PAKISTAN were bowled out for 222 after Misbah-ul-Haq won the toss, but England reached their target with 76 balls remaining as Pietersen ended on 111 not out and Alastair Cook added 80. The victory secured a first series-win in Asian conditions since their tour of Sri Lanka back in 2007 – and only their third since 1987 – in what was the most impressive performance so far of a one-sided four-match rubber.
England’s run-chase was clinical and unerring as Cook and Pietersen shared their third successive half-century stand and kicked on further as Pakistan’s bowlers toiled to no avail in the dusty conditions.
Cook had a third century on the bounce well within his sights until he feathered an edge behind to Adnan Akmal off the bowling of the unusually subdued Saeed Ajmal and departed for a consummate 80 off 98 balls.
But Pietersen kicked on and reached his first ODI century since November 2008 in an innings which included 10 fours and two emphatic sixes as England’s mercurial batsman hit form in breathtaking fashion.
Fittingly, Pietersen hit the winning runs with a booming drive for four runs and ended on 111 not out alongside Eoin Morgan (24), whom England promoted to number three at the fall of Cook’s dismissal in order to gain some form.
Earlier, England withstood an early onslaught at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, and subsequently kept their cool to contain Pakistan’s recovery. But in-between Pakistan’s efforts were undermined by the loss of three wickets for one run to stumble to 50 for four and then the dismissals of both Umar Akmal and Shahid Afridi for half-centuries in quick succession.
Stuart Broad endured a nightmare first over, which cost 16 runs, but finished with three for 42 as he and the increasingly impressive Steven Finn, with three for 24, proved England’s outstanding bowlers on a pitch of decent pace.
Pakistan openers Mohammad Hafeez and Imran Farhat soon made the most of several boundary opportunities, but both were to fall to Finn. Bowling at express pace again, he found enough movement across the left-handed Farhat to take the edge and have him well caught behind by Craig Kieswetter.
First change Broad immediately conceded three off-side fours to Mohammad Hafeez – and it should have been four, had Eoin Morgan not been permitted to pick the last one up off the rope and throw back in for three. But Broad hit back in his second over to have Azhar Ali caught behind poking at a good-length ball just outside off stump.
Finn dismissed Hafeez, pinning him lbw as he aimed to leg; then Misbah-ul-Haq pushed out at some full-length swing from Broad and was caught at second slip.
Umar was dropped on 28 by a diving Kieswetter off Broad, but he played watchfully and against type, as he had to, first in a stand of 47 with Asad Shafiq and then to add 79 with Afridi.
Shafiq had lived dangerously before being unluckily run-out when he dashed back into his crease to beat Cook’s throw but failed to ground his bat as Kieswetter took off the bails.
Umar continued a scampering innings, reaching his 50 from 88 balls and hitting just one boundary. But barely had the 21-year-old completed extravagant celebrations of his 13th ODI half-century, and Afridi reached his 34th half-century at close to run-a-ball rate – with three fours and a straight six off Graeme Swann – than both were gone in the blink of an eye.
The tail were therefore left to muster what they could in the last 10 overs – and thanks mostly to Umar Gul’s sensible hitting, it turned out to be 45.
Pakistan’s total proved to be pitifully insufficient as England coasted to their target on a good batting track with 12.4 overs to spare and the tourists wrapped up a series victory in the most convincing fashion ahead of the fourth and final ODI on Tuesday. (Eurosport)

PAKISTAN innings
M. Hafeez lbw b Finn 29
I. Farhat c Kieswetter b Finn 9
A. Ali c Kieswetter b Broad 5
A. Shafiq run-out 18
M.-ul-Haq c Swann b Broad 1
U. Akmal c Patel b Broad 50
S. Afridi b Anderson 51
A. Akmal b Finn 9
U. Gul not out 27
S. Ajmal b Anderson 4
A. Cheema run-out 5
Extras: (lb-11, w-2, nb-1) 14
Total: (all out, 50 overs) 222
Fall of wickets: 1-22, 2-49, 3-49, 4-50, 5-97, 6-176, 7-180, 8-204, 9-209.
Bowling: J. Anderson 10-0-52-2, S. Finn 10-1-24-3 (w-2), S. Broad 10-2-42-3 (nb-1), G. Swann 10-0-44-0, S. Patel 8-1-37-0, R. Bopara 2-0-12-0

ENGLAND innings
A. Cook c Akmal b Ajmal 80
K. Pietersen not out 111
E. Morgan not out 24
Extras: (lb-3, w-4, nb-4) 11
Total: (for one wicket, 37.2 overs) 226
Fall of wicket: 1-170
Bowling: Umar Gul 7-0-59-0 (nb-4, w-1), Aizaz Cheema 6.2-0-40-0, Saeed Ajmal 10-1-40-1 (w-1), Mohammad Hafeez 6-0-32-0, Shahid Afridi 8-0-52-0.