Finn finds extra at Edgbaston

Steven Finn is making a habit of roaring to life at Edgbaston.

The towering fast-bowler produced a man-of-the-match performance during last year’s Ashes at the venue, mesmerising Australia with a second-innings six-wicket haul and dismissing Michael Clarke and Steve Smith in both innings of the eight-wicket defeat for the tourists.

Fast-forward just over 12 months to the same Midlands ground and it’s Finn again, delivering another decisive blow to an accomplished Test opponent.

The 27-year-old triggered Pakistan’s stunning day five collapse by claiming the key scalp of Misbah-ul-Haq before removing young opener Sami Aslam, on 70, in a devastating spell to all but confirm a remarkable come-from-behind England victory. 

Fans in Birmingham who’d witnessed Finn’s two match-defining efforts and nothing else might well have come to the conclusion he was one of the key planks of the England attack.

But on both occasions, the right-armer only played because of injuries to other bowlers. An ankle niggle to Mark Wood paved the way for his inclusion in 2015 while he replaced Ben Stokes for the third Test against Pakistan when the allrounder suffered a knee injury.

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Finn has struggled for rhythm at times during this northern summer and was dropped for the second Test at Old Trafford after going wicketless in England’s series-opening loss to Pakistan at Lord’s.

He returned at the expense of Stokes for the Edgbaston Test, a decision England captain Alastair Cook admitted had kept him up until 2am on one night leading up to the crucial match.

Though it was Finn’s previous work in front of the country’s most-impassioned Test crowd that seemingly got him the nod.

"He bowls spells which are incredible to be standing at first slip for as he did against Australia here," Cook said of the Middlesex seamer in the lead-up to the third Test against Pakistan with the series level at 1-1.

"He’s got positives to draw on from last year and it’s like a batsman when you have scored runs before at a ground you turn up to, there is something which just brings back good memories.

"The occasion of playing here and the support we get can be riotous and it can be a great atmosphere. And as players you enjoy that."

Finn showed glimpses he’d rediscovered his touch in the first-innings, bowling with increased pace and noticeable energy.

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But a dropped chance by Cook at first-slip, albeit off tail-ender Rahat Ali, denied him a much-needed confidence boost.

And when Aslam struck back-to-back boundaries off him in his second over of Pakistan’s fourth-innings run-chase, Finn had sent down nearly 70 Test overs on the trot without a wicket.

So it was pure relief more than anything from the two-metre tall paceman when he nicked Misbah off for 10, sending the Edgbaston crowd, himself and his teammates into raptures.

Those emotions were doubled when Aslam left an inswinger from around the wicket that clipped the left-hander’s off-stump four overs later.

Along with Chris Woakes, Finn delivered the knockout punch for the home side; a chaotic 23-ball spell that yielded four top-order wickets for just a solitary run.

"He bowled nicely, he bowled quickly," Cook said after his side wrapped up a 141-run victory to take a 2-1 series lead into the final Test at The Oval.

"He didn’t get a wicket in the first-innings but he bowled up in the high-80s (miles per hour) and touching 90 a lot. When Steven does that, he’s very hard bowler to face.

"He got two important wickets today which will be great for his confidence."

As he’s shown, a confident Steven Finn is a frightening proposition.