Australia overcame its most expensive bowling spell in history, an umpiring blunder, a Shoaib Akhtar thunderbolt, disrupted sleep and a world record partnership from Pakistan to win a riveting one-day match at Sophia Gardens today.

Chasing 257, Ricky Ponting cracked 70 - as Akhtar became the fastest bowler in the world ahead of Brett Lee with a delivery clocked at 97.7mph - to lead the tourists to a seven-wicket victory with 26 balls to spare.

Pakistani supporters, who invaded the pitch at Edgbaston on Thursday, dared not repeat their unruly performance here because the on-field action was too entertaining to disrupt.

Lee, in his first game at any level since an elbow reconstruction in February, went for 1-85 as Yousuf Youhana (91no) and Rashid Latif (66) rescued Pakistan from 6-85 with the highest seventh-wicket stand the abbreviated form of the game has seen.

He had the unwanted distinction of wiping Glenn McGrath, who conceded 1-76 against Sri Lanka at the MCG in January 1996, from the record books, but the 24-year-old bowled better than his figures suggested.

Youhana and Latif's stand of 124 from 127 balls gave Pakistan a healthy total but Ponting, unrecognisable from the man who could not get bat on ball in the Tests against India, was magnificent.

The first two balls he faced from Akhtar went for boundaries, as did five of his first 14 deliveries, and his knock was instrumental in Australia reaching 3-258.

A pull shot off Akhtar sizzled over the boundary rope, bounced against the brick wall of the members bar and was travelling so fast it rebounded ten metres back onto the field.

Ponting played a frustratingly loose shot off Saqlain Mushtaq that went straight down Abdur Razzaq's throat at long-on, but Michael Bevan (56no) and Steve Waugh (54no) guided Australia home.

Akhtar cut Gilchrist in half with a superb delivery that knocked back his stumps but video replays suggested it was a no-ball, less than a week after four such decisions went against England in the second Test against Pakistan.

The previous ball of 97.7mph was sliced for four by the Australian vice-captain and as always, there was much debate about the accuracy of the speed gun.

Lee's fastest is 97.56mph in a one-day game versus South Africa at Johannesburg last year.

As the team bus drives 90 minutes from Cardiff to Bristol for tomorrow's clash with England, the Australian players will be hoping for a better night's sleep than they had in the Welsh capital.

Troublemakers set off fire alarms in the team hotel about six times between midnight and 1am, waking every player each time.

Lee's inclusion in the Australian side was announced only 15 minutes before play began and two weeks after officialdom declared "under no circumstances" would he take part in the one-day tournament.

Niggling injuries to Jason Gillespie (hamstring), Nathan Bracken (shoulder) and Damien Fleming (calf) forced the tour selection panel of Waugh and Gilchrist to call on Lee.

His first five overs of 1-29 were commendable given his four-month layoff but Youhana and Latif tore him to pieces, snatching 37 runs from the 24-year-old's last three overs.

Warne (3-52) struck twice in his first four balls to rekindle memories of his famous start to the Ashes series in 1993 but like Lee, his figures were spoiled by Youhana and Latif.

Warne's opening ball of the one-day tournament snuck between Razzaq's legs and although Gilchrist fumbled the stumping chance, the ball knocked off the bails and Razzaq was gone.

Akhtar left the field after bowling five overs for 1-41 and did not return.

© 2001 AAP