Middlesex fast bowler Steven Finn staked a strong claim for Test selection by tearing through the Pakistan A batting line-up in Sharjah today.

With England pre-arranged to bowl first in the two day fixture, the 26-year-old defied the benign surface to secure figures of two wickets for two runs from a seven over spell in the morning session, before returning to claim a further two dismissals in the first over after the lunch interval and finish with figures of 4 for 16 from 15 overs.

The home side, for whom Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq was listed in the 15-man team but didn’t bat, closed the day having lost 12 wickets for 192 runs.

Although it took 8.3 overs for England to make the breakthrough, a turgid start meant that only 12 runs were on the board when Khurram Manzoor edged Finn to wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow having scored a painstaking four off 30 deliveries.

Ali Asad nicked to slip for a duck to hand the rejuvenated paceman his second wicket and Fawid Alam also failed to trouble the scorers before he nicked Moeel Ali to Ben Stokes.

Lunch was taken at 47-3 before Finn trapped Iftikhar Ahmed lbw with the first ball after the resumption. Two balls later Usman Salahuddin was held by Bell at slip.

A viciously spinning delivery from Adil Rashid accounted for Sami Aslam for a watchful 43 off 113 deliveries with Stokes taking his second slip catch of the day.

Samit Patel then helped himself to two wickets as Pakistan, despite a number of top-order batsmen taking to the crease for a second time, continued to crumble during the day’s evening session.

Nottinghamshire’s left-arm spinning all-rounder had Umar Amin caught behind for 39, ending a seventh wicket partnership of 93 with Adnan Akmal, before adding the scalp of Khurram, the Pakistani opener embarking on his second knock of the day, caught at long-off.

Liam Plunkett used his trademark pace to clean bowl Asad and Eshan Adil for ducks before the day was out. Rashid took two further late wickets to finish with 3 for 53, while Akmal closed the day unbeaten on 74.

Patel, who took two for 31 from 12 overs, alongside his Nottinghamshire teammates Alex Hales and James Taylor, could all get opportunities to star with the bat when play recommences at 7am UK time.

 

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