England spinner Monty Panesar relishes return to Test cricket after claiming wicket against Pakistan on day one

Panesar looked nervous, perhaps sensing the onus was on him to bowl well on a dry pitch that turned in the first hour of the day.

When he dropped a catch off his own bowling his frustration was channelled into his next delivery which he fired in to bowl Mohammad Hafeez. It was a sign of the maturity Panesar has developed since his move to Sussex and spell playing grade cricket in Sydney before Christmas.

"When you're out of the England team you wouldn't be human if you didn't wonder if it was ever going to happen again, but these things do creep in and you do need good people around you to help you get through it," he said.

"There were times when self doubt crept in, and you wonder is it ever going to happen, and that is where people like Mark Robinson (Sussex coach) and Mushy (Mushtaq Ahmed, England spin bowling coach) have been great in protecting my self belief."

Pakistan batsman Taufeeq Umar admitted it was England’s day and the team’s coach, Mohsin Khan, had strong words for his side, particularly young batsman Asad Shafiq, who threw his wicket away on 58.

"Any player, whether it's a senior player or a young player, if somebody's playing for their country they should understand the responsibilities of playing for the team," Khan said.

"I had a go at him - in a loving way, no doubt - but he's been told very seriously this is not the way to get out, especially when the team is struggling to get a better score."

Monty Panesar stakes claim for Test return with five wickets but England fail to convince against PCB XI

“I’ve bowled 29 overs today so, if they go for two spinners, I’m ready to play,” said Panesar, whose last Test was in 2009. “I feel I’m getting better all the time as a spinner.”

Picking Panesar alongside Swann for the opening Test is not a fait accompli. Panesar succeeded on what was essentially a sixth-day pitch (combining the last three-day game, two days of this match and the day off between).

What should concern England is Swann’s limited threat. He has taken only four wickets in 54 overs, a return that in the dark old days of the 1980s would have made him vulnerable to the chop.

“Graeme is the No 1 spinner and he’ll play,” Panesar said. “If they look to play a second spinner, then I’m ready. But we’ve also got very skilful bowlers in our pacemen so we have many permutations.”

That point was amplified by Chris Tremlett, who bowled well for his two wickets, outperforming Graham Onions despite being asked to bowl his opening spell into a minor sandstorm, whipped up by strong morning winds.

In the spirit of these three-day games, the PCB XI declared their innings, allowing Strauss and Jonathan Trott to bat out the final session. Given a chance to start against pace and not spin, Trott responded with an unbeaten 39 as they extended England’s lead to 151 going into the final day.

Scoreboard:

England 1st innings: 269-9 decl (A. Cook 133, M. Prior 46; Yasir Shah 5-75, Mohammad Talha 4-43)

----

PCB XI 1st innings:

Nasir Jamshed lbw b Onions 12

Afaq Raheem lbw b Tremlett 17

Mohammad Ayub c Prior b Panesar 33

Usman Salahuddin c Prior b Tremlett 23

Fawad Alam c Strauss b Panesar 7

Haris Sohail lbw b Panesar 6

Sarfraz Ahmed c Trott b Swann 0

Yasir Shah c Swann b Panesar 9

Mohammad Talha c Prior b Panesar 31

Mohammad Khalil not out 1

Extras: (b3, lb6, w2) 11

Total: (for nine wkts) 200

Fall of wickets: 1-24 (Jamshed), 2-40 (Raheem), 3-78 (Salahuddin), 4-91 (Alam), 5-106 (Sohail), 6-106 (Sarfraz), 7-110 (Ayub), 8-119 (Shah), 9-173 (Talha)

Bowling: Onions 13-3-52-1 (w2), Tremlett 14-7-30-2, Swann 18-5-42-1, Panesar 29-12-57-5, Petersen 5-0-10-0

Overs: 79

----

England 2nd innings:

Extras: (b4, nb2, w1) 7

Total: (for no loss) 82

Bowling: Talha 6-1-32-0 (nb2, w1), Khalil 5-2-12-0, Hasan 7-0-26-0, Shah 3-0-5-0, Ayub 1-0-3-0

Overs: 22

Monty Panesar makes Test case with five-wicket haul for England against PCB XI in Dubai

“I’ve bowled 29 overs today so, if they go for two spinners, I’m ready to play,” said Panesar, whose last Test was in 2009. “I feel I’m getting better all the time as a spinner.”

What should concern England is Swann’s limited threat. He has taken only four wickets in 54 overs, a return that in the dark old days of the 1980s would have made him vulnerable to the chop.

Scoreboard:

England 1st innings: 269-9 decl (A. Cook 133, M. Prior 46; Yasir Shah 5-75, Mohammad Talha 4-43)

----

PCB XI 1st innings:

Nasir Jamshed lbw b Onions 12

Afaq Raheem lbw b Tremlett 17

Mohammad Ayub c Prior b Panesar 33

Usman Salahuddin c Prior b Tremlett 23

Fawad Alam c Strauss b Panesar 7

Haris Sohail lbw b Panesar 6

Sarfraz Ahmed c Trott b Swann 0

Yasir Shah c Swann b Panesar 9

Mohammad Talha c Prior b Panesar 31

Mohammad Khalil not out 1

Extras: (b3, lb6, w2) 11

Total: (for nine wkts) 200

Fall of wickets: 1-24 (Jamshed), 2-40 (Raheem), 3-78 (Salahuddin), 4-91 (Alam), 5-106 (Sohail), 6-106 (Sarfraz), 7-110 (Ayub), 8-119 (Shah), 9-173 (Talha)

Bowling: Onions 13-3-52-1 (w2), Tremlett 14-7-30-2, Swann 18-5-42-1, Panesar 29-12-57-5, Petersen 5-0-10-0

Overs: 79

----

England 2nd innings:

Extras: (b4, nb2, w1) 7

Total: (for no loss) 82

Bowling: Talha 6-1-32-0 (nb2, w1), Khalil 5-2-12-0, Hasan 7-0-26-0, Shah 3-0-5-0, Ayub 1-0-3-0

Overs: 22

Monty Panesar ready for England call after starring role in warm up against Pakistan Cricket Board XI

''So if they want to play two spinners, I'm ready to play.''

Panesar cites his move from Northants to Sussex two years ago, and his experience as an overseas player in South Africa and Australia, as vital staging posts in his continued development and perhaps his rehabilitation as a Test bowler.

''I'm hungry to play Test cricket – and if or when the opportunity presents itself I've got to be ready,'' he said.

''I want to be part of this successful England team.

''I've been bowling well at Sussex and also had the responsibility of being an overseas player at Randwick Petersham in Sydney and also Highveld Lions.

''That extra responsibility develops you as a person and also helps your game as well.''

Panesar helped England to a 69-run first-innings lead on the second day of three at the GCA ground, before Andrew Strauss and Jonathan Trott bolstered the advantage by another 82 without loss at stumps.

The slow left-armer added: ''My belief is a lot stronger now. I think going overseas, to Sydney, helps with your self-belief.

''My confidence has grown, and that definitely helps your bowling.

''I've always stayed hungry to play Test cricket and always worked hard. That's why I moved to Sussex, to better my game and take on a major responsibility – leading the bowling attack.''

The 29-year-old, who was part of England's winning squad in last winter's Ashes but played only in the tour match against Australia A in Hobart, sees his near 30-month absence from Test cricket as an important learning curve rather than a fallow period.

''It's been a good period for me, in that I had to come out of my comfort zone,'' he said.

''Sometimes you've got to take a couple of steps back to go forward.

''I just said to myself: 'I've got to get in there, work hard and get my hands dirty'.''

As for his reacquaintance with Swann as a spin partner, that is a prospect he relishes.

''It's really exciting to have two spinners bowling in tandem, something Swanny and I did at Northants – and we're very comfortable bowling with each other and helping each other out,'' he added.

Alastair Cook holds firm as England stutter against Pakistan Cricket Board

He shared stands of 83 for the third wicket with Kevin Pietersen and then 90 for the sixth with Matt Prior.

Talha took two wickets in four balls to put England in trouble in the seventh over after they were asked to bat first in this three-day match.

The swing bowler, included in Pakistan's Test squad here, had Andrew Strauss caught-behind with a very good delivery - and then number three Trott offered no shot to go lbw to one that nipped back.

Pietersen needed 10 balls to get off the mark, as he had in the first innings of England's previous tour match on this same ground.

But he was soon driving confidently, while Cook's outlet against pace was mostly on the back foot - before both batsmen manoeuvred comfortable runs up to lunch off spinners Raza Hasan and Yasir.

The afternoon began badly for England when Pietersen fell in the first over, picking the wrong ball to force away off the back foot and bowled by Yasir.

Bell was lbw to his second ball, attempting to sweep Yasir, and Morgan disappointingly picked out deep backward-square with a more expansive version of the same shot soon afterwards.

Yasir, in particular, was a test for all on a used pitch which was offering plenty of help for spin - albeit slowly - but Cook was equal to the task.

Prior, who missed England's first match with a bruised left ring finger, was in the mood to make the most of match batting practice before next week too - and dug in to keep Cook company and keep the tempo handy for the remainder of the session.

Prior's was the first of four wickets to fall after tea, nibbling an edge behind to a diving Sarfraz Ahmed.

Graeme Swann also took an attacking approach, and succeeded with a straight six off Yasir and two fours until he edged another attempted big shot behind off the leg-spinner.

Graham Onions, in his first match for his country for more than two years following a career-threatening back injury, fell to a one-handed catch at mid-on - and when Cook finally went caught-behind trying to cut, Strauss decided on a declaration which spared Chris Tremlett from having to bat so soon after recovering from an eye infection.

He did not have long to bowl either, before England turned to spin at both ends in conducive conditions - and in the final over of the day, Swann almost had Nasir Jamshed caught-behind on eight.

England set to turn to Monty Panesar as they consider playing an extra spinner against Pakistan

The performance of Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann over the next couple of days against the PCB XI here will inevitably shape the final decision but Graham Gooch, the batting coach, admitted that the conditions for the warm-up match have given the management an important glimpse of what to expect in the first Test against Pakistan, which starts on Jan 17.

That would leave the option of dropping a batsman for Panesar and selecting another seamer, either Chris Tremlett or Graham Onions, to take the place of the injured Tim Bresnan.

Matt Prior would bat at six and Eoin Morgan, who has failed in all three innings on tour, would be the batsman to be sacrificed.

Flower and Strauss are cautious and loyal to the players who have served them well. Altering the team’s shape would be a bold step, particularly at the start of a series, but playing here is an unknown quantity for England and they may have to adapt.

Pakistan played three spinners against Sri Lanka in October, obviously playing to their strengths, and 19 of the 31 wickets to fall in that Test went to slow bowling.

England’s fast-bowling attack is the most respected in world cricket but in Panesar they have a bowler with a respectable Test average of 30 against Pakistan and a match-winning record during his career.

Andrew Strauss finds form as England close in on victory target against ICC Combined XI

Strauss and Alastair Cook took advantage of the absence of injured strike bowler Hamid Hassan in an opening stand of 63 in less than 12 overs until the latter was much too early on a pull in Craig Williams' first over and fell to a fine catch by Majid Haq.

Jonathan Trott was in grave danger of departing caught down the leg-side for the second time in the match, this time for a duck, until the umpires concluded the edge off Boyd Rankin had not quite carried.

Strauss dominated the second-wicket stand, bringing up his 67-ball 50 with his 11th four. But he too was to pay for an aerial pull, off Haq.

Kevin Pietersen then managed only a single before falling to a tumbling catch by Rankin at mid-on off his Irish compatriot George Dockrell, the second wicket in the space of six balls.

Trott and Ian Bell steadied the chase again either side of tea, but neither could complete the assignment.

Trott's attempt to dominate Mohammad Nabi (three for 66) failed when he reined in to defence from up the wicket and fell to a sharp bat-pad catch at short leg.

Eoin Morgan went cheaply to Rankin, the latest of several in this match to fall to a catch behind down the leg-side.

Then after Bell's bizarre dismissal, paddle-sweeping Nabi via a deflection into the hands of slip running round to the leg-side, at 199 for six the outcome was in the balance.

But Broad and Davies, who survived one close call off Nabi with a half-chance to wide mid-off on 20, did not panic.

Broad had a moment of fortune too, reprieved with 18 still needed by a poor throw and Nabi's failure to gather when he seemed sure to be run out.

The seventh-wicket pair were therefore able to settle the match in a stand of 61 - with almost nine overs to spare, even though Broad holed out with scores level.

Earlier, Mohammad Shahzad's second 50 of the match had frustrated England this morning.

Broad (three for 22) struck in the fifth over of the day, to take his match haul to seven wickets, when Nabi mis-pulled to mid-off.

But Shahzad again looked in control. He brought up his 76-ball half-century with an edge wide of the slips for his ninth four, in a James Anderson over which cost 16 runs.

He had been joined by Christi Viljoen, whose match tally went past 100 following his first-innings 98 before he was run out when he was sent back for a single and unable to beat a throw from Monty Panesar - on as a substitute fielder for Graeme Swann.

Shahzad then aimed one big shot too many at Pietersen's stand-in off-spin, holing out at long-off - and after Rankin missed a swipe at Steven Finn, Will Porterfield called his batsmen in.

- Swann did not bowl and stayed off the field with tightness in a leg muscle, until coming out to bat with one run required.

Tim Bresnan ruled out of England's tour against Pakistan with elbow injury

"That means he's unable to play any part in the Test series, so he's flying home."

Onions is with England already, having been added as cover because of what were thought minor injury concerns hanging over Bresnan among others. The Durham seamer will therefore be officially added to the squad. England must nonetheless rethink their gameplan, in the absence of first-choice seamer Bresnan.

Strauss added: "We're all gutted for him, because it's come from left-field. It's surprised him and us."

The captain reported mixed news on England's other injury niggles.

Graeme Swann, who did not take the field today because of tightness in a leg muscle, is to be sent to hospital for a precautionary scan.

Strauss is confident the off-spinner's condition is not too much cause for concern, however.

Fast bowler Chris Tremlett, ruled out of the opening tour match because of an eye infection, is to see the doctor tonight.

But wicketkeeper Matt Prior, who bruised the ring finger of his left hand on the day before this first fixture, will be fit to play in the second against a PCB XI at the same GCA ground venue on Wednesday.

England set to win 261, first warm-up game against ICC XI

Strauss dominated the second stand wicket, his 50 67-ball with his 11th four education. But he was also to infer an antenna pay Haq.

Pietersen managed one before you a tumbling catch Rankin in the mid - on of his dockrell Irish party Fine Gael colleagues George, before Trott and Ian Bell new stabilized hunting.

Mohammad Shahzad second 50 of the game had frustrated England this morning.

Stuart broad (three for 22) struck in the fifth review of the day, for his match at the seven wickets route reached when Mohammad Nabi, implemented mid-off from.

But once, Shahzad has seen in the control. He raised his half-century 76-ball with a length of edge of documents for his ninth four in a James Anderson on the 16 tracks of cost.

It was Christ Viljoen, whose game was against 100 after its first 98 rounds before he was exhausted when he was sent again to a single and not in a position, removes a Monty Panesar - the as a fielder substitute for Graeme Swann hit.

Shahzad and a great blow to many in the stand-in Pietersen off the coast of spin, then think long-off - and after Rankin a blow to Steven Finn will be missed Porterfield, its called beaters.

Swann remained on the ground with the oppression in a muscle of the leg, but it was expected that, if bats.

England frustrated in opening tour match against ICC Combined XI as they prepare for Pakistan series

"The period from 50-80 overs is going to be a real holding role, which highlights how wisely we'll have to use the first and second new balls," said Broad. "The bowling unit was aware of how difficult it might be to take wickets out here and that has been highlighted for us."

Callow shots certainly played a part in that lunch scoreline, but Broad, surely as zealous a convert to the value of pitching the ball up as there can ever have been among the fast and nasty fraternity, drew the batsmen into their misadventures. William Porterfield edged to Steven Davies in the bowler’s opening over - Davies deputising for Matt Prior as a precaution after the latter had bruised his ring finger in practice the previous day.

A left-hander, Porterfield had shaped to hit Broad through square leg, an ambitious shot given the line, length and newness of the ball.

Equally optimistic was Paul Stirling’s pull shot against Broad, which cannoned into the stumps off the bottom-edge. A chunky batsman with a low centre of gravity, Stirling had just stood on his tip toes and driven Broad for four on the up through mid-off, a show-stopping shot few can play. The old Broad would have retorted by letting fly with a bouncer, something Stirling obviously expected, but the ball was only just short of a length and far too full for the shot he attempted.

Broad, who finished with 4-46 and showed no ill-effects from the shoulder injury he picked up at Lord’s in September, continued his golden start when he had Scotland’s Kyle Coetzer caught by Davis driving at another ball of full length.

It is a long time ago, but I recall Peter May handing out advice to new Test bowlers when he was chairman of selectors. You need to bring good batsmen forward to get them out was the gist of it and it applies just as well to journeymen like Coetzer.

Broad’s extra height probably helped to make the batsmen more hesitant in their footwork, as James Anderson kept the ball full and didn’t have any success until Mohammad Shahzad ended a colourful innings of 51 by chipping a catch off him to mid-on.

Shahzad is the AA XI’s wicket-keeper and is part of the inspirational Afghanistan team that qualified against odds most would never consider part of a cricketer’s lot for the last World Cup. His batting reflected those uncertainties, being almost a shot-a-ball. Yet, most of them were pretty fine, especially the brace of cover driven fours he took off Anderson.

He attacked Swann, when the spinner was first introduced, and didn’t stop despite others falling to him. Pakistan’s batsmen will try a similar tactic, for if they can prevent Swann holding up an end for long periods (something he didn’t achieve after failing to bowl a single maiden in his 23 overs), pressure will be applied on the other three bowlers in England’s favoured four-man attack.

His innings was more pro-active than Viljoen’s, which began as dour survival before expanding to strokeplay as he ran out of partners. Viljoen, who plays for Namibia, has never made a first-class hundred in 24 matches and he wouldn’t have got close but for a valiant 45 from Boyd Rankin, who kept him company in a ninth-wicket partnership worth 95 runs.

Rankin departed to the third delivery of the second new ball, brilliantly caught by Finn at extra cover off Anderson. Viljoen was on 94 at the time and when he belted Broad for four off the first ball of the next over, a celebration looked likely.

Reacting to his adrenalin, Broad banged the next two balls in short. But having ducked the first, Viljoen swished a wild cut at the second and, after a heartbreaking interlude in which he watched as Anderson ran back from second slip to take a brilliant catch somewhere near third man, he knew it wasn’t going to be champagne this time, at least not at the king’s ransom demanded for it around here.

Scoreboard:

ICC Combined XI 1st innings

Porterfield c Davies b Broad 1

Coetzer c Davies b Broad 1

Saqib Ali c Swann b Finn 14

Williams c Davies b Swann 34

Mohammad Shahzad c Broad b Anderson 51

Viljoen c Anderson b Swann 98

Rankin c Finn b Anderson 43

Extras: (lb3, w1, nb2) 6

Total: 281

Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Porterfield), 2-10 (Stirling), 3-11 (Coetzer), 4-52 (Saqib), 5-82 (Williams), 6-90 (Nabi), 7-122 (Shahzad), 8-181 (Haq), 9-277 (Rankin)

Bowling: Anderson 19-6-48-2 (nb1), Broad 16-6-42-3 (w1), Finn 17-3-60-2, Swann 23.3-0-99-3 (nb1), Trott 2-0-6-0, Pietersen 6-0-23-0

Overs: 83.3

----------

England 1st innings

Total: (without loss) 16

Bowling: Hamid 2-1-4-0, Viljoen 1-0-4-0, Nabi 1-0-8-0

Pakistan will be grateful for the experience of Younis in upcoming Tests against England

They are stronger in one particular respect: they have a veteran at number four who has been shoring up a middle order that was decidedly flaky when England won 3-1 in his absence.

This veteran batsman is the hawk-like Younis Khan, who has been averaging 78 in Tests since then.

Falconry was the pastime of the few inhabitants of the United Arab Emirates before oil was discovered in the 1950s and Dubai was turned from a village up a creek into a mass of six-lane highways and tower blocks; and Younis has the look of a bird of prey, and the ability to feast insatiably on loose bowling as if it were carrion.

Younis has the highest average of any Pakistan batsman ever, the only one to reach as high as 53. This is due in some small part to his last innings, an unbeaten double-century against Bangladesh, and should not be interpreted to mean that he is Pakistan’s finest batsman ever.

But he is up there with Javed Miandad and Mohammed Yousuf, Inzamam ul-Haq and Zaheer Abbas and Hanif Mohammad, which is enough to make him England’s key opponent in the coming series.

Pakistan’s bowling will be roughly equal to England’s. It is their batting which is more questionable, more fragile and inexperienced, and Younis has been the one who has been holding it together.

He has scored more Test centuries than everyone else in the team put together, and they usually aren’t small ones. He has already played nine Tests in the Gulf (Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah), more than anybody else.

He does not ooze serenity at the crease like Inzamam or Yousuf, nor does he have the grace of Zaheer. Younis scraps like Miandad, without prompting the need for UN peace monitors and conflict-resolution experts to be on hand.

Above all Younis, having played abroad so much during his 34 years, is far more accomplished than his teammates against the short ball, which will be one of England’s main weapons, at least when the ball is new.

He can play off the back foot, cut and pull — which will enable him to act as the human shield for Asad Shafiq at number six and Adnan Akmal, the new keeper at number seven, who will be prime targets for England’s pace bowlers.

Younis missed the 2010 tour of England because he had been banned by the Pakistan board for an indefinite period after their tour of Australia earlier in the year.

Being banned by the Pakistan board should not be considered a stigma; more often it is a badge of honour. Younis was accused of ‘infighting’ in Australia, but anyone who cared about his country might have taken exception to the dreamy captaincy of Yousuf, who led Pakistan to defeat in every competitive game.

Rare in Pakistan, Younis is one of those senior players who has been the captain — indeed he led Pakistan to victory in the 2009 World Twenty20 in England — but who doesn’t rock the boat. He is a team man to the extent that he is an excellent slip-catcher, arguably the best Pakistan have had.

In his last Test, even though 34, the hawk flew from slip to gully to take a right-handed catch at maximum stretch off a spinner that was hailed as the catch of the century.

Younis has managed to survive so long by being his own man within the team.

The dynamics of the Pakistan team are traditionally a division between the Punjabi speakers of Lahore (Butt and his two imprisoned bowlers, Mohammed Amir and Mohammed Asif, are all Punjabis) and the Urdu speakers of Karachi, but with an increasing component of Pushto-speaking Pathans who go their own way.

Younis, the senior batsman, and Umar Gul, the senior pace bowler, are both Pathans from the North-West Frontier Province. They have avoided being dragged into the games within the game, and they have led, if not the renaissance of Pakistan cricket, then its promising revival. Subdue

Younis, and England will do better than 1-0.

England struggle in Dubai against ICC Combined XI ahead of Pakistan Test series

But that prospect evaporated as Kevin Pietersen, Ian Bell, Eoin Morgan, Cook, Steven Davies and finally Broad failed to cash in on what looked an obvious opportunity to prosper.

Cook fared by far the best in a 121-ball innings which contained 14 fours, but no one else could reach 20. Fast bowler Hamid Hassan suffered a nasty injury chasing to the boundary to try to cut off the four which brought up the opener's 50, and would play no further part in the match.

England agreed Ireland spinner George Dockrell could replace Hassan for the second innings, after the Afghan seamer had pitched over a picket fence on the boundary and collided with concrete and metal runners around the sightscreen. He was eventually cleared of serious injury following a trip to hospital on a stretcher.

His absence had no bearing on England's troubles, although before lunch there was barely a hint of the collapse to come.

The only alarm for Cook came when Boyd Rankin discomforted him with a well-directed short one early in his innings.

The left-hander got in a tangle and was unable to get the ball effectively to ground, but no short-leg had been posted at that stage.

Soon afterwards Andrew Strauss pulled Hassan into the hands of square leg, and Jonathan Trott had only a single when he got a faint edge down the leg-side to be caught behind.

A watchful Pietersen needed 10 balls to get off the mark, but did so with a trademark big stride for a four through midwicket - and the rationale was that England needed only patience, on a slow but benign surface, to gradually take control.

Instead Pietersen nibbled an outside edge off Rankin soon after lunch, and Bell's attempt to glide runs behind square off his Warwickshire team-mate resulted in another catch behind when the 6ft 9in Irishman found extra bounce.

Then Morgan edged a Mohammad Nabi off-break to slip, and Cook toppled over and poked the blade down leg to be caught behind off Christi Viljoen.

Scotland off-spinner Majid Haq took a wicket with his first delivery - Davies lbw pushing forward - and Broad then unluckily picked out silly mid-off when he timed a back-foot shot off Nabi. Graeme Swann and James Anderson avoided any more losses until, five minutes before the scheduled tea break, Strauss chose to declare almost 100 runs in arrears.

There was partial vindication when, as in the first innings, Broad and Anderson served up useful new-ball spells as the Combined XI were reduced to eight for three this time.

After Will Porterfield and Paul Stirling's ducks, the two Irish openers had mustered only eight runs between them in four attempts. Porterfield nicked a catch behind down the leg-side off Anderson, and Broad pinned Stirling lbw.

Saqib Ali soon edged an attempted push-drive behind off Broad, and Craig Williams chipped a catch to cover off Swann.

But a stand of 40 between Kyle Coetzer and Mohammad Shahzad ended only when the former played on to Anderson, as the equations began to narrow for an England victory in this first warm-up match for the Test series against Pakistan.

Scoreboard (after day two):

ICC Combined XI 1st innings
281 (C. Viljoen 98, Mohammad Shahzad 51, B. Rankin 43; S. Broad 3-42, G. Swann 3-99)

England 1st innings

Strauss c Haq b Hassan 17

Cook c Shahzad b Viljoen 76

Trott c Shahzad b Hassan 1

Pietersen c Shahzad b Rankin 15

Bell c Shahzad b Rankin 3

Morgan c Stirling b Nabi 1

Davies lbw b Haq 12

Broad c Porterfield b Nabi 19

Swann not out 14

Anderson not out 12

Extras: (b8, lb4, nb 2, w1) 15

Total: (for eight wkts dec) 185

Fall of wickets: 1-44 (Strauss), 2-54 (Trott), 3-107 (Pietersen), 4-121 (Bell), 5-126 (Morgan), 6-132 (Cook), 7-159 (Davies), 8-159 (Broad).

Bowling: Hassan 11-4-26-2 (w1), Viljoen 11-1-42-1 (nb2), Nabi 14-3-42-2, Rankin 16-3-49-2, Haq 3-1-14-1

Overs: 55

-------

Combined XI 2nd innings

Porterfield c Davies b Anderson 0

Stirling lbw b Broad 0

Coetzer b Anderson 31

Saqib Ali c Davies b Broad 2

Williams c Bell b Swann 11

Mohammad Shahzad not out 34

Mohammad Nabi not out 9

Extras: (lb1, nb2) 3

Total: (For five wkts) 90

Fall of wicket: 1-0 (Porterfield), 2-2 (Stirling), 3-8 (Ali), 4-31 (William), 5-71 (Coetzer).

Bowilng: Anderson 12-6-29-2, Broad 9-5-15-2 (2nb), Swann 10-1-33-1, Finn 6-3-12 0

Overs: 37

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