SPORTS
Success meant England had won consecutive Test (3-1), Twenty20 (2-0) and limited overs series against a Pakistan side whose tour was overshadowed by 'spot-fixing' allegations.
Eoin Morgan's latest match-winning Rose Bowl century saw England to a crushing 121 run-victory against Pakistan as they took the five-match one-day series 3-2 to end a scandal-marred season.
Success meant England had won consecutive Test (3-1), Twenty20 (2-0) and limited overs series against a Pakistan side whose tour was overshadowed by 'spot-fixing' allegations.
Man-of-the-match Morgan made 107 not out in a total of 256 for six last night after England had slumped to 47 for three following captain Andrew Strauss's decision to bat first.
Former Ireland left-hander Morgan had previously made an unbeaten 103 as England beat Australia by four wickets in the first one-dayer at the Rose Bowl in June.
Pakistan were eventually dismissed for 135 with 13 overs still left, seamer Stuart Broad taking three for 25 and off-spinner Graeme Swann three for 26.
"It was a huge game of cricket really, a very tough series," Strauss told reporters.
Ijaz Butt, the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, fuelled the controversy engulfing this tour by accusing England of losing last week's third one-day international at The Oval deliberately.
"It's been a long summer and we've been to some pretty unpleasant places as a team over the last few days and had to show a lot of unity and togetherness," Strauss, the man-of-the-series, added.
"You could see how much it meant to us when the last wicket went down. Motivation wasn't a probem."
Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi said: "I was thinking about a happy ending but it hasn't happened.
"There were some controversies on this tour but my team was very united and I think this will give us some good results in the future."
Shoaib Akhtar, in what could be the 35-year-old Pakistan fast bowler's last international in England, gave fans something to remember him by with three wickets for 40 runs, including an impressive opening spell of two for 17 in six blistering overs.
Pakistan, who had been 2-0 down in this series, saw openers Kamran Akmal and Mohammad Hafeez put on fifty in just 47 balls featuring 10 boundaries.
But Broad took two wickets in two balls to leave Pakistan 63 for two.
Hafeez went for 29, courtesy of the latest brilliant backward point catch by Paul Collingwood and Broad then had Asad Shafiq caught behind by wicketkeeper Steven Davies.
Mohammad Yousuf survived the seamer's hat-trick but England had regained control of the match.
England then had a massive slice of luck when Kamran Akmal was given out lbw for 41 to medium-pacer Luke Wright by home umpire Ian Gould, despite edging onto his pad.
Swann, whose fifth delivery had seen Fawad Alam bowled in classic style, struck twice in two balls to remove Yousuf and Afridi - like Asif out for a first ball nought - to leave the tourists all but beaten at 104 for six.
Earlier, Morgan had a reprieve when on 31 he chipped off-spinner Hafeez down the ground and Yousuf held a fine catch over his shoulder.
But Yousuf, realising he could not stop himself from going over the boundary, threw the ball in-field to prevent a four only to turn his ankle as he slipped in the process, an injury that later meant he batted with a runner.
Morgan, on 91 when the last over started, struck off-spinner Saeed Ajmal straight for six and four off successive balls to complete a 97-ball century.
Jonathan Trott, whose pre-match confrontation with Wahab Riaz ahead of the tourists' victory at Lord's on Monday had fanned the flames of the 'fixing' controversy, walked out to a chorus of jeers.
And it wasn't long before Trott, cheered by England supporters as much as he was booed all match by Pakistan fans, was out for three after Akhtar's express off-cutter demolished his stumps.
Pakistan's Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif have all been suspended by the International Cricket Council and questioned by British police over an alleged plot to bowl deliberate no-balls during last month's Test at Lord's.
Sharda Sinha, folk singer and Padma Bhushan recipient, passes away at 72
Parliament's winter session to begin from Nov 25, to continue till Dec 20
IPL 2025 mega auction dates announced: Check no. of players, venue, where to watch and more
Deepinder Goyal reveals customers' reaction to wife Grecia Munoz delivering Zomato orders
Infosys founder Narayana Murthy flirts with Sudha Murty in viral video from Kapil Sharma show
Ajay Devgn's fans don't want Singham Again to become a blockbuster: 'Rohit Shetty jab tak hai...'
Types, Most Popular and Where to Buy Peptides for Bodybuilding
Luxury in the City of Light: SABO Boutique Hotel Brings Elegance to Varanasi’s Sacred Ghats
Virat Kohli, Babar Azam could play for same team as Afro-Asia Cup set for revival
Shaping the Future of Web Apps: Full Stack Developer’s Expertise in API Design and Cloud Deployment
The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Enhancing Software Performance and Security
Mastering Linux for Superior Sound
Amid divorce rumours of Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai, Aaradhya praises mother in viral video
AI in Data Warehousing: Future Trends and Innovations
Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio IPO worth Rs 840960 crore in 2025: All you need to know
After India's 0-3 loss against New Zealand, Shah Rukh Khan calls Gautam Gambhir...
BIG revelation on Imane Khelif, Olympic gold medallist boxer's medical repot leaked, it confirms…
Meet man who built Rs 152000 crore company, donated Rs 100 crore, now set to lead US firm as...
Visa Uncertainty: Impact of US polls on global talent
Virat Kohli turns 36: IPL franchises send heartwarming birthday wishes to legendary India cricketer
Meet Sanjay Verma, the new DGP of Maharashtra who replaced Rashmi Shukla
Anushka Sharma shares FIRST photo of Akaay, Vamika to celebrate Virat Kohli’s birthday
CAT 2024 admit card to be out today at iimcat.ac.in; know release time, steps to download
Vikas Divyakirti UPSC Tips: Check strategy to crack IAS exam, aspirants should study for...
Video of Pakistani man putting hand into chained tiger's mouth goes viral, social media reacts
Shalini Passi reveals her husband's connection to Shah Rukh Khan's wife Gauri Khan, they were..
SC upholds validity of UP madrassa law, says it does not violate principle of secularism
US Presidential Elections 2024: What time do the polls close; when will the results be known?
Elon Musk shares controversial post on X amid US election results, video goes viral
Mukesh Ambani's company earned Rs 15393 crore last week, his net worth now stands at...
Chhath Puja 2024: Know about Kharna, Sandhya Arghya, Usha Arghya, date, timings and puja vidhi
Virat Kohli Birthday: Legendary batter turns 36, here's a look at his incredible milestones
When Ratan Tata met his first true love after 50 years, went for dinner together, know who she was
Samantha Ruth Prabhu hits back at trolls who body-shamed her: 'If you guys...'
Two fall prey to Narayana Murthy and Mukesh Ambani's deepfake videos, lose Rs 80 lakh: Report
North Korea fires multiple ballistic missiles toward sea ahead of US election
Deepika Padukone romances Hrithik Roshan in Bikini, looks sizzling hot in UNSEEN viral video
Chhath Puja 2024: Top 50 wishes, What'sApp messages, quotes to share with your loved ones
Meet Caroline Emmons, Ratan Tata's 'first love' with whom he couldn't marry due to...
Who is Rohan Jaitley, frontrunner to replace Jay Shah as BCCI secretary?
World’s most expensive human tooth is valued over Rs 3000000, it belonged to…
Viral video: Little girl’s adorable dance to Lisa Haydon’s 'Manali Trance' impresses internet, watch
SC to deliver its verdict on pleas against Allahabad HC order scrapping UP madrasa law today
DNA TV Show: Why Election Commission changed Assembly by-elections' dates
Days after imposing fine on Anil Ambani, Sebi now issues Rs 130 crore demand notices to...
Thailand announces indefinite visa-free entry for Indian travellers
Meet daughter of billionaire, who studied in UK, now works in Rs 32770 crore Indian company as...
MUDA case: Lokayukta police summon Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah for questioning on...
This city is 4000 years old, belongs to bronze age where 500 people lived, it is located in...
Kamala Harris has been the President of US before? Here's when and how
What is elimination inflammation diet that helped Vidya Balan lose weight?