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With England's place in the ICC World Twenty20 hanging by a thread, Kevin Pietersen returned to the side and hit 58 off 38 balls to help them reach 185 for 5 against Pakistan. Pietersen unleashed some memorable shots as England showed far more intent than against Netherlands and proved how crucial he is to the batting line-up, but if this total proves enough they will also have to thank some sloppy Pakistan fielding.
England's boundary count was more impressive with six sixes to go along side 18 fours and their best period of batting came as Pietersen and Owais Shah added 66 for the third wicket. Pakistan bowled well at the death, but they weren't supported by the fielding - a problem that so often hurts them. However, Saeed Ajmal - who put down a fierce return catch off Pietersen when he had 30 - claimed vital wickets and Umar Gul's pin-point yorkers meant no boundaries in the final over. The innings, though, ended with a little flourish as Dimitri Mascarenhas and James Foster added 29 in 19 balls.
The atmosphere when play got underway was electric with huge support for both teams and opening-over boundaries by Ravi Bopara and Luke Wright came either side of a direct hit from Shahid Afridi that almost ran-out Bopara as the decibel levels rose. If there had been a roof on the ground it would have come off when Shoaib Malik pulled off a good catch at backward point to remove Bopara, handing debutant Mohammad Aamer his first wicket.
That brought Pietersen to the crease early after his return to the side following the Achilles injury that ruled him out against Netherlands. Desperate times called for desperate measures, but the fact he started by dealing in quick singles suggested the problem wasn't causing too much concern.
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