Australia A hit back

Pakistan A 181 for 7 (Bracken 3-41) trail Australia A 196 (Jaques 92*, Nazir 3-36) by 15 runs
Scorecard

After Phil Jaques had carried his bat for a masterly 92, Nathan Bracken, Michael Lewis and Shane Watson delivered strong performances with the ball to leave the four-day game against Pakistan A intriguingly poised at the halfway stage.

Pakistan A slumped to 82 for 5 and were indebted to useful contributions from Zulqarnain Haider, the wicketkeeper, and Mohammad Sami, who top-scored with 33. After a late start, rain forced the players off before the scheduled close as well, in conditions that still appeared ideal for pace bowling.

Bracken and Lewis had demonstrated that after Australia A were knocked over for just 196. Bracken, who played Tests against India in 2003-04, trapped Salman Butt leg before, and Lewis cleaned up Yasir Hameed as Pakistan A had the worst possible start. Shoaib Malik compounded their problems when he sliced a Bracken delivery to short mid-on.

Watson, who has enjoyed a fine county season with Hampshire, then scalped both Misbah-ul-Haq and Bazid Khan, who made an attractive 30, before Haider and Sami redressed the balance with some entertaining strokeplay.

Australia A's batting effort was built around Jaques' monumental effort. Malik and Mansoor Amjad mopped up the resistance after the final three wickets had added 72. Mitchell Johnson, the Queensland fast bowler, made 24, but when Amjad trapped Daniel Cullen leg before, Jaques was left eight runs short of what would have been a richly deserved century.