Shadab, Abbas star in victory over Northants

By Agencies

May 08, 2018

NORTHAMPTON, England: Imam-ul-Haq and Haris Sohail hit half centuries as Pakistan beat Northamptonshire by nine wickets in a warm-up game on Monday ahead of their Test against Ireland.

Pakistan chased down the 133-run target in 27 overs with nine wickets in hand on the last day of the practice game. Imam made 89-ball 59, while Haris struck 55 off 78 balls to register a comprehensive win.

The win, however, was set up by Shadab Khan’s 10-wicket haul and Asad Shafiq’s unbeaten 186 in the first inning.Earlier, Northamptonshire were all out for 301, giving Pakistan a small target of 133. Mohammad Abbas and Shadab Khan bagged four wickets each.

Pakistan will play against Ireland, making their Test debut, in Dublin from May 11.Shadab took the final two wickets of the Northants second innings, Brett Hutton and Gareth Wade lbw, to complete a maiden 10-wicket match haul.

Far less of a threat was Mohammad Amir. After taking 1 for 45 against Kent, he was somewhat wayward here and lacked the zip that has produced 95 wickets in 30 Tests — he went wicket-less in 27 overs. It was Mohammad Abbas who opened Pakistan’s route to victory. He took two wickets with the old ball on the fourth morning, breaking through in the 14th over of the day.

Full deliveries slid into Rob Newton and Steven Crook to win lbw decisions before extracting two of Rob Keogh’s stumps when the new ball was taken. Newton, who scored a gritty century on the third afternoon, managed to add only 16 to his overnight score before being beaten by one that kept low — the first of five morning wickets for 61 runs.

It left a simple target and the chance for Azhar Ali to find some form after 15 against Kent and just 9 in the first innings here. But trying to take a leg-bye running from the non-striker’s end he collided mid-pitch with his opening partner Imam and was beaten by Ricardo Vasconcelos’ throw.

Imam and Haris continued their earlier form, with the most fluent run-scoring of the game to reach the target in 27 overs. Haris resumed in good touch from his first-innings 79 and steered a boundary through backward point off Hutton, flicked another through square leg off Wade and drove the same bowler fluently through extra-cover en route to a 66-ball half-century, his second of the game.

Imam slammed Rob Keogh’s off-spin back over his head for his first boundary, passed fifty in 72 balls before pulling the winning boundary to send Pakistan to Dublin with victory.

Northamptonshire won toss

Northamptonshire 1st Innings 259 all-out (A Rossington 90; Shadab 6-77)

Pakistan 1st Innings 428 all-out (Asad Shafiq* 186, Haris Sohail 79; S Crook 4-89)

Northamptonshire 2nd Innings 301 all-out (R Newton 118; M Abbas 4-62)

Pakistan 2nd Innings

Azhar Ali run out 10

Imam-ul-Haq not out 59

Haris Sohail not out 55

Extras (b 8, nb 2) 10

Total (1 wicket; 27 Overs) 134

Did not bat: Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, *†Sarfraz Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, M Amir, M Abbas, Rahat Ali

Fall: 1-14