Three wickets for Asif and Shoaib as England struggle

CARDIFF, Aug 30 (Reuters) Pakistan's Mohammad Asif claimed three wickets for 28 runs to help restrict England to 202 in the first one-day international today.

England, put into bat, lost their last six batsmen for 36 runs as Asif and paceman Shoaib Akhtar wreaked havoc.

Akhtar took three for 45 from 10 overs in a hostile late burst when England slumped from 166-4.

Ian Bell, dropped on nine, top-scored with a fluent 88 from 117 balls for his highest one-day international effort.

He was run out with almost 10 overs remaining after appearing to be the only player who looked at ease as England struggled from the outset.

Seamer Asif made early inroads by taking the first three wickets as England slumped to 51 for three in the 14th over.

They failed to exploit the early fielding restrictions and struggled to find the boundaries with any regularity.

England captain Andrew Strauss departed for two when he top-edged a pull shot to square leg fielder Shahid Afridi.

Marcus Trescothick edged Asif to wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal for 16 and Kevin Pietersen succumbed to the same combination, for two.

Akhtar received an official warning in the 19th over when his attempted slower ball slipped out of his hand and went over Bell's head as a beamer.

However, he went on to destroy England's tail with three quick wickets. The first gave him his 200th one-day international victim when he bowled Jamie Dalrymple.

Reuters AKJ VV2259