sport news New-look England tear through Pakistan to set victory target of just 142 in ...

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A second string England team containing five one-day debutants ripped through Pakistan to set themselves 142 to win the first match of the series at Cardiff.

The upheaval caused by the Covid-19 outbreak within the original squad selected for this six-fixture white ball series was swiftly forgotten as Saqib Mahmood led the bowling charge.

Lancashire paceman Mahmood took two prize wickets in the very first over and England didn't look back as Pakistan crumbled to 26 for four and then 123 for eight with Matt Parkinson, Lewis Gregory and Craig Overton also cashing in. 

Ben Stokes rushed back from his injury rehabilitation to assume the captaincy and after winning the toss elected to bowl first.

He raised a titter in the pre-match interview by saying: 'We've made 11 changes from the last match' but hilariously forgot the names of two of the five debutants in the team.

England were forced into calling up an emergency squad after three players and four management staff tested positive for the virus in the wake of their match with Sri Lanka at Bristol on Sunday.

That forced the whole team into 10 days of isolation as the ECB launched an urgent investigation into an alleged breach of Covid protocol.

Test batsman Zak Crawley, Middlesex wicketkeeper John Simpson, South-African born Durham fast bowler Brydon Carse, Somerset all-rounder Lewis Gregory and Sussex batsman Phil Salt were then named for the first time in a makeshift XI after a large-scale cap presentation ceremony at Sophia Gardens.

Or as Stokes put it: 'We've got five debutants. John Simpson, Phil Salt, Brydon Carse and... I should know this, I've just done the cap presentation... can someone help me out?'