Dalrymple makes his claim for Test place

Close England A 595 for 9 dec (Read 150*, Key 136) and 35 for 1 lead Pakistanis 242 (Faisal 82, Dalrymple 4-61) by 388 runs
Scorecard

Jamie Dalrymple enhanced his prospects of a maiden Test call-up as England A overcame a freak injury to Matthew Hoggard on the third day of their warm-up match against the Pakistanis at Canterbury.

Hoggard was trodden on by his team-mate, Tim Bresnan, during a knockabout game of rugby, and was forced to sit out the day's play after having six stitches inserted in his bowling hand. He was not missed, however, as Dalrymple combined with his spin partner, Alex Loudon, to bowl Pakistan out for just 242. By the close, England had opted not to enforce the follow-on, with Rob Key the only casualty as they closed on 35 for 1.

It was an impressive day's work from Dalrymple, who demonstrated his aptitude for international cricket during the one-day series against Sri Lanka. Once again, he bowled with guile and skill to claim 4 for 61 in 24 overs. Loudon mopped up the tail with three of the last four wickets to fall, although the last man, Mohammad Asif, did not bat after suffering an elbow injury on the second morning of the match.

The mainstays of Pakistan's innings were Salman Butt and Faisal Iqbal, who each contributed a timely half-century, but their middle-order stalwarts, Mohammad Yousuf and Inzamam-ul-Haq, both missed the opportunity for some useful middle practice. They were dismissed for ducks, as Yousuf hooked loosely at Stuart Broad to be caught in the deep, and Inzamam top-edged a pull off Dalrymple and was caught by Loudon, running round from slip.

It might have been even worse for Pakistan, had Faisal not been dropped by Ian Bell at slip when he had made just 2. Of the last seven batsmen, only Abdul Razzaq (37) and Mohammad Sami (28 not out) reached double figures. The rest managed just one run between them, as Dalrymple and Loudon spun their web.

England's successful day began in the first hour, as Chris Read and Broad resumed their overnight stand, eventually adding 127 unbeaten runs for the tenth wicket. Read swept Danish Kaneria for six to reach 150 not out, while Broad registered his maiden first-class fifty. England declared on 595 for 9, whereupon Bresnan atoned for his nobbling of Hoggard by taking the first wicket to fall, that of Imran Farhat for 16.

Farhat had his vengeance late in the day when he came on for a three-over spell and picked up the wicket of Key, but with just one day remaining, this match seems sure to end as a draw. It has not been without incident, however, with Key, Read and Dalrymple all advancing their Test claims for England, and injuries to Hoggard, Asif and Kamran Akmal providing moments of concern for the respective team managements.