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East London - Wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed and opening bowler Umar Gul spurred a strong showing by the touring Pakistani team on the second day of their four-day match against a South African Invitation XI at Buffalo Park in East London on Saturday.
Ahmed hit 93 and Gul made 49 as the tourists recovered from their overnight 178/6 to reach 329 all out. Gul then took two early wickets to put the Invitation XI under pressure. They reached 213/7 at the close in their only warm-up match before the first Test against South Africa starting in Johannesburg on Friday.
Ahmed, 25, a former Under-19 World Cup winning captain whose only Test appearance was against Australia in Hobart last year, added 81 for the seventh wicket with Gul.
Although Saeed Ajmal fell almost immediately to the second new ball, Ahmed had partnerships of 45 for the ninth wicket with Junaid Khan and 49 for the last wicket with Mohammad Irfan before he was last man out, caught on the boundary off Harmer.
He faced 161 balls and hit 12 fours and a six. Off-spinner Harmer finished with 5-88.
The left-handed Vaughn van Jaarsveld hit an aggressive 92 for the Invitation XI before he was leg before wicket to off-spinner Saeed Ajmal.
