Pietersen torments Pakistan
Kevin Pietersen again tormented the Pakistan bowlers as England set the World Twenty20 champions a target of 149 to level the two-match series in Dubai.
Pietersen hit four fours and three huge sixes on his way to 62 off 40 balls, his second starring role in as many days after sharing a record 112-run stand with Eoin Morgan in yesterday's seven-wicket win.
England hit a total of six sixes in their 148 for six, while Yasir Arafat picked up three wickets.
Opener Joe Denly's nightmare run continued as he was bowled by Arafat for five. The Kent batsman has now scored just 20 runs in his five Twenty20 innings and looks under serious pressure from Craig Kieswetter, who has been added to the one-day squad for the tour of Bangladesh.
Shahid Afridi, available again after his ban for ball-biting, took the eighth over, much to the delight of a predominantly Pakistani crowd.
He immediately caused problems for Jonathan Trott, whose scoring rate was becoming a concern. The same could not be said for Pietersen, who danced down the track to launch Saeed Ajmal's third delivery into the top tier of the stands.
Two more Pietersen fours off Afridi brought the partnership past 50 and he picked up another maximum when he punched Afridi down the ground for a mighty six. However, he had a slice of luck on 45 when Afridi dropped a powerfully hit shot at cover and soon progressed to his third Twenty20 half-century off 28 balls.
England had progressed to 110 when Trott departed for 39 after being run out following a mix-up, with Morgan promoted to number four ahead of Paul Collingwood. The Dubliner immediately vindicated that call by hoisting his third delivery over mid-wicket for six.
Pietersen's assault was eventually ended when Ajmal won an lbw decision that did not impress the departing batsman, while Morgan (nine) fell attempting another big shot, caught by Shoaib Malik off the bowling of Umar Gul in a penultimate over that went for 16.
Collingwood thrashed his first ball high over long leg and Luke Wright lifted the seamer into the second tier of the stadium. Wright (13) and Tim Bresnan (golden duck) both holed out to successive Arafat deliveries in the final over before Matt Prior went aerial to narrowly avoid becoming his hat-trick victim.
