England hurried to victory at Lord's this morning by an innings and 225 runs over Pakistan to wrap up the series 3-1 with a day to spare. Yet celebrations were eerily muted for what appeared a significant achievement as Andrew Strauss' team chalked up their seventh win in eight Tests to continue impressive preparations for the winter's defence of the Ashes in Australia. It was their misfortune to do so against opponents batting under the cloud of 'spot-fixing' allegations and who - Umar Akmal's incongruously defiant 40-ball 50 apart - surrendered so tamely to be bowled out for 147 in their second innings that it was near impossible to avoid the conclusion their minds were not properly on the job. Pakistan faced an apparently hopeless task, their only feasible ambition to retrieve some damaged pride and a little of their reputation with spirited if inevitably vain efforts on the pitch. Instead they lurched still further from an already perilous 41 for four, losing four more wickets for 32 runs before Umar dominated stands of 24 and then 50 with numbers 10 and 11. Graeme Swann's figures suffered a little, but he still finished with five for 62 - and nine wickets in the match - to put his name on the honours board. The scoreboard was perhaps still the least of Pakistan's troubles, however, following last night's newspaper allegations of attempts to defraud bookmakers and the subsequent arrest of a 35-year-old man - from outside the squad - in relation to the matter. The Pakistan team manager has confirmed captain Salman Butt, teenage bowler Mohammed Aamer, Mohammed Asif and the wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal were also interviewed by police at the team hotel last night.
* PA Sport
England 1st Innings: 446 Pakistan 1st InningsPakistan 2nd Innings
