• England 250-4; Pakistan 230
• England beat Pakistan by 20 runs and lead series 2-0
It was a case of not quite but almost the same again for England, who have one hand on the Mobilink Jazz Cup after a 20-run victory in Abu Dhabi put them 2-0 up in the series with two to play. Once again Alastair Cook scored a century batting first, becoming the first England captain to make consecutive one-day hundreds and providing further evidence of his own hot-housed progression as a player of stature in this format, both while batting and then in the way he controlled a tight run chase.
Two days ago England had knocked the top off Pakistan's innings. This time it was a progressive strangulation, albeit one capped by explosive bowling at the end from Steven Finn on the way to figures of four for 34, identical to his career best in the first match.
"I'm delighted that everyone played so well," Cook said afterwards, again paying particular tribute to Finn, his emergent spearhead whose economy with the new ball, conceding six runs off his opening five overs, was key to success.
"He's bowling very quickly and that opening spell was 90mph, just landing it on a sixpence."
With Pakistan chasing under lights on a mild and fragrant Emirati evening, England's unusual-looking score of 250 for four was destined to appear either carefully judged or fatally over-cautious on a slow but not devilishly slow pitch.
Pakistan had looked well placed, bringing up the 50 without loss in the 12th over before England struck with the first ball of their bowling Powerplay, Mohammad Hafeez carelessly flicking James Anderson to Jonathan Trott at midwicket. Imran Farhat was then dismissed by a moment of superbly athletic quick-thinking from Stuart Broad. A slower ball hit Farhat's pad. He dawdled out of his crease as Broad appealed, only to see the bowler dive forward and fling down the stumps.
At 91 for two the door was ajar and it was levered further open by Samit Patel. First he trapped Younis Khan lbw sweeping, then turned a ball to peg back Azhar Ali's off-stump after a patient 31. Patel's gambolling leap of celebration into the dark desert skies will linger long in the memory, as will his dive forward to catch Umar Akmal off Finn to reduce Pakistan to 179 for five.
After a week in which his weight has been much discussed Patel can now luxuriate in a match-turning moment of athleticism, flopping to his knees with well-grooved expertise as Akmal's drive died on him.
Anderson returned to send a straight ball through Shahid Afridi's clubbing swipe. And as the required rate escalated the match was effectively sealed by Craig Kieswetter's superb running and then diving catch to hold a top edge off Broad as Misbah-ul-Haq hit out. Finn completed the job by bowling Aizaz Cheema and England left the field at a jubilant trot.
Both the spine and the meat of their innings had again been provided by Cook as England batted first on a hot and cloudless desert winter day. For Pakistan Umar Gul and the recalled Cheema in an all-pace opening attack offered hope that this might be the moment Kevin Pietersen morphed decisively into his new incarnation of top-order bully.
In the event Pietersen was again devoid of brio, playing a cautious hand in another half-century opening stand before again being dismissed lbw playing defensively, this time to a lovely delivery from Saeed Ajmal that turned to beat a rigid forward thrust.
Cook took nine balls to get off the mark but acceleration came with two pristine boundaries off Mohamed Hafeez, one a hammered slog-sweep of Haydenesque severity.
Trott played loosely at Cheema and was caught behind but the innings was sustained again by the Essex engine room of Cook and Ravi Bopara in a hard-running partnership of 78 off 14 overs.
Cook romped through the 90s, pulling and cutting Gul to the ropes and bringing up his 100 off 118 balls, celebrated with a frenzied left uppercut that was a little jarring after an innings of such contained severity. Where Pietersen and Trott were out pushing at the ball, Cook has perhaps absorbed something of the gospel of Graeme Thorpe, who has preached a "rocking" technique, which on this evidence means playing late and decisively.
Bopara went on to reach his eighth ODI 50 off 58 balls, a gritty innings (he does gritty now) that lacked only the burnish of successful savagery at the end. England will also have noted with satisfaction Ajmal's figures of one for 54. They can even look forward now to facing him in Dubai on Saturday. Distinctly second favourites at the start of the series, they are now unassailable.