Preparations for Pakistan’s three match Test Match series in England started with a three day match against the Professional County Club Select XI at the Kent County Ground at Beckenham.

Day one went well for the tourists. On what appeared to be a flat surface with a lightening fast outfield, PCC captain Tom Haines would have been delighted to win the toss.

Unsurprisingly, with temperatures in the early to mid thirties, he elected to bat first. Zak Crawley’s England replacement, Emilio Gay, opened with Haines. Sadly for him as he returned from injury, he fell for a twelve ball duck to the bowling of Muhammed Abbas. 

James Rew was also dismissed by Abbas before Caleb Falconer came in to steady the ship. Haines’ aggressive innings ended when he was adjudged LBW to Mohammed Ali for 51 from 38 balls and the Select XI were struggling at 69 for 3. Saif Zaib then came in and both he and Falconer batted well, completing their half centuries in the same over.

Their 110 run partnership was ended when he was unable to roll his wrists over a pull shot and was caught on the long leg boundary by Awais Zafar off Khurum Shahzad for 65 from 69 deliveries. Falconer was next to go for 59, and looked a little unlucky.

Wicketkeeper Ghazi Ghori was the only person to appeal for a caught behind, and the Middlesex player looked astonished when it was upheld. Even Abbas’ body language suggested that he didn’t see or hear an edge but Falconer had to trudge off.

James Sales dropped anchor and could only watch as Luc Benkenstein and Noah Thain went cheaply then Charlie Tear became the second batter to be given out caught behind unluckily.

Aamer Jamal’s delivery appeared to clip his hip on the way through to Ghori down the leg side and, again, the wicketkeeper was the only tourist to appeal, but again the finger of fate was raised and Tear walked off disconsolately.

At 227 for 8, it looked like the hosts might not make 250 but Matthew Fisher joined Sales and they batted sensibly. Pakistan captain, Babar Azam, was heard regularly throughout the innings with his impressively loud shrill whistle to alert fielders of changes of position.

When Sales was dismissed for 29 by Ali Usman, the 55 run partnership was broken and last man Shoaib Bashir strode out to the middle. Fisher went on the attack and scored all 23 in their partnership before Bashir became the third Select XI man to be dismissed for a duck.

Fisher ended on 62 not out from 53 balls which included ten fours and a six as his team were bowled out for 305. Eight bowlers were used with Ali taking 3 for 23, Abbas 3 for 37, and Shahzad 2 for 55. Jamal and Ali Usman finished with a wicket apiece.

Each team was made up of fourteen players. Former Kent bowler, Nathan Gilchrist, Josh Hull and Manny Lumsden took to the field without having batted and Hull took the new ball with Fisher against Awais and Iman-ul-Haq.

Neither bowler could make the breakthrough, nor could Gilchrist, who had Iman-ul-Haq dropped by Gay at first slip, or Bashir. Pakistan finished the day on 44 without loss from 13 overs. 

Iman-ul-Haq will start day two on 26 with Awais on 15 and they will be looking to lay the foundation for a big first innings lead.