SHARJAH — South Africa geared up for the first Test against Pakistan after gaining useful batting and bowling practice in its drawn three-day match here Thursday. It managed 109-3 in its second innings with an overall lead of 152 against Pakistan ‘A' on the final day at the Sharjah Stadium. South Africa did not send its regular openers and instead promoted Jean-Paul Duminy and Faf de Plessis to get some useful practice on the new ball. Duminy, who hit 49 in the first innings, fell caught behind off paceman Ehsan Adil after scoring 23 but de Plessis went on to score 42 before he retired to give tail-enders some batting practice. South Africa faces Pakistan in the first of two Test starting in Abu Dhabi from Monday. The second Test will be played in Dubai from October 23 after which both the teams will play five One-Day and two Twenty20 Internationals. Earlier, Pakistan's Test hopeful Asad Shafiq fell for 42 and Pakistan ‘A' captain Umar Amin managed just 12. Another aspirant for a Test place Sohaib Maqsood made 34 and wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan hit 31. Pakistan ‘A' declared its first innings at 311-6, giving South Africa a lead of 43. South Africa's four-pronged pace attack of Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander, Morne Morkel and Rory Kleinveldt had a 58-over work-out with Philander chipping in with 2-39 while Morkel got 1-26. Brief scores: South Africa 354-8 (J. Kallis 70, A. Petersen 58, AB de Villiers 58, Hashim Amla 50, JP Duminy 49) and 109-3 (F. de Plessis 42) Pakistan ‘A' 311-6 dec (Ahmed Shahzad 66, Azhar Ali 54, Shan Masood 50, Asad Shafiq 42; V. Philander 2-39). Pakistan adds three players Pakistani selectors Thursday included openers Ahmed Shehzad and Shan Masood, and middle-order batsman Asad Shafiq in their final 15-man squad for the two-Test series against South Africa starting next week. Shehzad and Masood scored attractive half-centuries in the drawn three-day side match for Pakistan ‘A' against South Africa which ended in Sharjah Thursday. But there was no place for Umar Akmal who was cleared as fit to play after suffering a seizure while playing in the Caribbean League in July. Squad: Misbahul Haq (captain), Khurram Manzoor, Azhar Ali, Younis Khan, Umar Amin, Adnan Akmal, Saeed Ajmal, Zulfiqar Babar, Abdul Rehman, Junaid Khan, Mohammad Irfan, Rahat Ali, Asad Shafiq, Ahmed Shehzad, Shan Masood. — Agencies
