<p>Pakistan captain Azhar Ali led from the front with an 82-run knock before England fought back to hold the tourists to 260 for six in the first one-day international at Southampton on Wednesday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>In a rain-interrupted innings, Sarfraz Ahmed (55) was the only other batsman to make a fifty and Pakistan's plight in the contest would have been worse had Azhar not been dropped twice on nine.<br /><br />Azhar won the toss in the first of this five-match series and elected to bat in what was then bright sunshine.<br /><br />Sharjeel Khan, carrying on from his blistering 152 in last week's 255-run win over Ireland, struck three fours in 15 balls.<br /><br />But the left-handed opener fell for 16 when he top-edged a pull off fast bowler Mark Wood and was caught behind by Jos Buttler.<br /><br />England, whose fielding had proved fallible during a recent 2-2 drawn Test series against Pakistan, then dropped Azhar twice.<br /><br />He was put down in the gully by Alex Hales off Wood. Azhar was still on nine when he glanced fast bowler Liam Plunkett and a diving Buttler dropped a difficult left-handed chance.<br /><br />England captain Eoin Morgan decided to bring part-time spinner Joe Root on ahead of specialist slow bowlers Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid.<br /><br />He was rewarded when Mohammad Hafeez (11) swept a Root off-break straight to Hales at deep backward square leg.<br /><br />Azhar and Babar Aslam (40) rebuilt the innings with a third-wicket stand of 61. But Babar, who faced just 42 balls, was unlucky when he was given out lbw to leg-spinner Rashid by Australian umpire Simon Fry, even though replays clearly showed an inside edge. <br /><br />However, as Sharjeel had wasted Pakistan's lone review of the innings, Babar had to go and Pakistan were now 113 for three off 24 overs.<br /><br />Azhar pressed on to a relatively sedate 84-ball fifty, including four fours. Azhar and Ahmed shared a fifty partnership in 56 balls before the skipper clouted Plunkett through mid-off for a well-struck boundary.<br /><br />Ahmed took up the charge, advancing down the pitch to drive Wood. The wicket-keeper went on to make a 52-ball fifty.<br /><br />Pakistan were 173 for for three off 35 overs and on course for a big total. But soon afterwards Azhar top-edged a slog-sweep off Rashid to Moeen Ali at short third man to end a 110-ball innings featuring nine fours.<br /><br />The tourists' progress was checked again by a brief rain break which stopped play with Pakistan 218 for four off 42.1 overs.<br /><br />After the resumption both Shoaib Malik and Ahmed were caught driving to mid-off as they tried to force the pace.<br />AFP</p>
<p>Pakistan captain Azhar Ali led from the front with an 82-run knock before England fought back to hold the tourists to 260 for six in the first one-day international at Southampton on Wednesday.<br /><br /></p>.<p>In a rain-interrupted innings, Sarfraz Ahmed (55) was the only other batsman to make a fifty and Pakistan's plight in the contest would have been worse had Azhar not been dropped twice on nine.<br /><br />Azhar won the toss in the first of this five-match series and elected to bat in what was then bright sunshine.<br /><br />Sharjeel Khan, carrying on from his blistering 152 in last week's 255-run win over Ireland, struck three fours in 15 balls.<br /><br />But the left-handed opener fell for 16 when he top-edged a pull off fast bowler Mark Wood and was caught behind by Jos Buttler.<br /><br />England, whose fielding had proved fallible during a recent 2-2 drawn Test series against Pakistan, then dropped Azhar twice.<br /><br />He was put down in the gully by Alex Hales off Wood. Azhar was still on nine when he glanced fast bowler Liam Plunkett and a diving Buttler dropped a difficult left-handed chance.<br /><br />England captain Eoin Morgan decided to bring part-time spinner Joe Root on ahead of specialist slow bowlers Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid.<br /><br />He was rewarded when Mohammad Hafeez (11) swept a Root off-break straight to Hales at deep backward square leg.<br /><br />Azhar and Babar Aslam (40) rebuilt the innings with a third-wicket stand of 61. But Babar, who faced just 42 balls, was unlucky when he was given out lbw to leg-spinner Rashid by Australian umpire Simon Fry, even though replays clearly showed an inside edge. <br /><br />However, as Sharjeel had wasted Pakistan's lone review of the innings, Babar had to go and Pakistan were now 113 for three off 24 overs.<br /><br />Azhar pressed on to a relatively sedate 84-ball fifty, including four fours. Azhar and Ahmed shared a fifty partnership in 56 balls before the skipper clouted Plunkett through mid-off for a well-struck boundary.<br /><br />Ahmed took up the charge, advancing down the pitch to drive Wood. The wicket-keeper went on to make a 52-ball fifty.<br /><br />Pakistan were 173 for for three off 35 overs and on course for a big total. But soon afterwards Azhar top-edged a slog-sweep off Rashid to Moeen Ali at short third man to end a 110-ball innings featuring nine fours.<br /><br />The tourists' progress was checked again by a brief rain break which stopped play with Pakistan 218 for four off 42.1 overs.<br /><br />After the resumption both Shoaib Malik and Ahmed were caught driving to mid-off as they tried to force the pace.<br />AFP</p>