Wickets tumble as England struggle

England lost three top-order wickets to Mohammad Asif as they made a laboured start to the NatWest Series on a cloudy day in Cardiff.

The hosts, put in by Pakistan, struggled to 57 for three at the 15-over mark as Asif and Shoaib Akhtar made good use of ideal conditions for pace bowlers.

Marcus Trescothick and his captain Andrew Strauss were unable to come through the examination - and after Kevin Pietersen soon went the same way, Ian Bell was the man principally charged with damage limitation.

Strauss had already survived a very confident lbw appeal and an edge down on to the base of his stumps which did not dislodge the bails - both times off Shoaib - by the time, still with only two to his name, he mistimed a pull to square leg where Shahid Afridi took the skied chance.

Trescothick played and missed several times at the new-ball pair, Shoaib working up impressive pace in his first full one-day international since ankle surgery last winter.

There were few shots in anger, Bell's cover-drive for four on the up off Asif one notable exception.

Then when Trescothick did decide to go after the same bowler he managed only a bottom edge behind off an attempted cut shot.

There was no further addition to 35 for two when Bell edged first change Rana Naved-ul-Hasan through the hands of second slip Younis Khan for another boundary.

With forecast rain beginning to threaten, Pietersen's ploy of moving out of his ground to Asif was blocked by a well-directed bouncer - and then with his next delivery, the Pakistani had his victim edging a fuller one behind.