Top-order and Peters frustrate Pakistan

Pakistanis 97 for 3 (Younis Khan 50*) trail Northants 269 for 3 dec (Peters 142, Afzaal 71*) by 172 runs
Scorecard

Pakistan's preparations for the second Test went far from smoothly as they struggled with both bat and ball on the first day against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road. At the close, the Pakistanis were 97 for 3 in reply to Northants's 269 for 3.

Of most worry to the tourists will be that their openers once again failed, as they had done at Lord's in the first Test. Salman Butt and Imran Farhat both fell for 4, Butt failing to survive the first over for the second innings in succession as he nicked Charl Pietersen to Riki Wessels, the wicketkeeper. Farhat lasted longer but perished when he drove at Ben Phillips and was well taken by Stephen Peters at backward square leg.

The Pakistanis soon found themselves on 50 for 3 when Taufeeq Umar snicked David Wigley to give Wessels his second catch. But with Younis Khan completing an unbeaten fifty, they reached stumps with no more alarms.

Peters had earlier laid into the Pakistanis' second-string bowling attack, cracking an impressive 142 as Northants scored with ease. Peters and Usman Afzaal shared a third-wicket stand of 170 after coming together shortly before lunch. Although Northants could have batted on, they declared as soon as Peters had holed out to long leg not long after tea.