Pakistan made to toil by South African young guns

 

BENONI: Pakistan will start the second day of their only practice match against South African Invitation XI on 2/0 at Willowmoore Park on Thursday.

Pakistanis trail by 316 runs with 10 wickets remaining in the innings.

On day one, young batsmen Josh Richards and Marques Ackerman made the touring Pakistanis toil on the first day as they piled runs against the men in green before finally declaring their innings on  318/7.

Opening batsman Richards, who turns 20 on Thursday, failed by two runs to notch his fourth representative century in a row as he made 98, while Invitation team captain Ackerman, 22, scored 103 not out before declaring shortly before close of play. The tourists were two for no wicket at the close.

Richards came into the match on the back of two first-class centuries and one List A hundred for the Gauteng provincial team, which plays in South Africa's secondary domestic competition.

He made 98 off 134 balls with 11 fours and a six before falling to part-time leg-spinner Azhar Ali. Ackerman made his runs off 132 balls with 14 fours and a six.

The Pakistanis used eight bowlers, with Ali and medium-pacer Faheem Ashraf both taking two wickets.

The match is not a first-class fixture because both teams can use up to 15 players, with 11 batting and 11 bowling.

Fast bowler Mohammad Abbas, expected to be a key figure in a three-match Test series starting on December 26, did not bowl. He faces a struggle to be fit for the first Test in Centurion.

Teams:

South African Invitation XI: Marques Ackerman(c), Matthew Breetzke(w), Tshepang Dithole, Simon Khomari, Thandolwethu Mnyaka, Rivaldo Moonsamy, Tsepo Ndwandwa, Onke Nyaku, Joshua Richards, Kyle Simmonds, Ruben Trumpelmann, Lwandiswa Zuma

Pakistan: Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Azhar Ali, Sarfraz Ahmed(w/c), Shan Masood, Haris Sohail, Asad Shafiq, Mohammad Rizwan, Yasir Shah, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Amir, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi