Injuries add to Pakistan's woes as spot-fixing trio charged and suspended

Quite apart from the drama played out 160 miles away in London – where Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer professed their innocence over spot-fixing allegations only to be charged and suspended by the International Cricket Council – the tourists could hardly afford two more injuries in what has become a threadbare squad.

That, though, is what happened, key Twenty20 batsman Umar Akmal hit in the face through his helmet grille before start of play and Abdul Razzaq unable to bowl after hurting his back.

Somerset declined a request to allow 12th man Wahab Riaz to bowl and without his help, Pakistan were pushed all the way by Zander de Bruyn (122no), outdoing the efforts of Shahzaib Hasan (105) and Fawad Alam (97) on a batsmen's pitch.

But he was just unable to topple the tourists' 264 all out.

After being put in on a sunny day, Pakistan's innings was a curious one.

Mark Turner saw off both Mohammad Hafeez and Azhar Ali for ducks in the fourth over; then Mohammad Yousuf was leading a recovery until he set off for an unwise single to mid-on and was run out by home captain Peter Trego. Shahzaib and Alam shared a stand of 169 in 30 overs which provided all the impetus for the Pakistani total.

But some good bowling under pressure from teenage debutant Lewis Gregory (4-49) and others – and some hapless batting – prevented Pakistan pushing on to 300 or more.

Shahzaib was caught in the leg-side deep off De Bruyn, ending a 120-ball innings which contained 10 fours and two sixes.

Alam was yorked by Turner, with his century in sight. But it was Gregory who did the most damage, taking three wickets in his final over, a maiden which snuffed out the big-hitting ambitions of Shahid Afridi, Razzaq and Umar Gul.

Pakistan's last wicket fell with 15 balls left unused when Shoaib Akhtar went walkabout after driving the ball back at Trego who turned and threw athletically to run out the No 11. Somerset lost England Twenty20 batsman Craig Kieswetter early in their reply.

But Nick Compton (50) helped No 3 de Bruyn keep the hosts on course and they stayed that way almost until the end, despite some tight overs from the Pakistan spinners.

As the asking rate spiralled, wickets duly fell too, Saeed Ajmal and Gul each taking three.

De Bruyn never gave up, though, in a 142-ball innings containing 10 fours and only when he missed a chance to hit a full toss from Ajmal for his second six from the penultimate ball of the match was it clear Pakistan would prevail.

Butt, Asif and Aamer have been provisionally suspended by the ICC. The game's governing body have charged the Pakistan trio with "various offences under Article 2 of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code for Players and Player Support Personnel relating to irregular behaviour during, and in relation to, the fourth Test between England and Pakistan at Lord's last month".

The under-fire trio have been at the eye of a spot-fixing storm since claims in the News of The World on Sunday and originally withdrew from the Twenty20 and one-day series against England which is due to begin on Sunday, before the ICC suspended them.