After sitting through the mandatory result of South Africa thumping Scotland earlier, the competitive nature of the England-Pakistan conclusion to Sunday's double-header saw the 23,000-strong crowd treated to a massive occasion well worth its price at the turnstiles.

Its appeal added to by the return of Kevin Pietersen and the rightful exclusion of Robert Key, as well as the opportunity to see two big guns do battle for only the second time in five games thus far, the event delivered on all fronts.

Sixes, fours, wides, dot balls, defensive strokes and scampered singles were all vehemently cheered by the droves of spectators - a vast majority of them Pakistan supporters - as the atmosphere reached astronomical proportions and tournament organisers enjoyed a contented smile. Were it not for the bitter chill in the air and the horrible smell of (very) overpriced, (very) deepfried fastfood wafting through the stadium, one could have been forgiven for thinking a match in the heart of Lahore was on the go.

While Mum Nature and her potentially sodden mood steered clear of the ground, Luke Wright showed all and sundry that he is no longer seen by the selectors as that bloke that bats at six and bowls a bit, instead further cementing his spot at the top of their limited-overs order. With the Sussex star's newfound status as an opener in the international fold, he must fancy his chances of selection for the post-Ashes one-dayers - all seven of them(!) - and beyond.

What a joy it was to witness Kevin Pietersen find his feet again against Pakistan. After a languid showing in the Indian Premier League and a stint on the sidelines due to injury, the former captain brought a huge amount of momentum and confidence to a middle order that was left to fondle its way around Lord's in the tourney opener. The way he commanded proceedings with the willow, complemented by his shepherding of Owais Shah, offered a glimpse as to why the fickle powers-that-be once considered him leadership material.

Pakistan - synonymous for their carefree penchant for blooding near juveniles - will rue picking Mohammad Aamer ahead of seasoned campaigner Sohail Tanvir. The naive 17-year-old copped the brunt of Wright and Pietersen's onslaught and will surely carry the drinks come Tuesday's clash against the Netherlands. Meanwhile, Umar Gul was head and shoulders above his fellow pacemen and once again showed the Shoaib Akhtar-infatuated PCB that the fallen speedster's services are no longer needed, and really it's time the plug is pulled on a wasted career.

Ultimately though, as well as their poor fielding - five catches and a multitude of fumbles worth - coupled with a glaring error in their batting order proved Pakistan's undoing. Their ongoing propensity to save Shahid Afridi for the death of the innings continues to dumbfound. While there would have been merit in doing this had Younis Khan and Shoaib Malik found the ropes more than they did, Afridi coming in at six with the required run-rate at 14 hardly avails 'Boom Boom' the chance to undo the damage already done. He is no longer the Afridi of old; reputation no longer supercedes poor form.

And so, Tuesday's Pakistan-Holland clash takes on more mathematical meaning than anyone would have anticipated. Before that though, Monday's encounter at Trent Bridge offers Sri Lanka the chance to boot the Aussies out the tournament. Now wouldn't that be lovely...?