Akmal slammed a solid 102 to see the home team through after Akhtardemolished England for a modest total of 230 in 48.4 overs on a seaming pitch at the Gaddafi stadium.

With the win Pakistan levelled the five-match series at 1-1 after losing Saturday's first game by 42 runs.

Akmal batted with aplomb and executed some delightful strokes before he mistimed a pull off paceman Steve Harmison but guided his side within 44 runs of the win.

His 111-ball knock had 15 boundaries and six off Harmison.

Mohammad Yousuf (28 not out) and captain Inzamam-ul-Haq with an unbeaten 31 completed the formality in the 44th over. Inzamam hit four boundaries in Liam Plunkett's over to complete 11,000 runs in his 349th one-day international.

India's Sachin Tendulkar (13,909 in 358 matches) is the only other batsman to have scored more than 11,000 runs in the shorter version of the game.

Pakistan's successful run chase was never under threat once they were given a rollicking 86-run start by Akmal and Salman Butt (43) by the 15th over.

England captain Marcus Trescothick used five bowlers to get the breakthrough before it was provided by Andrew Flintoff who bowled Butt in his second spell.

England had a brief respite when they dismissed Younis Khan for 15, but Akmal and Yousuf shared a solid 74-run third wicket stand to end all such hopes of an upset.

Akmal, who hit 124 against the West Indies at Brisbane early this year, reached his hundred off just 108 balls.

Earlier, Akhtar demolished England's top order in his first two spells to leave the tourists struggling at 130-8 before Liam Plunkett (56) and super-sub Vikram Solanki (38 not out) revived them.

Plunkett, playing only his second match, put a new England one-day record of 100-runs for the ninth wicket before Akhtar removed Plunkett to wrap up the tourists innings.

Plunkett hit four boundaries and a six in his 80-ball knock.

The aggressive Akhtar removed England captain Marcus Trescothick (16) and Andrew Strauss (nought) to leave the tourists struggling at 30-2.

He then returned for a short two-over burst to dismiss Geraint Jones (seven) and Ian Blackwell (10) as part of his fourth five-wicket haul in 122 matches.

Akhtar bowled Trescothick with a slower delivery and in the same over had Andrew Strauss caught behind by wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal for nought.

From the other end, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan removed a dangerous looking Kevin Pietersen (28) and had Andrew Flintoff (nought) in the same over.

Opener Matthew Prior was bowled by second-change Abdul Razzaq for 32.

Akhtar dismissed Jones and Blackwell in his second spell before England decided to bring in Solanki as super-sub in place of paceman James Anderson and got the desired results.

England's previous best ninth-wicket stand in a one-day international was 55 set by Flintoff and Andy Caddick against India at Durban in 2003.

(Article: Copyright © 2005 AFP)