(BBC) England’s batsmen were made to struggle on the second day of their three-day warm-up game against an ICC Combined Associate and Affiliate XI in Dubai yesterday.
Only Alastair Cook (76) passed 20 against the ICC XI’s pace attack, led by Afghanistan’s Hamid Hassan (2-26) and Ireland’s Boyd Rankin (2-49).
With England reeling on 185-8 – 96 behind on first innings – captain Andrew Strauss declared.
The ICC XI lost early wickets but finished the day on 90-5, 186 ahead.
Stuart Broad again impressed with the new ball, taking 2-15 from nine economical overs to add to his four-wicket haul from the first innings, while James Anderson also picked up two wickets.
However, Hassan was taken to hospital after he chased a ball to the boundary, trying in vain to cut off the four which brought up Cook’s fifty – and was injured falling over a picket fence.
Although cleared of serious injury, Hassan will take no further part in the match, and will be replaced by the ICC XI’s 12th man, Ireland spinner George Dockrell, after England agreed he could bat and bowl in the second innings.
England’s lack of patience continued to cost them dearly as off-spinner Mohammad Nabi, the third Afghan player on show, accounted for Eoin Morgan and Broad.
Cook edged Christi Viljoen to the keeper, Scotland spinner Majid Haq trapped Steven Davies lbw with his first ball, and when Broad fell to Nabi, England had lost six for 52.
Strauss’s decision to declare early paid off as Ireland openers William Porterfield and Paul Stirling departed without scoring.
However, Scotland’s Kyle Coetzer (31) dug in well and Shahzad hit six fours in an entertaining unbeaten 34 to complement his first-innings 51.
