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The Pakistanis opened their 2006 tour of England at Grace Road with a three-day match here on Saturday, with hosts Leicestershire running up a total of 315-9 declared in their first innings and the visitors responding with 14 for no loss by the day’s close.

The Leicestershire innings, after they had been put in the Pakistanis’ stand-in skipper Younis Khan, was powered by an unbeaten 129 by left-handed Indian international Dinesh Mongia, one of their imports for this summer.

Mongia stayed at the crease for 10 minutes over five hours, facing 234 balls and hitting 18 boundaries. His fourth-wicket stand with John Sadler, another left-hander, was worth 174 runs. Sadler’s contribution was 92 off 126 balls with 14 fours and three sixes.

The Pakistanis have fielded a second string side in the match, with captain Inzamam-ul-Haq, batsman Mohammad Yousuf, all-rounder Abdul Razzaq and fast bowler Mohammad Asif not chosen. Pacemen Mohammad Sami and Umar Gul started well by downing Leicester for 15-2 before the resurrection.

Sami captured three wickets for 53 runs and Umar 2-52. Part-time leg-spinner Imran Farhat took two wickets for eight runs in his brief spell of three overs.

Scoreboard

Pakistanis won toss

Leicestershire 1st inns

D D J Robinson b Imran 34

M A G Boyce c Younis b Sami 4

H D Ackerman c Faisal b Umar 0

D Mongia not out 129

J L Sadler c & b Imran 92

*J N Snape c Kamran b Kaneria 5

†T J New b Sami 5

C W Henderson b Sami 0

N G E Walker c Umar b Kaneria 11

R A G Cummins c Kamran b Umar 4

C J Liddle not out 0

Extras (b10, lb12, w1, nb8) 31

Total (9 wkts dec, 81 overs) 315

Fall: 1-12, 2-15, 3-73, 4-247, 5-262, 6-283, 7-293, 8-308

Bowling: Mohammad Sami 17-1-53-3 (4nb, 1w); Umar Gul 12-2-52-2 (1nb); Shahid Nazir 13-2-43-0 (3nb); Shahid Afridi 6-0-44-0; Imran Farhat 3-0-8-2; Danish Kaneria 25-6-83-2; Shoaib Malik 5-1-10-0

Pakistanis 1st inns

Salman Butt not out 7

Imran Farhat not out 7

Extras 0

Total (no wkt, 7 overs) 14

To bat: Shoaib Malik, *Younis Khan, Faisal Iqbal, Shahid Afridi, †Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Sami, Umar Gul, Shahid Nazir, Danish Kaneria

Bowling: Walker 4-2-4-0; Cummins 2-0-10-0; Liddle 1-1-0-0

Umpires: N L Bainton and J W Holder.

Source:The News