Ashes prospect Haseeb Hameed breaks finger

Haseeb Hameed, a contender for England's Ashes tour to Australia, suffered a fractured finger batting for Lancashire against Middlesex at Lord's yesterday.

"We can confirm that @LancsCCC opener Haseeb Hameed has fractured a finger on his right hand at Lord's," said a statement on Lancashire's Twitter feed after close of play in their County Championship match. The opener retired hurt after being struck on the glove by James Harris on the third day of the First Division match. Hameed's injury came just two days after Middlesex seamer Toby Roland-Jones, a likely candidate for a place in the Ashes squad, suffered a lower back problem requiring scans to discover the full extent of the damage. Hameed, 20, had to fly home early from England's tour of India late last year for an operation on a broken left hand. He has yet to add to the three Test caps he won in India after a poor start to the county season. But with England still having several doubts over top order positions, Hameed was touted to be included in the Ashes-holders' squad for a five-Test series starting November.

Yesterday, he resumed his innings to stave off defeat but was left not out as Middlesex won by 36 runs with pacer Steven Finn taking 8-79. Victory boosts the champions' hopes of retaining their place among the elite.