Pakistanis in control

An excellent 81 by Imran Farhat coupled with a solid half-century from Salman Butt put Pakistan firmly in control at stumps on the second day at Leicestershire.

Dinesh Mongia scored an unbeaten 129 as the Leicestershire played well on the first day and managed to put 315 runs on the board before declaring nine wickets down. However, with Pakistan poised at 14 without loss, the team that started strongest this morning would be favourites for the match.

When play resumed today, Butt and Farhat instantly put Leicestershire on the back foot with some confident strokeplay. The pair managed to amass 145 runs before Nicholas Walker, who would transpire to be the home side’s best bowler in the day, bowled Butt on 68.

Pakistan’s momentum slowed when Farhat retired hurt on 81, though: Shoaib Malik only managed to score 18 before being trapped LBW to Claude Henderson; Younis Khan got out in a similar manner.

The fourth wicket went down for Pakistan when Shahid Afridi departed for 13 but Kamran Akmal and Faisal Iqbal scored 62 and 40 respectively before Kahn declared on 304, 11 behind Leicestershire’s 1st-innings total.

Leicestershire tried to bat out the day without a casualty but Matthew Boyce, 6, and Hylton Ackerman, 4, both fell before the close of play. At stumps on the second day, Leicestershire are 45 for two and must bat carefully tomorrow to get anything out of the game.

Leicestershire 315/9 declared
Dinesh Mongia 129, John Sadler 92
Mohammad Sami 3/53, Imran Farhat 2/8

Pakistan 304/5 declared
Imran Farhat 81, Salman Butt 68
Nicholas Walker 3/47, Claude Henderson 1/101

Leicestershire 45/2
Darren Robinson 13*, Tom New 12*
Mohammad Sami 1/28, Umar Gul 1/9