Monty Panesar shines as England skittle Pakistan Cricket Board XI

Monty Panesar seized his chance to impress the England management by taking five wickets on the second day of their match against the Pakistan Board XI in Dubai. There have been suggestions that England might consider playing both Panesar and Graeme Swann in the first Test next week, copying the strategy that has served Pakistan well in their previous fixtures in the United Arab Emirates. That must remain a long shot, given the impact on the depth of batting that has served England so well over the last 18 months, especially in the absence of Tim Bresnan following his return home with an elbow problem. But Panesar could have done no more to press his claim, admittedly in highly favourable conditions on a fifth-day pitch that was also used for England's opening tour game last week. Making his first England appearance of any sort since facing Australia A in Hobart before the start of the Ashes late in 2010, he was introduced into the attack early in the day ahead of Swann, bowling into a stiff breeze, and earned figures of five for 57 from 29 overs. Swann had to settle for one for 42 from 18, although he bowled much better than those figures suggest, and showed no reaction to the thigh problem that had made him doubtful for this game. Graham Onions and Chris Tremlett had made the early inroads into the PCB batting after they resumed on 23 without loss, with Onions making the first breakthrough and Tremlett then taking a couple to reduce them to 78 for three. Both also returned to bowl decent spells with the old ball after lunch, although England were frustrated by a ninth-wicket stand of 54 in 28 overs between Raza Hasan and Mohammad Talha, who launched Swann for two sixes over long-on in the same over. However, Panesar returned to have Talha caught behind, and the Board XI captain, Sarfraz Ahmed, declared after Hasan had reached his maiden first-class 50, giving the out-of-form England batsmen a last chance to spend some time in the middle ahead of the Test. Jonathan Trott was promoted to open with Andrew Strauss, on the basis that Alastair Cook has already scored plenty of runs ahead the Tests, and capitalised with an unbeaten 39, his highest score of the tour so far, as England reached 82 without loss by the close, extending their lead to 151.