KARACHI, Feb 17: The touring Sri Lankan bowlers were made to toil as openers Ahmed Shahzad and Azhar Ali hit contrasting centuries to help the PCB Patron’s XI pile up 395-4 on the first day of the two-day warm-up match at the Southend Club Cricket Stadium here on Tuesday.

On a pitch that literally had nothing in it for the bowlers, the 17-year-old Ahmed led the onslaught after Patron’s XI skipper Shahid Afridi won the toss and opted to bat first in a 90-overs-a-side game.

Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene constantly shuffled his bowlers in a bid to unsettle the two young guns from Lahore who batted almost through the first two sessions unscathed. Azhar was a picture of concentration as he spent 93 minutes before opening his account on the 54th delivery he negotiated.

But Ahmed, a big fan of Australian captain Ricky Ponting, showed scant respect for the visiting bowlers as he drove, cut and pulled with gusto in a smashing knock of 146 off 174 balls, under the watchful eyes of chief selector Abdul Qadir.

The right-handed youngster’s sparkling display saw him strike 22 fours and one six until he was forced to retire hurt at 204 for no wicket in the 53rd over after receiving a pain-ful blow below the lower abdomen region as he shaped to smash medium-pacer Thilan Thushara.

Considering this match has limited opportunities for the players to impress the selectors before the two-match Test series, it was surprising on the part of local team management — that included ex-Test batsman Ijaz Ahmed as coach — to let both Azhar and Ahmed bat for almost 53 overs although Afridi indicated that he wanted to give other batting contenders a fair chance at the crease.

As it turned out, Bazid Khan, having sat with his pads for more than three-and-a-half hours, never got going until Chaminda Vaas picked up the day’s first wicket.

Azhar, who was let off by Mahela Jayawardene at slip off Ajantha Mendis on 74, offered a catch to Tharanga Paranavitana in the covers off Farveez Maharoof after occupying the crease for one minute shy of five hours for an even 100 off 208 balls (nine fours and two sixes).

Saeed bin Nasir brightened up the proceedings in the final session with an enterprising 41 off 47 balls that featured four fours and a brace of sixes while Afridi bludgeoned his way to a typical 29-ball 49 before another forceful strike in the air was smartly held by Dilhara Fernando just inside the mid-off boundary.

Asim Kamal, who was more desperate than anyone else to play a long innings, finally took his guard in the 77th over and spent an hour to hit three boundaries in an unbeaten 18 off 39 balls.

For the Sri Lankans, Mendis had a long bowl but like his illustrious spinning compatriot Muttiah Muralitharan, he hardly got any purchase from the dead surface.

Scoreboard

PCB PATRON’S XI:

Azhar Ali c Paranavitana b Maharoof 100

Ahmed Shahzad retired hurt 146

Bazid Khan c Warnapura b Vaas 11

Saeed bin Nasir c Lakmal b Dilshan 41

Shahid Afridi c Fernando b Mendis 49

Asim Kamal not out 18

Sarfraz Ahmed not out 13

EXTRAS (LB-7, NB-10) 17

TOTAL (for four wkts, innings closed) 395

FALL OF WKTS: 1-251, 2-300, 3-311, 4-372.

DID NOT BAT: Bilal Khilji, Yasir Shah, Wahab Riaz, Najaf Shah, Fahad Masood, Khaqan Arsal, Azeem Ghumman, Mohammad Khalil.

BOWLING: Vaas 10-3-27-1 (2nb); Fernando 10-3-30-0 (1nb); Maharoof 12-2-30-1 (3nb); Thushara 11-1-69-0; Mendis 17-2-69-1 (1nb); Lakmal 11-1-69-0 (3nb); Muralitharan 11-1-51-0; Dilshan 8-0-43-1.

SRI LANKA: B.S.M. Warnapura, N.T. Paranavitana, K.C. Sangakkara D.P.M.D. Jayawardene, T.T. Samaraweera, T.M. Dilshan, H.A.P.W. Jayawardene, C.K. Kapugedera, M.F. Maharoof, W.P.U.J.C. Vaas, T. Thushara M. Muralitharan, B.A.W. Mendis, C.R.D. Fernando, R.A.S. Lakmal.

UMPIRES: Riazuddin and Ehtesham-ul-Haq.