Ajmal Shahzad believes his month in the nets with England can benefit Yorkshire over the coming weeks.

The White Rose pace bowler yesterday bowled in a competitive match for the first time since April 24 after being away with the national squads at the World Twenty20 in Barbados and at Lord’s preparing for the first Test against Bangladesh.

He returned figures of 1-61 from 21 overs as Lancashire closed the second day of the Roses clash at 272-5 from 96 overs.

The first day of this LV= County Championship fixture was washed out on Saturday, leaving Shahzad and his team-mates free to watch the Leeds Rhinos v Wigan Warriors Challenge Cup quarter-final at Headingley.

But yesterday Shahzad was back in the middle, and his only scalp on a hard fought day was that of Stephen Moore, who he bowled with a pacey delivery that kept low and rearranged the opener’s stumps.

“I’ve learned a lot while I’ve been away,” said Shahzad, who saw the visitors lose three wickets for 40 runs after they had been 185-2 late in the afternoon session.

“Hopefully everything I’ve been taught, and the things I’ve picked up from some of the best players in the world, I can put into practice in games here at Yorkshire. In my first spell I found it hard to get into the groove, but my second and third spells felt good.”

Lancashire’s day was underpinned by South African Test batsman Ashwell Prince’s determined 78 off 136 balls.

Each of their first three wickets boasted half-century stands, with Paul Horton and Moore sharing 53 for the first, Moore and Prince adding 51 for the second and Prince and Mark Chilton putting on 81 for the third.

Tom Smith finished the day unbeaten on 46 as he helped recover things from 225-5.

Yorkshire can be reasonably happy with their day’s work because the pitch was extremely batsman friendly.

Leg-spinner Adil Rashid claimed an encouraging 2-67 from 25, while the impressive Steve Patterson and Oliver Hannon-Dalby also struck.

“It was quite a flat wicket, and it didn’t help us at all,” said 24-year-old Shahzad, who should be in the England squad for Friday’s second Test against Bangladesh at Old Trafford.

“There was minimal seam movement and not a lot of swing, so I think we’ve done quite well to keep them down to 2.5 to three runs per over.”

Yorkshire prised out most of Lancashire’s wickets, but were handed one on a plate when Steven Croft top-edged a waist high full toss from Rashid to captain Andrew Gale at mid-off.

Patterson, who bowled seven maidens in his 15 overs, got the main scalp when Prince drove him to Rashid at short cover after tea.