England hold off fightback to go 4-0 up

England 252 for 6 (Stokes 69, Bairstow 61) beat Pakistan 247 for 8 (Azhar 80, Imad 57*, Rashid 3-47) by four wickets
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

The England one-day bandwagon rolls on, a rare ODI series whitewash still in view, after they overcame a challenging position at Headingley. Chasing a modest 248 they were troubled by the returning Mohammad Irfan, slipping to 72 for 4, but two players who did not even feature in the world record at Trent Bridge, Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow, broke the back of the target with a stand of 103.

For Stokes, who has had a frustratingly truncated season, it was his first fifty in any international format since February. He played some fantastically crisp shots, not least a brace of drives early in his innings off Hasan Ali, and there was the chance for a maiden ODI hundred before he picked out deep midwicket.

Bairstow, meanwhile, had been a late call-up to play on his home ground after Jos Buttler tweaked a quad muscle during the warm-ups. He survived a tight run-out chance on 17 but had not lost any of his fluency from the Test series despite limited time in the middle since. He could not quite see the chase home in front of his home crowd, run out by a direct hit, his speed not saving him this time, but an adopted Yorkshireman - David Willey - finished the job alongside Moeen Ali with 12 balls remaining.

In the end, the result was comfortable for England once the middle-order pair found their stride and Irfan, who had caused the early problems, left the field with what was indicated to be cramp. When he tried to bowl again in the 42nd over he sent down one ball, which was so wide it missed the pitch, then walked off again. In the pavilion, Mickey Arthur had a face like thunder. With overs to fill, Azhar Ali was forced to bowl himself when Irfan may have forced a late wobble.

However, although perceptions can be warped so soon after seeing a record like 444 for 3, Pakistan's total appeared significantly short. It had been anchored by Azhar's 80 off 104 balls, but he was one of three wickets for Adil Rashid as England rarely lost control, although Imad Wasim again impressed with an unbeaten 41-ball 57. At least, though, there was a frisson of excitement early in England's chase for a crowd boasting strong Pakistan support.

Six years ago on this ground, Irfan was given a serve by the then captain Shahid Afridi after a poor performance contributed to a narrow Pakistan defeat. Afridi strongly suggest he would not play Irfan again. As with many things in Pakistan cricket it did not quite work out like that. Irfan's return to Headingley was briefly - but only briefly - more enjoyable.

In his second over he ended Jason Roy's breezy start with a delivery that climbed and took the edge, sharply held at second slip by Mohammad Rizwan, and in his fourth gained a nick from Alex Hales from round the wicket - a change of line forced on him when he was twice warned for his follow through from over the wicket.

The few moments that followed were the most intense of Pakistan bowling v England batting in this series as he roughed up Eoin Morgan from round the wicket. There was an appeal for a gloved hook - which was called wide - then a shout for caught behind which was reviewed but had clipped the back pocket.

Morgan was relieved to see out the over, the last of Irfan's opening spell. Azhar may ponder if his giant quick could have stretched to one more, while running hot, given his later absence. Still, Morgan did not last much longer as he fell offering slip-catching practice against Umar Gul.

At that point England were 72 for 4 having also lost Joe Root, who had been closing in on an England record six consecutive ODI fifties when he hooked to long leg where Irfan steadied himself. It was the trickiest position England had been in since the opening ODI against Sri Lanka, at Trent Bridge, when Liam Plunkett's last-ball six earned a tie. And this time there was no Buttler or, for that matter, Chris Woakes.

But they had Stokes, Bairstow and Moeen, which was more than enough. Stokes was given a life on 34, when Mohammad Nawaz couldn't hold what would have been a fine catch at deep square-leg from a fiercely struck sweep and Bairstow edged Imad narrowly wide of the keeper on 37. But Pakistan would have needed everything to go their way.

Azhar had kept his bowlers out of the initial firing line after winning the toss, but again Pakistan's batting was from another era. After 10 overs they were an unthreatening 40 for 1 with Azhar and Sami Aslam struggling to break free. Aslam's struggle was ended when he top-edged to Stokes at deep square leg and, after a promising stand of 49, Babar Azam cut Moeen's fourth ball to backward point.

England's spin duo took hold of the innings and they finished with 5 for 86 from their combined 20 overs. Plunkett's second catch was a standout as he flung himself to his left to pluck Sarfraz Ahmed's lofted drive off Rashid, who then made one straighten on Rizwan to trap him lbw.

Rashid signed off his bowling duties, in which his second five-over spell brought 3 for 17, by having Azhar caught at long-off. When Moeen, who did not concede a boundary during his 10 overs, got one to turn and bounce to beat Nawaz there was precious little left for the final flourish.

However, Imad, who had missed the carnage at Trent Bridge with a knee injury, enjoyed the return to pace. He took four boundaries off Plunkett over the space of two overs with as good a timing as any of the Pakistan batsmen had managed, before denting Willey's figures with 16 off the 48th over to reach a 32-ball fifty.

Chris Jordan was the pick of England's attack at the death, going for 14 in a four-over spell to close out the innings, as he regularly speared his yorkers under the bat. A performance, like Bairstow later on, that reinforced the depth and interchangeability within this England squad.