Steven Finn yesterday revealed how he swapped an "army boot camp" for an important role in England's first Test against Bangladesh. Finn was called into the squad as cover when England's bowlers suffered a number of injuries, and was a surprise inclusion in Chittagong as the tourists opted against a second spinner on a flat, dusty track. The towering 20-year-old took one wicket in the first innings and has one for 31 from 11 overs in the second as a gutsy stand between Junaid Siddique and Mushfiqur Rahim saw Bangladesh take the game into a fifth day, closing on 191 for five still 322 runs adrift of the visitors.
The conditions in Chittagong are hardly those to make a young paceman's eyes light up, but for Finn it is much preferable to the alternative. "By no means 10 days ago when I was lying in bed in my flat did I think I would be playing Test match cricket now," admitted the 6ft 8in bowler. "In fact, as we speak I would probably been getting woken up by an army officer in Exeter. "At Middlesex we had an army boot camp planned. Angus Fraser [the director of cricket] said 'Last year the team went to Dubai and didn't do very well so you're going to boot camp this year'.
"I'd be in the middle of a forest in a tent by now probably." Finn added: "This is a fantastic opportunity for me. Since I was just a little kid this is something that I've aimed towards. "Fundamentally every young lad who plays cricket wants to play Test matches. "By no means had I built up a picture in my mind that it was going to be easy and bowling on the flat track out there proved that." * PA
Bangladesh v England, 6.30am start, Neo Cricket
