Spinner Shoaib Bashir was impressive but there was more dismay for Emilio Gay on day two of the Professional County Club Select XI against Pakistan three day match at the Kent County Ground at Beckenham.

Starting the day, Pakistan were 44 without loss after bowling the select XI out for 305. Imam-ul-Haq was on 26 and Azan Awais 15. They started slowly on another roasting hot day against Matthew Fisher and Josh Hull. After nearly half an hour Fisher got his man when he dismissed Azan who hadn’t added to his score. The other opener was next to go when Bashir had him caught behind for 37, giving wicketkeeper Charlie Tear his second victim of the morning.

Skipper Babar Azam then found seventeen year old Matty Lumsden, yet to make his first class debut, a testing proposition and he took a painful blow on the middle finger of his left hand and had to retire hurt. Saud Shakeel joined Abdullah Shafique and they made batting look easy. When the latter had completed his half century he retired to let someone else get some batting practice.

That didn’t work out well as it opened up an end. Salman Ali Agha fell to Bashir, then the lively Lumsden removed Saud for 30 and Awais Zafar for a duck. Aamir Jamal didn’t last long and Pakistan had to request Shafique to come back as in an official match he would have been considered retired out.

Mohammed Rizwan was bowled by Saif  Zaib for 22. Shafique was next to go when skying Zaib to Hull who looked pleased to have clung on, and Ghazi Ghori was last out for 27. The final total of 238 was disappointing for the tourists who had hoped to have taken a first innings lead. Bashir finished with 4 for 76, Lumsden and Zaib each with 2 for 24, and Fisher 1 for 15 from eleven overs.

Having been dismissed for a duck in the first innings, and then dropping a catch at slip, Gay was hoping for a change of luck in the second knock. Sadly for him, it wasn’t to be as he edged his seventh delivery to wicketkeeper Rizwan off the bowling of Mohammed Ali. Captain Tom Haines then shouldered arms to Sajid Khan and was bowled for 12.

James Rew was joined by Caleb Falconer and they put on 67 before the former was adjudged to have been caught by Saud off Agha for an impressive 40. Having survived a confident appeal for caught behind, Falconer completed his second half century of the match. He finished the day on 52 not out with Zaib unbeaten on 24. At 128 for 3, the Select XI go into the final day in a strong position, leading by 195 with seven wickets remaining.