Dubai, feb-21: Kevin Pietersen hit his 2nd successive century to help a resurgent England hit Pakistan by 4 wickets in the 4th and last day-night international here on Tuesday for a 4-0 whitewash. The 31-year old right-hander held the innings in concert during his 153-ball career-best 130 his 9th one-day hundred to help England chase down a 238-run target in 49.2 overs at Dubai Stadium.
Pietersen helped England pick up from 68-4 with a 109-run stand for the 5th wicket with Craig Kieswetter (43) to maintain his team's control in the series in which they won the 1st match by 130 runs, second by 20 and the third by nine wickets. By virtue of this win England overtook Pakistan at number 5 and pushed their rivals to 6th in the International Cricket Council one-day rankings and partly made up for their 3-0 loss in the above 3-Test series.
Pietersen hit Junaid Khan for a six and took an only in the next over to reach his hundred off 136 balls and ended with 12 fours and 2 sixes. His previous best of 116 came next to South Africa at Centurion in 2005.Pietersen had lost his opening partner Alastair Cook who hit back-to-back hundreds and 80 in the first three matches off the second ball of the innings to paceman Khan for 4. Jonathan Trott (15), Eoin Morgan (15) and debutant Jos Butler fell in the space of 18 runs before the Pietersen-Kieswetter set lift them from 68-4 to 177-5.
When Kieswetter was run out, England still needed 61 but Samit Patel (17 not out) in the company of Pietersen brought England within two runs of the win when Pietersen chop to Saeed Ajmal. Tim Bresnan hit the winning four. Pakistan promised more than what they made after 50 by Asad Shafiq and Azhar Ali but were pegged back in the last overs with paceman Jade Dernbach taking a career-best 4-45.Shafiq made a 78-ball 65 for his 6th one-day fifty while Ali notched a 89-ball 58 for his first to help lift Pakistan from the early on loss of opener Mohammad Hafeez (one) after they chosen to bat.
Skipper Misbah-ul Haq chip in with a 52-ball 46 which integrated one four and a six.Shafiq, who hit six boundaries, repair the early loss during his 2nd wicket stand of 111 with Ali but England pegged back Pakistan when Bresnan dismiss Shafiq off an within edge and debutant left-arm spinner Danny Briggs accounted for Umar Akmal, who made 12.Dernbach had Ali caught off a miscued drive by Morgan to leave Pakistan at 144-4 in the 34th over. Misbah and Shoaib Malik (23) added 58 for the 5th wicket.
Pakistan made three changes as experienced batsman Younis Khan was not there for the 2nd match in a row after he failed to recover from a fever; while opener Imran Farhat was left out due to a groin injury. England also gives debuts to Briggs and Butler in four changes from the last game. Both team now play three Twenty20 internationals in Dubai (February 23 and 25) and Abu Dhabi (February 27)
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