England take eight-wicket win

Ed Joyce hooks on his ODI debut © Getty Images

Ian Bell hit 86 not out and Andrew Strauss 78 as England strolled past Pakistan by eight wickets in the fourth match of the NatWest Series at Trent Bridge and the tourists now lead 2-1 with one match remaining.

With Marcus Trescothick overlooked, the top order provided a perfect response to the extra responsibility heaped on them in a pursuit of 236.

Captain Andrew Strauss, Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen all made significant contributions to ensure a first serious success in this form of the game since a dead rubber in India in April.

Andrew Strauss during his innings of 78 © Getty Images

Things might have been different, however, as Pakistan thought they had snared left-handed opener Strauss in only the fourth over when an edge off fast bowler Mohammad Asif flew low to first slip where Inzamam-ul-Haq claimed a low catch.

Umpires Daryl Harper and Mark Benson got together and opted to ask third official Ian Gould to adjudicate.

Television replays proved rather inconclusive and Strauss, on five at the time, was given a reprieve.

Asif impressed once again in his spell from the Radcliffe Road end and was rewarded when Ed Joyce nicked behind to the diving wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal.

But Strauss, whose half-century came off 72 balls, then developed a calculated second-wicket stand with Ian Bell.

Warwickshire’s Bell began at slow tempo but burst into life with three consecutive fours off Abdul Razzaq.

He later repeated the feat off Rana Naved-ul-Hasan in the same over in which Strauss passed 50 for the second time in a row.

Strauss’ departure for 78, missing a sweep, was a mere inconvenience as Bell finished 86 not out and Pietersen moved into the 40s.

Needing victory to avoid campaign defeat and having dropped Trescothick on the verge of his 200th Test and one-day international appearance, England’s bowlers turned in their best display of the summer in the one-day game.

Jon Lewis celebrates his first wicket

They were given a perfect start by Gloucestershire seamer Jon Lewis while the Pakistan powerhouses in the middle-order were prised out by a new-look spin attack in which left-armer Michael Yardy starred.

Only a devastating late assault from all-rounder Razzaq, who masterminded an astonishing spell of 69 runs from the final four overs, hauled the tourists to a challenging 235 for eight.

Five huge sixes off Sajid Mahmood and Lewis in the final two overs saw Razzaq finish unbeaten on 75, at better than a run a ball.

Nevertheless, England remained confident of making a decent fist of the chase despite the latest disruption to the team.

Trescothick, 30, had never been dropped since making his debut in 2000 but was overlooked in light of his unavailability for the ICC Champions Trophy next month due to a stress-related illness.