(REUTERS) – Paul Collingwood proclaimed that England had finally found form after he helped propel them to a 67-run win over Pakistan in Fatullah in the final warm-up before the Cricket World Cup starts. Kevin Pietersen, in an unaccustomed role as opener, hit 66 from 78 balls and Collingwood chipped in with 65 as England were all out for 273.
Pakistan, resting several players, struggled early in response with Stuart Broad again England’s spearhead with the ball, taking care of the top four batsmen in the order.
Broad, who rejoined the England party after missing much of the Australian tour with an abdominal injury, finished with 5-25 including the key scalp of Younis Khan, caught behind for 80.
Pakistan were all out for 206 in the 47th over.
Collingwood shone with the ball too with his medium-pace seamers, grabbing 3-48.
“Everyone searches for form, we’re in form now. I am delighted. We beat a top team, though in a warm-up match,” Collingwood said.
England arrived in the subcontinent after a 6-1 thrashing by Australia in a one-day series Down Under.
One concern for England will be the form so far in the subcontinent of skipper and opening batsman Andrew Strauss who was bowled by paceman Shoaib Akhtar from the second ball of his second over.
Strauss also failed in the 16-run win over Canada on Wednesday, dismissed for one from his fifth ball faced.
“England is a top team, they played very well. The World Cup is going to be competitive,” Pakistan spinner Abdur Rehman said.
He said his team has no bowling worries.
“Shoaib Akhtar is bowling very well,” he added.
The Pakistan all-rounder and captain Shahid Afridi did not play and they also rested Abdul Razzaq and Umar Gul.
The teams met last year in a controversial tour in England in which three Pakistan players, including then captain Salman Butt, were later found to have been involved in fixing parts of a Test match (spot-fixing), with deliberately bowled no-balls.
They each received five-year bans but have denied that they cheated.
England begin their Cup campaign proper on Tuesday against Netherlands in Nagpur, India, and Pakistan start theirs a day later in Hambantota, Sri Lanka, against Kenya.