Read renews Test bid with hundred

Former England wicketkeeper Chris Read advanced his case for a Test recall by scoring an unbeaten century for England 'A' against a near full-strength Pakistan attack in Canterburry on Friday.

When bad light forced an early close on the second day, England 'A' were 530 for nine in their first innings, with Read 120 not out and Stuart Broad unbeaten on 29.

Read, who played the last of his 11 Tests against the West Indies in Barbados over two years ago, was dropped in favour of Geraint Jones on account of the latter's superior batting.

But at his Kent rival's county home ground Read, 27, played an assured innings to notch his third hundred of the season as England selector and former Test off-spinner Geoff Miller watched from the boundary.

"People keep talking about making statements to selectors but I'm not trying to make any sort of statement I'm trying to play good cricket," Read told reporters after stumps.

"A criticism in the past was that I got out too often in the 60s and 70s but this year my conversion rate when I've got in has been pretty good, so I was happy to go on and get three figures today.

"The only reason I was axed (from the England team) was a lack of runs and in the last two years I've done a lot of work to get my batting up to scratch."

Earlier Pakistan suffered a second injury blow just days before the first Test against England when fast bowler Mohammad Asif left the field with a right elbow injury.

Scorecard

England 'A' (1st innings):
A. Cook c Kamran Akmal b Mohammad Sami 3
R. Key b Abdul Razzaq 136
I. Bell c Faisal Iqbal b Umar Gul 74
O. Shah c Imran Farhat b Danish Kaneria 23
R. Bopara c sub b Mohammad Sami 15
J. Dalrymple lbw b Umar Gul 1
A. Loudon c Salman Butt b Danish Kaneria 51
C. Read not out 120
T. Bresnan c sub b Danish Kaneria 23
M. Hoggard c Faisal Iqbal b Danish Kaneria 3
S. Broad not out 29
Extras: (b27, lb16, w1, nb8) 52
Total: (9 wkts, 162 overs) 530

Fall of wickets: 1-4, 2-164, 3-238, 4-282, 5-283, 6-291, 7-393, 8-453, 9-468

Bowling: Mohammad Asif 23-3-73-0 (4nb, 1w); Mohammad Sami 21-3-69-2 (3nb); Umar Gul 28-4-73-2; Abdul Razzaq 26-9-65-1 (1nb); Danish Kaneria 46-7-148-4; Imran Farhat 17-2-55-0; Salman Butt 1-0-4-0.