Azhar Ali makes warm-up hundred in successful chase of 353

Pakistan captain Azhar Ali scored a century that guided his Team Green to a six-wicket victory in the first intra-squad match at the Incora County Ground in Derby.

Azhar anchored a fourth-day run chase with a composed 120 from 225 balls after Team White, led by Babar Azam, had set a target of 353 in 89 overs.

Fakhar Zaman provided the initial thrust by smashing six sixes in a 128-ball 99 and Azhar paced his innings shrewdly before retiring with the finishing line in sight.

Asad Shafiq made 67 from 95 balls before he also retired leaving Iftikhar Ahmed and Sarfaraz Ahmed to complete victory in the evening sunshine with five balls to spare.

Despite the relaxed conclusion, the first of two warm-up matches has been a worthwhile exercise for a number of key players ahead of the first Test against England in just over two weeks with Azhar's innings particularly encouraging after his modest County Championship season with Somerset in 2019.

Babar, another of the tourists' key batsmen, also scored runs while Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi bowled with pace and accuracy and Yasir Shah twirled away for 31 overs in the match.

It was a memorable game for wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan who followed an unbeaten half-century in the first innings by completing a century before Team White declared to set up a competitive final day.

Rizwan looked assured in both innings and two boundaries off Faheem Ashraf eased him through the nineties before a tuck off his hip against Naseem took him to three figures and prompted Babar to declare.

Team Green's chase threatened to stall immediately when Mohammad Hafeez, in for Abid Ali who was struck on the head fielding at forward short leg on day three, was out to the third ball off the innings from Afridi which he edged to Rizwan.

But that was the last wicket to fall for nearly 43 overs as Fakhar and Azhar first saw off the new ball and then eased through the gears with Fakhar moving into overdrive against the leg-spin of Shadab Khan.

The left-hander plundered six sixes between long-on and long-off, one bouncing off the pavilion roof with another clearing the main stand at the City End of Derbyshire's headquarters.

He also hit 10 fours but Shadab denied him a century by grabbing a head-high catch at third slip from a sliced drive off Mohammad Musa. Azhar had been a spectator during the onslaught but with the exit of Fakhar, he took the initiative to reach his hundred off 199 balls while Shafiq drove the left-arm spin of Kashif Bhatti for six on his way to an 81-ball 50.

Both made way to give Iftikhar and Sarfraz time in the middle. The tourists have one more intra-squad game at Derby starting on Friday before the real business begins at Emirates Old Trafford on August 5.