Centurion Read shows his class

Chris Read © Getty Images

Chris Read gave the England selectors a reminder of his ability with an unbeaten hundred for the A team against Pakistan at Canterbury.

Wicketkeeper Read, who has not featured for England since the West Indies tour two years ago, finished 120 not out in a score of 530 for nine when bad light brought a premature close to a gloomy day of occasional showers.

Read, 27, instigated a counter-attack after Pakistan’s pace attack ripped through England A’s batting on the second morning.

It was his third first-class hundred of the summer.

The Nottinghamshire gloveman came to the crease after three early wickets threatened to undermine the innings.

But he helped add 229 further runs, getting to three figures alongside number 11 Stuart Broad when he drove his 14th four, off leg-spinner Imran Farhat, shortly before tea.

A century partnership with Alex Loudon steadied things, with his seventh-wicket ally reaching his own fifty first, from 99 deliveries, when he pulled a ninth boundary off Umar Gul.

They were separated by leg-spinner Danish Kaneria, whose chipping at the tail began with a top-edged sweep.

Read showed attacking intent from the off; twice he pulled powerfully for four during a barrage of bouncers from Abdul Razzaq, a spell in which he survived when he appeared to glove down the leg side off a no-ball.

His most memorable moment in an unbeaten 108 came before lunch when he lofted a straight six, after using his feet, off leg-spinner Danish Kaneria.

Home captain Robert Key was among those to fall as three wickets went down in the opening hour.

Key added just eight to his overnight 128 before becoming the third of the dismissals, when Razzaq nipped his second delivery away up the slope to knock out the off stump.

With black clouds closing in, England’s second string were wobbling against an attack expected to be the one employed in the first Test at Lord’s next week.

Ravi Bopara, Key’s overnight partner when play resumed on 268 for three, began positively with a leg glance for four off Mohammad Sami in the opening over.

Another boundary, cut powerfully, suggested Bopara was in fine touch but he followed up by drilling Sami straight to the cover fielder who gobbled up the chance.

The impressive Gul claimed a second success of the innings when he darted one back to trap Jamie Dalrymple leg before wicket.

And Key followed as the hosts endured a testing time against the moving ball.

Both sets of players gathered on the outfield at midday to observe the national two-minute silence, in respect to those who lost their lives in the London bombings a year ago.