DURHAM'S Liam Plunkett proved the hero in Rawalpinbdi yesterday as England claimed a morale-boosting victory in their opening tour match after a woeful batting display.

Plunkett's four-wicket haul is an early indication to selectors that the Teessider is in no mood just to make up the numbers on the tour, with the 20-year-old already pressing for a Test call.

Along with Plunkett and Ashley Giles, who also claimed four wickets to see efforts, Marcus Trescothick weighed in with 162 runs in two unbeaten innings, with the trio bailing out England's Ashes heroes who were undermined by the seam and swing movement which saw Patron's medium-pacer Yasir Arafat collect nine wickets.

On a pitch described by captain Michael Vaughan as more Headingley than Pindi Stadium, only centurion Trescothick among England's specialist batsmen reached double-figures in the first innings - and then a reshuffled pack fared collectively even worse as they were bowled out for 112.

Thanks to Plunkett and Giles it proved enough for a 52-run win as the hosts managed only 105 in pursuit of 158 in 60 scheduled overs, although there was a touch of relief in Vaughan's voice as he reflected on a see-saw contest which amounted to only a qualified success for his team.

''We didn't get many runs but some of the balls the guy (Arafat) bowled for them were very, very good. He bowled two tremendous spells and put us under a lot of pressure with decent pace,'' said Vaughan.

Arafat, who took five for 31 in the second innings, was one of a trio of seamers who troubled England throughout and the England captain was impressed with the performance of the former Scottish Saltires all-rounder.

''He 'got' us out on most occasions. We played a few reckless shots, but that is bound to happen in the first game,'' said Vaughan, who is confident the rustiness which appeared to afflict England in Rawalpindi will be shed by the time they travel to Multan in two weeks time for the first Test of a three-match series.

''We want more time in the middle but we obviously know Test match cricket mentally is totally different,'' he said.

When openers Yasir Hameed and Asher Zaidi put on 50 without loss in the early afternoon of the final day England looked likely losers, only for the match to turn dramatically, with Plunkett taking four for 16 and Giles four for 39.

Giles kick-started England's revival with two wickets in two balls before another hectic passage of play saw the Patron's lose five men for the addition of ten runs in 34 balls.

Hameed was caught by a juggling Andrew Strauss at midwicket, and then Bazid Khan went lbw for a duck.

Plunkett picked up the reins at the northern end, from where the luckless and wicketless Matthew Hoggard had belatedly been given his first opportunity of the match to see if he could find the same assistance which had been forthcoming for Arafat.

First Zaidi mistimed the ball high into the hands of mid-off, and in his same first over Plunkett had a second wicket when Asim Kamal edged an attempted drive to second slip.

Faisal Iqbal flashed an edge behind off the pace bowler, then Giles struck twice in one over, bowling Shahzad Malik as he backed away to cut before Khaled Latif's slog got only as far as mid-on.

When Plunkett saw off captain Misbah-ul-Haq with some extra bounce to be caught at slip just before tea the turnaround was terminal and very nearly complete.

England were indebted once again to Trescothick that they had any sort of total to bowl at.

They began the morning with an alarming 39 for six on the board - a lead of only 84 - but an important stand of 56 between Trescothick (38no) and Durham all-rounder Paul Collingwood (34) just about did enough.