Pak Beat Somerset By 8 Runs

Pakistan 264 (Shahzaib Hasan 105, Fawad Alam 97)

Somerset 256-9 (de Bruyn 122 not out, Saeed Ajmal 3-40)

Shahzaib Hasan scored a century, Fawad Alam fell three runs short and debutant Lewis Gregory produced a three-wicket maiden before Pakistan beat Somerset by eight runs in their tour game ahead of the Twenty20 and One-Day International series against England.

Pakistan were bowled out for 264 before Somerset, for whom Zander de Bruyn scored an unbeaten 122, closed on 256 for nine in reply.

Hasan made 105 and Alam 97 to lay the foundations for a solid batting effort before a collapse, inspired by Gregory, who dismissed Abdul Razzaq, Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal in the 48th over, saw them lose their last seven wickets for 53 runs.

Hasan hit ten fours and two sixes, sharing a partnership of 169 with Alam, who stroked seven fours and two sixes. The two rebuilt Pakistan’s innings after opener Mohammad Hafeez and Azhar Ali were dismissed by Mark Turner without scoring.

Mohammad Yousuf made 26 before he was run out by Somerset’s captain Peter Trego but after the efforts of Shahzaib and Alam, Kamran Akmal (12 not out) was the only other player to reach double figures as Gregory returned four for 49, Turner three for 52 and Zander de Bruyn one for 38.

De Bruyn was at the crease early when Craig Kieswetter fell for five and he put on 90 for the second with Nick Compton (50) and then 57 for the third wicket with James Hildreth (31) as Somerset appeared to be putting themselves on course for victory.

However, like Pakistan, they too suffered a middle-order collapse as Umar Gul and Saeed Ajmal claimed three wickets apiece with captain Shahid Afridi taking a brace to stall Somerset’s progress.

Despite de Bruyn’s unbeaten 122 in 142 balls, with ten fours and a six, they were unable to mount a late charge as Pakistan held on to claim a morale-boosting win.

The first Twenty20 International takes place on 5th September in Cardiff and the match was being played while allegations of spot-fixing in the Lord’s Test continue to be investigated.

The PCB has revealed that the three players at the centre of the allegations – Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif – will not feature in the limited overs part of the tour.

Pakistan’s preparations for the series were given two further jolts, first when Umar Akmal was hit in the face during practice and then when Abdul Razzaq injured his back and was unable to bowl.