Akram, Younis slice through Varsities

On a day so cold that the few spectators around didn't take their hands out of their pocket even to applaud, Wasim Akram made an irresistible pitch for selection for the first Test, when he beat Michael Brown's forward prod to hit off stump with the fifth ball of the opening over of the tourists' match against British Universities.

The very next ball had Matthew Banes lbw. Universities skipper Jamie Pyemont, who top scored with 18, survived the hat-trick, but Will Jefferson, who opens for Essex, fell soon after, clean bowled Akram for five. Akram, who also clean bowled Porter for 14 with one cutting back off the track, finished with figures of 4/11 off 18 overs.

Overall, on day one of the first tour match at Trent Bridge, British Universities were shot out for 74 inside 33 overs, and Pakistan in reply had made a rapid 224-4 at stumps.

Pakistan would have been even better placed had they not lost three wickets for 18 runs, including a first ball duck for Yousuf Youhana, in the final session of play.

Skipper Waqar Younis struggled to find the right line initially, and took himself off after 3 overs, but then stormed back to take three wickets while new kid on the pace block Mohammad Sami snagged one.

Leg spinner Mushtaq Ahmed also struck immediately on introduction, bowling Tim Murtagh. The Universities went in to lunch on 64/9, and added a mere 10 runs on resumption before Mushtaq won an LBW shout against number 11 Mark Tournier.

Saeed Anwar and Mohammad Wasim started the Pak response with a stand of 48 before Wasim drove airily at Murtagh to be caught behind for 21. Anwar, who had a life in the gully when on 21, raced to his 50 with a six and then opened out into a blistering array of shots, before mistiming a drive with his score on 89.

Inzamam played a lazy innings, to be bowled by Murtagh on 18, and Youhanna was caught behind off the first ball he faced.

Salim Elahi, with 14 fours in his unbeaten knock of 67, and Younis Khan with 23, took Pakistan to a good closing score.

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