(REUTERS) – England, inspired by 87 from new wicketkeeper-batsman Steven Davies, defeated Pakistan for the fourth time in a row yesterday.
A 24-run victory in the first of five 50-over internationals followed a 2-0 win in the Twenty20 series after England had won the fourth and final match to complete a 3-1 triumph in the Test series.
Pakistan, who capitulated dismally in the second Twenty20 match in Cardiff, showed much more fight yesterday in a game reduced to 41 overs a side because of rain.
Chasing an impressive England score of 274 for six, they battled valiantly but lost wickets at important times to total 250 for nine.
Pakistan opener Kamran Akmal made an overdue return to form with 53 from 61 balls while his brother Umar hit 43 in 33 deliveries.
Slow bowlers Graeme Swann and Michael Yardy put a brake on the scoring after Pakistan had started brightly with 62 from 65 balls.
Swann struck yet again in his opening over and finished with two for 50 from eight while Yardy took 2 for 49, also from eight.
Earlier, newcomer Davies anchored the England innings with 87 from 67 balls. He shared an opening partnership of 78 with captain Andrew Strauss, who struck two sixes in his 41.
Jonathan Trott added 69 before he became one of off-spinner Saeed Ajmal’s four victims.
Test captain Salman Butt and pace bowlers Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, who have been suspended after an investigation into incidents in the Lord’s Test, left for home yesterday.
They have agreed to fly back to England if police need any further help in a probe they are conducting into spot-fixing allegations.
The second one-day international is in Leeds tomorrow.

ENGLAND innings
A. Strauss b Saeed Ajmal    41
S. Davies c K. Akmal b Ajmal    87
J. Trott b Ajmal    69
P. Collingwood c Fawad b Ajmal    14
E. Morgan c K. Akmal b Afridi    13
R. Bopara not out    35
T. Bresnan run-out    1
M. Yardy not out    1
Extras: (lb-1, w-9)    10
Total: (for six wickets, 41 overs)    274
Fall of wickets: 1-78, 2-153, 3-179, 4-205, 5-253, 6-255.
Bowling: Akhtar 8-1-28-0, Irfan 5.3-0-37-0, Gul 6-0-67-0, Hafeez 5-0-28-0, Ajmal 9-0-58-4, Afridi 7.3-0-52-1.

PAKISTAN innings
K. Akmal c Broad b Swann    53
M. Hafeez c Bresnan b Swann    30
M. Yousuf lbw b Yardy    8
F. Alam c sub b Bresnan    39
U. Akmal c Davies b Broad    43
S. Afridi c Swann b Anderson    19
A. Shafiq b Yardy    19
U. Gul c Morgan b Anderson    18
S. Akhtar b Bresnan    0
S. Ajmal not out    9
M. Irfin not out    3
Extras: (lb-1, w-5, nb-3)    9
Total: (for nine wickets, 41 overs)    250
Fall of wickets: 1-62, 2-82, 3-123, 4-158, 5-191 6-218, 7-233, 8-238, 9-244.
Bowling: Anderson 9-0-35-2, Bresnan 8-0-61-2, Broad 8-0-54-1, Swann 8-0-50-2, Yardy 8-0-49-2.
Remaining matches:
Sept. 12, Headingly, Leeds
Sept. 17, Oval, London
Sept. 20, Lord’s, London
Sept. 22, Rose Bowl, Southampton