England’s opening batsman Emilio Gay managed to claim a pair of ducks during the second day of the Test match warm‑up in Beckenham, while Pakistan’s skipper Babar Azam endured a brief injury scare that saw him retire hurt after a short cameo. Gay’s misfortune began on the first day when he fell to Mohammad Abbas while representing a County Select XI against the touring Pakistan side.
On Friday, he was caught behind off Mohammad Ali’s bowling and was dismissed without scoring after just seven deliveries, adding another duck to his tally. The Durham‑based cricketer had previously suffered a shoulder problem while playing for his county in the One‑Day Cup earlier in the month. His participation in the warm‑up match, however, seemed to put those concerns to rest, suggesting he is likely to be fit for the first Test at Headingley, scheduled for next Wednesday and broadcast live on Sky Sports.
Babar Azam’s episode unfolded when a young Hampshire pacer, Manny Lumsden, struck him on the right hand with a delivery. The Pakistani captain, who was batting at number four, managed only five runs from 17 balls before he was forced to retire hurt. A formal statement from the Pakistan Cricket Board later clarified that Babar would miss the remainder of the warm‑up as a precaution, but he is expected to join the squad for the practice session in Leeds on Monday.
The Pakistani side, which also faces England at Lord’s from 27 August and at Edgbaston from 9 September, managed to hit a solitary boundary during the Beckenham encounter. Their innings collapsed from a promising 164 for 2 to being bowled out for 238, trailing the home side’s first‑innings total of 305 by 67 runs. In other news, England spinner Shoaib Bashir, eager to secure a place in the Headingley XI, delivered an impressive spell of 4 for 76 in 20.2 overs.
He dismissed opener Imam‑ul‑Haq (37), middle‑order batsman Salman Ali Agha (14), and later removed Aamir Jamal (8) and Ghazi Ghori (27). Pakistan’s top scorer was Abdullah Shafique, who contributed a steady 61 runs.
For the County Select XI, Lumsden and Northamptonshire’s Saif Zaib each claimed two wickets. The home team extended their lead to 195 runs by stumps, finishing the day at 128 for 3. James Rew contributed 40 runs, while young Middlesex talent Caleb Falconer remained unbeaten on 52, marking his second half‑century of the match. Saif Zaib added an unbeaten 24, as Gay and his opening partner Tom Haines (12) were dismissed cheaply early on.
Looking ahead, the three‑Test series between England and Pakistan will be televised live on Sky Sports Cricket from 19 August. Fans can also stream the action and other sports without a contract through the NOW platform. For those interested in deeper analysis, the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast offers expert commentary, and the Sky Sports app provides on‑the‑go access to live scores, detailed scorecards, and highlights. The upcoming fixtures promise a compelling contest, with both sides eager to fine‑tune their line‑ups ahead of the main series, making the warm‑up matches a crucial barometer of form and fitness for key players such as Gay and Babar Azam.