Denly’s boundary spree brightens three-day draw with Pakistan

Kent v The Pakistanis, Day three of three, Canterbury.
By Mark Pennell
A bright and breezy 69 from Joe Denly, including four sixes and seven fours, light up the final afternoon as Kent“s three-day friendly with the Pakistanis ended in an inevitable draw in Canterbury.
Denly featured in an opening stand worth exactly one hundred with Chris Piesley – the county“s first century first-wicket stand this summer – that helped lead their side to safety at 150 for three before the teams shook hands on the draw just before 5pm.
Sadly, Denly fell leg-before to a rash sweep shot and Piesley, just seven short of a maiden first-class 50, went in similar fashion when he edged a sweep shot through to the keeper.
Alex Blake (28) was stumped soon after, but it mattered little to the result of a match which always looked likely to end in stalemate once the tourists, understandably perhaps, batted on after lunch on the final day to reach 264 for three declared – an overall lead of 365.
Pakistan“s top-order players all took time for essential batting practice led by Fawad Alam, who batted through the session to reach an unbeaten 68 not out, and Umar Amin who contributed 73 to a second-wicket stand worth 141 in 36.4 overs.
Having posted an attractive 72-ball half-century, Amin finally went after 170-minutes for 73. Leaning back to pull a ball from leg-spinner Mark Lawson, left-handed Amin got a top-edge to one that appeared to skid onto him and skied a comfortable catch to Joe Denly at mid-wicket.
Alam retired out during the lunch break and Kamran Akmal fell soon after, edging to slip off Lawson, but it was to prove Kent“s final success of the match.
Thereafter Malik (48*) and hugely talented teenager Mohammad Aamer (44*) teamed up to add an unbroken 85 for the fourth wicket through to the declaration.