Cook ton lifts England to 250 in Abu Dhabi

Alastair Cook hit a second successive hundred to propel England to another challenging score of 250-4 against Pakistan in the second day-night international at Abu Dhabi Stadium here on Wednesday. Cook scored 102 for his fourth hundred -- the first England captain and ninth batsmen for his country to hit back-to-back hundreds in one-dayers -- to carry on the good work after his career-best 137 in Monday's win in the first match. The 27-year-old left-hander put on 67 for the opening wicket with Kevin Pietersen (26) after England won the second successive toss and batted. He also added 49 with Jonathan Trott (23) for the second and 78 for the third with Ravi Bopara who made an attractive 58. Cook was again at his fluent best, hitting 10 boundaries off 121 balls before he gave a return catch to leg-spinner Shahid Afridi in the 42nd over. He hit paceman Umar Gul for two boundaries to reach 99 and then took a single off Abdul Rehman to reach the three-figure mark as he carried the batting right from the off. Pakistan, who lost the first match by 130 runs here, brought in paceman Aizaz Cheema, batsman Azhar Ali and left-armer Rehman in place of Wahab Riaz, Asad Shafiq and Shoaib Malik. England, who remained unchanged from the first match, also owed their progress to a dropped catch by part-time wicket-keeper Umar Akmal who dropped Cook on 28 off Afridi, a costly laspe for Pakistan. Ajmal, who finished with 1-54, again provided the breakthrough when he trapped Pietersen leg-before in the 16th over. Paceman Cheema had Trott, caught behind before Cook and Bopara followed their 131-run stand in the first match with another solid partnership. Bopara, who hit four boundaries during his 66-ball knock, gave finishing touches to the innings with a 56-run stand for the fourth wicket with Eoin Morgan whose 25 not out had one six.