Panesar stakes Test return claim
Monty Panesar made the most gains as England reduced the Pakistan Cricket Board XI to a lunchtime 111 for seven on day two of their final warm-up match at the CGA ground.
Graham Onions struck first, and Chris Tremlett twice in an eventful session. But it was Panesar (three for 22), thought to be in the frame for a possible Test return as second spinner behind Graeme Swann, who was the biggest winner on a gusty morning.
Onions, playing his first match for his country in more than two years after a career-threatening back injury, was in business with the fourth ball of the day after England's opponents had resumed on 23 for none in reply to 269 for nine declared.
The Durham seamer pinned left-hander Nasir Jamshed lbw, and soon afterwards Tremlett shifted the PCB's other opener Afaq Raheem, also lbw, pushing forward. Mohammad Ayub Dogar and Usman Salahuddin then played fluently, particularly as Onions began to leak runs.
But Tremlett, himself replaced by Panesar, returned to give Onions a rest and took his second wicket in his first over with the wind behind him. Salahuddin pushed out on the back foot at a delivery outside off-stump, and edged to Matt Prior.
England were therefore already making worthwhile inroads without a wicket yet from spin, and with their number one slow bowler Swann still waiting for his chance.
It soon turned out Panesar, who last played a Test at the start of the 2009 Ashes in Cardiff, was merely biding his time.
The slow left-armer began his spell with an unpromising full-toss, dispatched for four past midwicket by Dogar, but put himself in the last column for the first time when he had Fawad Alam looping a catch to short midwicket off bat and pad.
That was the first of four wickets to fall to spin for 19 runs.
Panesar doubled up when Haris Sohail went lbw on the defence. Swann joined in to have PCB captain Sarfraz Ahmed caught at silly-point off bat and pad, and then his spin partner made it three when top-scorer Dogar was caught behind off a well-flighted delivery.
