Below the rolling hills of the Quantocks, Pakistan enjoyed a gentle start to their tour, sedately compiling 324 for five against Somerset’s enthusiastic second‑string attack. Their batsmen are old enough to recognise a benign opportunity when they see one. Five of the first six are over 30 and one of them, the captain Misbah-ul-Haq, is 42. Younis Khan, who is a mere 38, and Asad Shafiq (30) deftly added 179 together in the evening sunshine.
This was all very satisfactory for the tourists, not quite so rewarding for the newshounds who had descended on Taunton to catch a glimpse of Mohammad Amir in his first appearance in England since the misfortunes of 2010.
Amir was able to put his feet up in the dressing room all day; the cameras will be clicking on Monday instead. The schoolchildren who had come to the ground on Saturday had seen plenty of Amir and his team-mates as the Pakistan players eagerly joined in a coaching clinic as well as signing autographs galore, a heart-warmingly successful occasion.
All except Misbah had some useful practice. In his first first-class innings in England – after two decades in the game – the Pakistan captain lasted two balls. He nudged forward to an away-swinger from Tim Groenewald and was caught at third slip.
The others spent more time in reconnaissance. Mohammed Hafeez (35 years old) was watchful even though he hit two sixes in one over when Josh Davey briefly experimented by exploring the middle of the pitch. Davey beat the bat regularly when pitching up yet went unjustly unrewarded throughout the day.
His opening partner was Paul van Meekeren, a Dutchman making his debut for Somerset. He also impressed bowling Hafeez for 20 and later dismissing Azhar Ali caught behind for 26. Andre van Troost was the last Dutchman to open the bowling for Somerset. Van Meekeren is not as fast but he is more accurate, an observation that could be applied to just about every bowler who has played for Somerset since Van Troost retired in 1998. He was a lovable character who terrified more batsmen than he dismissed. Van Meekeren also has possibilities.
Groenewald caused a fright in mid-afternoon when he dismissed young Shan Masood for 62 and Misbah in the same over but Younis and Shafiq soon fashioned the recovery. Shafiq was compact and efficient while Younis, as slender and eager as a teenager, was more beguiling. He darts down the pitch after every stroke as if inviting a run but his colleagues are now accustomed to that eccentricity; if there is an agreement to set off he dashes between the wickets like a colt, relishing every single. No wonder he has such an astounding record.
Younis might have been caught on 20 at second slip off the bowling of the admirable Davey. Marcus Trescothick was at full stretch and his right hand just reached the ball but it soon fell to earth. From there Younis cashed in expertly. He milked the 18-year-old off-spinner debutant from Devon, Dom Bess, who could reflect he had been treated with some respect by one of the great modern batsmen after bowling for Exeter against Sidmouth the previous day. Younis finished the day unbeaten on 99 and so will have to persuade his captain to bat on.
Shafiq purred along to 80 whereupon Bess at cover point held a superb catch after the batsman had sliced a catch off the left-arm spin of Jack Leach. Eyes swivelled towards the pavilion to check the identity of the new batsman. No, it was not Amir. Not quite yet.
