Back injury threatens Tremlett Abu Dhabi spot

BOYLESPORTS have eased England to 23-10 for the second Test against Pakistan that starts on Wednesday morning in Abu Dhabi after quick Chris Tremlett was rated extremely doubtful.

Tremlett has complained about a recurrence of the back and side problems that limited his availability in last summer's India Test series and did not bowl in Tuesday's net session at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.

Captain Andrew Strauss had said beforehand: "He had a sore back and side yesterday. He's going to have to bowl today before we know whether he's fit or not."

However, bookmakers may have sensed that Tremlett could have been dropped anyway after a less-than-sparkling bowling effort in the Three Lions' ten-wicket defeat in Dubai last week.

Left-arm spinner Monty Panesar,at a best-priced 7-2, was above the Surrey seamer in their top England first-innings wicket-taker lists and Steven Finn and Graham Onions were alongside at 4-1.

Batting was top-ranked Test side England's problem in Dubai though not the bowlers who restricted their hosts to 338 from 114-0.

And while a rash of rare bad shots condemned them to scores of 192 and 160, skipper Strauss is definitely in something of a rut.

He has only made one fifty in 12 innings since the end of the Ashes a year ago and his sole ton since the 2009 Ashes series came in the second innings at Brisbane on that November 2010 belter.

Paddy Power go 5-6 that Strauss gets 31 or more runs in his first innings in Abu Dhabi while a fifty is 6-4 with Hills and a ton is 6-1 with Blue Square and Power.

The Sheikh Zayed Stadium pitch has largely proved a batsman' benefit in both previous Tests and the draw has been clipped to a general5-4 while Pakistan are now 5-2 to secure the series spoils with another victory.

Read Tuesday's Racing Post for James Milton's second Pakistan v England Test betting preview and full form, prices and statistics package