Statistical highlights

England vs Pakistan, Newlands, Cape Town

• Andrew Flintoff became the 25th Englishman to appear in 50 or more matches in limited-over internationals.
• Shoaib Akhtar's 43 was now the highest score made by a number eleven batsman in LOIs. He went past the previous best score of 37 runs by West Indian Joel Garner, against India at Manchester during the 1983 World Cup on 9-6-1983.
• The previous best score by a Pakistani number 11 was the unbeaten 34 by Mushtaq Ahmed against South Africa at SSC, Colombo, on 12-7-2000. Incidentally, the highest score by a number 11 against England was the 24 by Indian, Ashish Nehra, at Chester-le-Street on 4-7-2002. For the record, the highest score by any number 11 in South Africa was the 33 by another Pakistani, Waqar Younis, against the home team at Durban on 3-4-1998.
• The 54 runs stand between Saqlain Mushtaq and Shoaib Akhtar was the third best for Pakistan for last wicket. The pair eclipses the previous best for this wicket for Pakistan against England, which was the unbeaten 35 -- achieved twice -- by Javed Miandad and Salim Jaffer and Imran Khan and Mohsin Kamal at Perth and Birmingham on 7-1-1987 and 25-5-1987 respectively.
• Pakistan's best for the 10th wicket in the World Cup was the 28 between Abdul Qadir and Rashid Khan against New Zealand at Birmingham on 11-6-1983. This was also the highest for the 10th wicket against England in the World Cup, bettering the previous best of 33 runs by Rumesh Ratnayake and Vinothan John at Leeds on 20-6-1983.
• In fact, there has been only one bigger partnership for the 10th wicket against England in LOIs. The best still remains as the record 106 (unbeaten) between West Indians Viv Richards and Michael Holding at Manchester on 31-5-1984.
• The 4 for 29 by James Anderson was the second best figures by an English bowler against Pakistan in the World Cup after the 4-15 by Mike Hendrick at Leeds on 16-6-1979. Anderson's figures were also the second best by an England bowler against Pakistan at a neutral venue. Left-arm spinner Norman Gifford's 4-23 at Sharjah on 26-3-1985 still remains the best.
• This win was England's first at this ground in four matches, while this was Pakistan's fifth loss in five matches.
• This was England's first win over Pakistan in the last six matches. The former had lost five matches in a row to Pakistan before this one.
• This was Pakistan's biggest defeat in the World Cup in terms of runs. The team had lost to Australia by 82 runs at Johannesburg on 11-2-2003. Meanwhile, this was England biggest win in the World Cup in a 50-over match. The team had beaten Sri Lanka by 106 runs at Ballarat on 9-3-1992.