Hussain the night worker

Playing in a borrowed shirt, Nasser Hussain appeared to be seeking anonymity as he appeared in his first competitive action for more than a month last night. But the England captain could not hide his disappointment as his hopes of a confidence-building performance with the bat ended after he had faced 27 balls. The good news for England's prospects in the Ashes is that he remains on course to face Australia in the first Test, at Edgbaston on 6 July.

Annoyed not to have spent longer at the crease ­ he kicked up a cloud of dust after his dismissal ­ Hussain emerged unscathed from his comeback in the day-night Norwich Union League match between Lancashire Lightning and Essex Eagles at Old Trafford ­ his first appearance since Pakistan's Shoaib Akhtar broke his thumb in the first Test, at Lord's.

Opening the Essex innings alongside Darren Robinson, he was in discomfort once before he was leg before wicket to Glenn Chapple for 21, giving his right hand a couple of shakes after bringing the bat down to keep out a yorker. But he dismissed the pain as insignificant and Essex's head coach, Keith Fletcher, expects him to continue his comeback against the Australians in a three-day match at Chelmsford, starting next Friday.

"His hand was pretty much OK," Fletcher said. "He shook it after a yorker ball because they always hurt. But his timing felt very good throughout and he was disappointed to get out when he did. It is still his intention to play against the Australians later in the week."

After a promising start during which he struck four boundaries as Essex set about replying to a 45-over total of 254 for 6 by the home side, Hussain was clearly frustrated when Chapple's appeal in the 10th over was answered with a raised finger from umpire Nigel Cowley and thudded his right boot into the turf as he turned towards the pavilion.

He had survived an lbw shout from Chapple first ball, but after giving Hussain the benefit of the doubt then, Cowley could hardly have turned this one down after Chapple made the ball nip back from a good length.

In between, Hussain had clipped Chapple over square leg for his first boundary and drilled a second through mid-off with a sweetly timed drive. He lifted Chapple's fellow strike bowler Peter Martin over mid-wicket for a third four and picked up another with a controlled steer through the vacant slip area.

Given England's defeat here to Australia in a day-nighter 10 days ago, when England's batsmen struggled to see the ball at times, last night's appearance seemed a slightly risky venture for Hussain.

In the event, on a cloudless evening, the lights were surplus to requirements until later and even though Lancashire batted first, Hussain faced conditions scarcely worse than confronted Mike Atherton earlier on.

His contribution in the field had been largely anonymous as he patrolled the midwicket or cover boundary, watching Neil Fairbrother construct a splendid 87-ball 101 that included 10 fours and two sixes, aided by John Crawley's 63.

Indeed, spectators would have been hard pressed to pick Hussain out without binoculars. Evidently keen to keep his re-entry low-profile, Hussain wore a No 14 shirt borrowed from Essex's England under-19 bowler Andrew McGarry, who was not playing.

He had considered playing in the Championship match that ended on Friday but chose to take part in England nets at the Oval before joining his Essex colleagues after the England physio, Dean Conway, warned against rushing back too soon. The injury was his third to a thumb or finger in consecutive seasons.

Facing the Australians ahead of the first Test cannot be regarded as ideal and they can be guaranteed to give Hussain a fierce examination. However, time is running out if he is to arrive at Edgbaston on Thursday week in anything remotely approaching form.