play with both captains. However, Billy Doctrove and Nigel Llong, the umpires, made frequent checks and did not change the ball.

Although Sky took a discursive approach to the potentially inflammatory issue, Nasser Hussain, the former England captain who is now a commentator, said: “At best Shoaib is being very, very silly. To do that in the present climate is stupid.” Zaheer Abbas, the Pakistan manager, said: “They [Sky] can show what they like, but we are absolutely sure there is not a problem.”

Since taking charge of the one-day side, Andrew Strauss has bemoaned the lack of big innings from the England batsmen, and the point was reinforced as Younis Khan surpassed the three home players who made 50 by completing a stylish hundred during a third-wicket partnership of 167 with Mohammad Yousuf.

Younis, though, was then culpable himself in pushing Broad to long-on with his side still 76 runs short. The loss of Yousuf, batting with a runner, to a sharply turning ball from Jamie Dalrymple, and then Shahid Afridi to a debatable catch behind raised England’s morale within the space of five potentially match-turning overs.

Broad, in only his third one-day international, seemed to relish the challenge, holding an instinctive return catch at throat height to remove Abdul Razzaq and immediately tempting Kamran Akmal to cut to backward point. Rana Naved-ul-Hasan fortuitously edged the hat-trick ball to the fine third-man boundary.

Jon Lewis had gone for less than four an over in another sound first spell and he added to the tension by returning to bowl Naved with Pakistan still seven runs short. As Inzamamn took over, England were left to rue 18 runs conceded in wides and no balls, compared to Pakistan’s seven.

Earlier, Dalrymple produced his most assertive innings for England while Paul Collingwood scored a deceptively swift half-century to ensure a competitive target. This would have seemed a luxury when England lost Marcus Trescothick to the first ball of the match, an in-swinging yorker from Shoaib.

For the third time, Inzamam had decided to bowl on winning the toss and Strauss immediately took advantage of the fielding restrictions to punish anything on his legs but, after reaching his first one-day fifty of the season from 45 balls, he lost his way tamely.

A leading edge accounted for Kevin Pietersen and with Ian Bell following three overs later, the innings reached a crossroads at 125 for four. But the response of Collingwood and Dalrymple was sensible and productive, so that by the time Collingwood paddled Naved to short fine leg for 61 from 62 balls, England were assured of a competitive total.

Chris Read used the closing overs effectively — he is clearly undaunted by Shoaib’s pace — and England resumed equally strongly in the field as Lewis made early inroads for a second time to follow his spell of two for 11 at Lord’s three days earlier. Shoaib Malik drove loosely at the last ball of his first over and England soon struck again when a direct underarm throw by Strauss ran out Mohammad Hafeez.

Scoreboard

ENGLAND

M E Trescothick b Shoaib Akhtar 0
*A J Strauss c Akmal b Razzaq 50
I R Bell c Hafeez b Shoaib Akhtar 42
K P Pietersen c Hafeez b Naved-ul-Hasan 20
P D Collingwood c Shoaib Akhtar b Naved-ul-Hasan 61
J W M Dalrymple b Naved-ul-Hasan 62
R Clarke b Razzaq 0
†C M W Read not out 21
S I Mahmood run out 0
J Lewis c Shoaib Malik b Naved-ul-Hasan 7
S C J Broad not out 0
Extras (lb 1, w 6, nb 1) 8
Total (9 wkts, 50 overs) 271
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-0, 2-79, 3-113, 4-125, 5-226, 6-229, 7-249, 8-255, 9-268.
BOWLING: Shoaib Akhtar 10-1-59-2; Mohammad Asif 9-0-51-0; Abdul Razzaq 8-0-44-2; Rana Naved-ul-Hasan 10-1-57-4; Shahid Afridi 6-0-26-0; Mohammad Hafeez 3-0-14-0; Shoaib Malik 4-0-19-0.

PAKISTAN

Shoaib Malik c Collingwood b Lewis 1
Mohammad Hafeez run out 20
Younis Khan c Trescothick b Broad 101
Mohammad Yousuf b Dalrymple 60
*Inzamam-ul-Haq not out 44
Shahid Afridi c Read b Mahmood 0
Abdul Razzaq c and b Broad 16
†Kamran Akmal c Collingwood b Broad 0
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan b Lewis 7
Shoaib Akhtar not out 2
Extras (lb 5, w 11, nb 6) 22
Total (8 wkts, 49 overs) 273
Mohammad Asif did not bat.
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-2, 2-29, 3-196, 4-215, 5-217, 6-256, 7-256, 8-265.
BOWLING: Lewis 9-0-32-2; Broad 10-1-57-3; Mahmood 9-0-66-1; Clarke 4-0-26-0; Collingwood 3-0-20-0; Dalrymple 10-0-44-1; Pietersen 4-0-23-0.

Umpires: B R Doctrove (West Indies) and N J Llong.
TV umpire: P J Hartley.
Match referee: M J Procter (South Africa).
Reserve umpire: I J Gould.

SERIES: First match: Cardiff (match abandoned). Second match: Lord’s (Pakistan won by seven wickets).
TO COME: Friday: Fourth match (Trent Bridge). Sunday: Fifth match (Edgbaston).