I hope they don't declare until Broad gets his 50

The good news is Read and Broad can bat. The bad news is Hoggard has had stitches in his bowling hand after Bresnan stood on it. He won't bowl in this match. Who will open the bowling with Harmison in the 1st Test?

There is nowhere stating that he won't be bowling as far as I can see so it will have to be played by ear whether he will be ready or not.

If he is out of the side for the first test then we are another front-line bolwer short - although Jon Lewis would be the simple replacement.

Top batting from Read - no wickets for England's new ball bowlers as of yet doesn't exactly suggest it's a bowlers paradise out there.

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James May

top century by Read, still think it won't matter though, he could have scored 500 and he still wouldn't get picked so it's irrelavent regarding a test place, but great for him none the less Looks like it's not a lively pitch but the weather conditions would have helped a bit yesterday and should be good for batting today, will be interesting to see how our bowlers do.

Hoggards injury, i'm not sure whether to laugh or cry with englands current bad luck in cricket... we clearly used up every ounce of our luck last year to win the ashes against a far better side, i suppose everything possible went our way last year so now the luck is evening itself out with our A, B and C team all being injured, Boycott's mum must be sitting by the telephone waiting for graveney's call

Well it should matter Victor - Jones don't know how to score so high, and look at key, he lost his place to Bell - what a laugh. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/shared/.../scorecard.stm

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Ern

We've got a wicket - Pakistan are 57-1, Imran Farhat cleaned up by Tim Bresnan.

If England, in the tests, on a flat wicket don't get in and make a big score like England A have then I think we should be nothing short of disappointed.

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James May

Hoggard is apparently injured: a radio report just suggested he's a doubt for the firt Test after Bresnan stood on his hand in warm up :-)

Edit: see http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cric...nd/5160830.stm

Typical! A guy who should be nowhere near any England team, tramples on our main bowler. Idiot.

Yep and Hoggard needed two stiches.

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Ern

Lunch is taken and England A have started reasonably well - Pakistan are 66-1 after 16 overs. Overall economy of about 4 is not too bad but when England first batted it was more down at 3 per over.

Notice how all the wides suddenly disappear, only 1 has been bowled so far.

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James May