Cook stars again in England victory

Two days after his career-best 137, Cook (102) became the 10th England batsman - and first since Paul Collingwood five years ago - to make back-to-back ODI centuries.

Cook's success at the toss, his man-of-the-match hundred, Ravi Bopara's second consecutive 50 and identical figures for Steven Finn (four for 34) were constants from the tourists' first success, on this return to the Zayed Stadium. But for variation it was Samit Patel, with the ball and in the field, who made perhaps the most telling interventions.

Cook and Kevin Pietersen shared their second 50 opening stand in as many attempts together but the latter was dismissed for 26 when Saeed Ajmal hit him in front in his first over with an off-break that beat the forward poke.

Cook survived when Umar Akmal dropped a faint edge from an attempted cut at Shahid Afridi, but the wicketkeeper did manage to hold a routine catch to see off Jonathan Trott after a flat-footed waft at a wide ball from Aizaz Cheema.

Much therefore depended on Cook and Bopara again, and the Essex pair duly served their country well in a stand of 78. The third-wicket pair's accumulation peaked with 38 runs in the batting powerplay, only for Cook to go immediately afterwards when he poked a googly straight back to Afridi.

But Bopara kept his cool, despite managing only four boundaries - and Eoin Morgan weighed in with the first six of the series in a partnership of 56 inside the last 10 overs. The total appeared marginally above par.

It was game on, though, after a cautious yet effective opening stand of 61 between Mohammad Hafeez and Imran Farhat which ended when the former fell to a tame clip to midwicket off James Anderson. Stuart Broad was then alert to run out Farhat by throwing down the wickets in his follow-through.

Patel was responsible for the next two wickets, Younus Khan lbw pushing forward and Azhar Ali bowled off-stump as he shaped to cut a quicker ball which also turned a little. The Nottinghamshire all-rounder then dived athletically to his left at cover to take a very good low catch off the returning Finn to see off the dangerous Akmal.

A tight match remained that way right to the end. But a wicket maiden from Anderson, Afridi bowled heaving to leg, gave the tourists just enough breathing space as Finn then bowled Abdur Rehman and in the 48th over Misbah-ul-Haq fell to a steepling, swirling mishit at Broad which was superbly caught by wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter.