Anderson was the star for England (Getty Images).

By PA Sport Staff

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James Anderson continued his meteoric rise up the international rankings by delivering the most impressive display of his fledgling career to help England record one of their most convincing World Cup victories in a decade over Pakistan.

Since being plucked from the Academy in Adelaide to stake a place not only in their one-day squad but also their World Cup party, 20-year-old Anderson has impressed at every step and is now England's established new ball bowler.

He has already secured England's best World Cup figures in 20 years by claiming four for 25 against Holland six days ago and preceded that by grabbing one for 12 from 10 overs in Adelaide earlier this winter, the most economical figures by an England bowler against Australia.

But despite growing concerns from England's management about the effects of non-stop international cricket on his young body, he responded to the special atmosphere of a World Cup match under the lights at Newlands by producing his first match-winning display against top class opposition.

Anderson's four for 29 ended any Pakistan hopes of overhauling England's competitive total of 246 for eight and, but for an aggressive 43 off only 16 balls from Shoaib Akhtar at the end of the innings, their margin of defeat would have been far greater than the already convincing 112 runs.

His superb display overshadowed even the prodigious talents of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib, providing a threat and penetration with the swinging new ball that even Pakistan's gifted line-up could not match.

He removed Inzamam-ul-Haq and Yousuf Youhana off successive deliveries, the second of which even Waqar would have been proud of in his pomp after the full length ball swung late into the stumps, and then claimed the scalps of Saeed Anwar and Rashid Latif in the same over later during his continuous 10 over spell.

It ensured his second man-of-the-match award in three matches, but the first against this standard of opposition and left the outcome of an anticipated tough match in no doubt from an early stage of Pakistan's reply.

Such was the ease of England's victory that they were also able to boost their net run-rate, a factor which may become important when the qualification for the Super Sixes stage of the tournament is decided after next weekend.

While Anderson's performance ultimately ensured England had a comfortable triumph, the contribution of all-rounder Paul Collingwood was equally crucial to their victory after he marshalled crucial runs from the lower order to reach the competitive total.

Having lost three early wickets, Wasim continuing Marcus Trescothick's miserable winter by dismissing him in the third over and both Nick Knight and captain Nasser Hussain falling to Waqar after ill-considered shots, England had already had to rebuild the innings once through Michael Vaughan and Alec Stewart.

They shared a 51-run stand which had put England on course for a decent total, only to fall in consecutive overs to more loose shots and with Andrew Flintoff and Craig White both falling to spin, the prospects of a competitive total seemed slim on 194 for seven with nine overs remaining.

Just as he has done before Collingwood used the composure developed as an integral member of the one-day side over the last couple of years to squeeze out 52 more runs and finish unbeaten on a superbly paced 66 from 73 balls, an innings which included only four boundaries.

Confident with their total, particularly as no side has successfully chased more than 258 in a day-night one-day international at Newlands, England no doubt still believed they would face a tough task to claim their third successive win of the tournament.

That was made easier by Andrew Caddick making the breakthrough in the third over of Pakistan's reply, Shahid Afridi edging behind attempting to launch a second successive six, to set the stage for another superlative Anderson display.

His first ball to Inzamam was enough to tempt him forward and the extra lift caused him to edge into Knight's midriff at third slip and followed that with an even better delivery to remove Youhana to finish off the over.

He was unable to claim the hat-trick with the first ball of his next over but, just as he appeared to be tiring towards the end of his 10 over spell, Anderson also demonstrated his stamina by striking twice in the same over to remove the determined Saeed leg before for 29 and Rashid later the same over to a lifting delivery which caught his glove on the way to wicketkeeper Alec Stewart.

His job done, Anderson accepted the applause of a healthy Newlands crowd and watched Flintoff and White wrap up Pakistan's lower order to leave them reeling on 80 for nine when last man Shoaib walked out to bat.

Having already delivered one of the fastest balls ever recorded earlier in the day of 100.2mph to Knight, Shoaib then took it upon himself to try and smash one of the fastest half-centuries in World Cup history.

He smashed White for 21 in one over, including two sixes, and took an equal liking to Flintoff until the Lancashire all-rounder ended his explosive innings of 43, which included three sixes and five other boundaries, to complete England's most important World Cup triumph since their 1992 semi-final win over South Africa.