Vikram Solanki in action at Old Trafford Tuesday. (Reuters)

Manchester: Pakistan handed a new-look England side a harsh lesson as they restricted the home side to 204 for nine off 50 overs in their first one-day International on Tuesday.

The home side made a bright start but lost wickets regularly, Shoaib Malik taking a career-best three for 26 with his off spin and Mohammed Sami hurrying all the batsmen with his searing pace, as they slumped from 106 for three.

Vikram Solanki, back after a three-year international exile, scored an attractive if risky 36 as 50 came off the first eight overs after England opted to bat in the Old Trafford day-nighter.

Solanki, good while attacking but was less assured in defence, escaped a big lbw appeal off Hafeez before cutting him for four.

But the key dismissals were those of the team’s most seasoned batsmen, Marcus Trescothick (18), new skipper Michael Vaughan (27) and Andrew Flintoff (39) all making starts but failing to push on.

England looked well placed before Vaughan, having faced 34 deliveries, looked to run the ball to third man and edged seamer Umar Gul tamely behind.

The innings was then strangled by some fine bowling and by some canny captaincy from Rashid Latif as 26 runs came off 10 overs in mid-innings.

Pakistan were on way to victory, needing 16 runs from 30 deliveries with three wickets in hand. In 45 overs they had scored 189. Azhar Mahmood on 16 and Abdul Razzaq on 1 were at the crease. Mohammed Hafeez top-scored with 69.

Flintoff, batting at five and dropped twice, threatened with a swept boundary off Malik’s spin before rifling an Abdul Razzaq delivery back past the bowler. But he then needlessly pulled the same bowler straight to deep square leg.

Four wickets fell for 17 as Pakistan, themselves with a new-looking team but with much more experience in their ranks, took complete control.

All rounder Rikki Clarke was bowled for a second-ball duck on his debut, naively exposing his stumps by sweeping at Malik while wicketkeeper Chris Read holed out with another sweep.

Batsman James Troughton only managed six but Anthony McGrath, the third one-day debutant, scored 33.

England named three one-day newcomers — McGrath, Warwickshire batsman Jim Troughton and Surrey allrounder Rikki Clarke.