Young batting line-up plays well against Pakistan
Sun 20 May 2018
RESULT | Day 2 of 2, Tourist Match Leicestershire CCC 226 for 6 drew with Pakistan 321 for 9 declared
SCORECARD | Available through ESPN Cricinfo
REACTION | Ateeq Javid spoke to BBC Radio Leicester's Richard Rae at the end of the game
HIGHLIGHTS | In-play highlights are available throughout the 2018 season
REPORT | A young Leicestershire CCC batting line-up fought hard on the second and final day of the tour match against Pakistan at the Fischer County Ground.
Ateeq Javid top-scored in a total of 226 for 6 with a fine half-century and all of the batsmen spent valuable time in the middle, including Aadil Ali (41) and Lewis Hill (33).
Pakistan declared on their overnight total of 321 for 9 to give their bowlers a full day's work ahead of the first test match against England at Lord’s.
Leicestershire CCC overseas bowler Muhammad Abbas shared the new ball with left arm seamer Rahat Ali.
Harry Dearden and Sam Evans opened the batting for County and started positively, Evans hitting the first boundary of the day with a lovely back foot punch through the covers off Abbas.
The pair battled through a testing first hour with the score at 33 without loss, both batsmen scoring the majority of their runs through the cover region.
Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed regularly rotated his bowlers throughout the morning with Rahat and Hassan Ali bowling the longest spells of five overs.
The openers reached their 50 partnership as Dearden flicked a delivery down to fine-leg.
County then lost their first wicket when Evans (22) went back to a delivery from leg-spinner Shadab Khan and was trapped lbw. Dearden (19) fell in quick succession, driving Saad Ali to Sami Aslam in the gully.
Captain Hill hit a glorious cover drive as County went into the interval at 57 for 2. He continued to be positive after the break, sweeping Shadab through square-leg before running him down to third man.
Hill (33) and Javid added exactly 50 before former tried to clear mid-off but hit one up to Hassan Ali at mid-off. Aadil joined Javid and the pair batted nicely, mixing attacking strokes with solid defence to take the score to 137 for 3 at tea.
The duo took the score past 150 before Javid, who clattered a six to mid-wicket and four through extra in the 62nd over, posted a half-century from 111 balls.
Javid retired out on 54 before Wells (25) became the first victim of Abbas, driving to Fakhar in the gully. Aadil progressed to within nine of 50 until Fakhar had the batsman stumped.
Tom Taylor posted a quickfire 17 not out while Harry Swindells was unbeaten on 2 before the teams shook hands in what had been a useful match for both.
TEAM | Hill (capt), Evans, Dearden, Aadil, Javid, Wells, Swindells (wk), Taylor, Mike, Klein, Jones.
FIGURES | Klein 18-3-44-2, Taylor 15-2-37-0, Jones 13-1-73-0, Wells 14-3-45-2, Javid 15-3-42-2, Mike 7-1-28-0, Aadil 5.5-0-28-2.
PHOTO | Thanks to John Mallett for the photo of Ateeq Javid batting today.
* The Foxes' first home game in the Royal London One-Day Cup is against Notts Outlaws on Wednesday, May 23. Tickets cost just £12 for adults, £3 under 16s and £27 for a family ticket (2 adults and 3 under 16s) in advance and can be purchased HERE
