DAVID Howell ended his five-month wait to officially make a European Tour cut at the Volvo China Open this morning, as an uncharacteristic second-round wobble cost fellow Wiltshire player Jordan Smith his place for the weekend.

Swindon's two-time Ryder Cup star Howell carded a second-round 71 to lie two under par at the halfway stage at Topwin Golf & CC in Beijing, albeit 12 shots adrift of tournament pace-setter Pablo Larrazabal, of Spain.

However, Derry Hill player Smith, who has enjoyed a stunning debut season on the European Tour to date with five top-20 finishes in his first 12 events, failed to make the final two rounds after carding a three-over-par 75.

Howell played the weekend at last week's Shenzhen International, also in China, but a rules infringement saw him subsequently hand back his prize money and officially miss the cut.

Prior to that last December's UBS Hong Kong Open - a run of seven events - was the last time he had played on the weekend, but the 41 year old was solid, if unspectacular, for the second day running in Beijing.

Despite dropping a shot at the long fourth hole, birdies at the fifth, eighth and 12th got his round moving, although he did drop a shot at his penultimate hole.

Smith had opened the event with a 69 on Thursday but in a departure from his consistent excellence so far this season, an error-strewn second round sent him home early.

He was undone by bogeys at the third, fifth and seventh and although he birdied the long eighth, another shot went at the 10th.

The Bowood player, now ranked at 97 in the world, picked up a second birdie of the day at the 15th, but immediately handed it back at the short next to miss the cut by a shot.

Larrazabal takes a three-shot lead into day three of the tournament after a second round 66.

The Spaniard, who went round in 64 on day one, dropped his first shot of the tournament on his 35th hole and finished 14 under par as he looks to claim a fifth European Tour victory.

South Africa's Dylan Frittelli continued his recent excellent form as a course record-equalling round of 63 tied him for second with overnight leader Alexander Levy at 11 under par.

South Korea's Soomin Lee went round in 65 to sit 10 under, while Fritelli's compatriot George Coetzee and Belgium's Thomas Detry are a further two shots behind at the halfway stage.

England's Graeme Storm, who beat Rory McIlroy in a play-off to win the South African Open - at which Smith was third - earlier this year, is seven under after a round of 68, making him the highest-placed Brit in the field.