The match went ahead despite England's outrage at Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt's accusation that England players threw Friday's match at The Oval, which Pakistan won to keep the series alive. The last match is in Southampton on Wednesday.
Abdul Razzaq's entertaining end-of-innings flourish, during which he bludgeoned eight fours and a six to score 44 off 20 balls, gave Pakistan a challenging total of 265-7 to defend.
England got off to a flyer in its reply thanks to a 113-run opening partnership between Strauss and Steven Davies (49). The stand came off 123 balls, ending when Davies chopped a ball from Saeed Ajmal onto his own stumps.
Jonathan Trott followed him after playing on off Shahid Afridi for 4.
The jitters really set in when Strauss slashed a wide ball from Shoaib Akhtar straight to Fawad Alam at point in the next over.
With Afridi looking menacing and Akhtar steaming in under the floodlights, Pakistan was in the ascendancy. And when Gul bowled Collingwood for 4 and Bell drove straight at Azhar Ali for 27, England was on the ropes having lost four wickets for 36 runs and with the required run rate up to 7.75 an over.
England still had hope with limited-overs specialist Eoin Morgan at the crease but he was running out of partners, Michael Yardy becoming the third England batsman to play onto his own stumps, out for 9.

When Morgan departed for 28, the game was up for the hosts as the tail surrendered.
Earlier, Graeme Swann helped England stem the tide after a strong start from Pakistan but Razzaq's late blitz had given the tourists a slight edge.
Pakistan's first wicket fell on 62 when Kamran Akmal hooked Stuart Broad to Strauss on 28. Swann then entered the scene to slow the run rate and take the next four wickets.
Swann bowled Asad Shafiq for 11 and then had Mohammad Yousuf on 3 caught behind in his next over to leave the score at 94-3.
A rash heave by Hafeez, frustrated at England slowing Pakistan's run rate, was caught from a top-edge off Swann to end a 100-ball knock that included five fours and a six.
Swann bowled Alam for 29 in his last over but Pakistan prospered in the spinner's absence _ Afridi hitting 37 off 22 balls and Razzaq coming to the fore in the final 12 overs.
Razzaq's cameo featured five successive fours off Bresnan to finish the innings.