Middlesex batsman Owais Shah issued a reminder of his abilities to England's Test selectors with a stylish 159 in the London derby against Surrey at Lord's.

Shah, omitted this week from both England's Ashes warm-up match against Warwickshire and the England Lions' showdown against Australia at Worcester, dominated the opening day of the LV County Championship second division fixture to put Middlesex in control at 269 for five.

The 30-year old was playing only his third first-class innings of the season, having opted to join the Indian Premier League in April and May and then playing a full part in England's one-day internationals against the West Indies and the World Twenty20 campaign.

He was in as early as the seventh over, when Nick Compton was lbw to Andre Nel for two, and for the rest of the morning session Shah played almost a lone hand as Billy Godleman struggled to find any sort of form.

At lunch, after 29 overs, Godleman still had just 14 runs and the 20-year-old left-hander was dropped at second slip on seven and also reprieved on 28 when Jon Batty, the wicketkeeper, fluffed a legside stumping off the medium pace of Stewart Walters.

It took Godleman 90 minutes to get into double figures, and although he battled his way to a season's best of 48 it was something of a mercy when Shah sent him back shortly before tea, as he sought a sharp single into the offside, and he was beaten by Walters' throw to Batty. Godleman had faced 200 balls, and batted for four hours and 10 minutes.

A dry, sluggish surface, which had been previously used for a Twenty20 Cup match, did not make strokeplay a straightforward affair but Shah put the conditions into perspective by warming up with a magnificent off-drive and whip off the hip for fours against Alex Tudor, making his first Championship appearance this summer.

He greeted Simon King's introduction just before lunch by square-driving the 21-year-old off-spinner's first ball for four, although King - on his first-class debut - went on to bowl as tidily as the rest of the Surrey attack as they sought to contain Shah and chip away at the other end.

Neil Dexter hit three boundaries but then mis-hit to mid-on, and two Shah pulls for four - well in front of square - off the pacy Chris Jordan were strokes of real authority.

He had eased his way to 159 out of 259 when he played defensively back and edged the deserving Nel - propelling the ninth over with the second new ball and the 93rd of a long, hot day - to second slip.

At first Shah stood his ground for the low catch, but accepted the catcher Walters' word and walked off before the two umpires could consult.

Shah faced 252 balls, hitting 23 fours in a masterly display spanning five-and-a-half hours. Steve Finn, the nightwatchman, fell to Jordan in the final over, but Dawid Malan remained 32 not out and Middlesex will hope to build significantly on Shah's effort on the second day.