Emiliano Grillo of Argentina holds a four-shot lead at the halfway point of the ISPS HANDA Perth International after carding a second round of 67.
Extra motivation
Howell will be hoping to seal a place in the season-ending DP World Tour Championship near his home in Dubai this week. At present he stands at 71st in the Race to Dubai and a top-five finish would push him into a top-60 place and leave him on track to qualify.
"I have been working really hard to make the top 60 and I've played really consistently the last two or three months without any particularly good finishes," the Englishman stated.
"I'm going to have to have at least one good one if I'm going to make it, so hopefully I'll have a crack at it at the weekend.
"I live five miles from the course in Dubai and I've missed out the last few years, which is a bit frustrating."
Former world number three Paul Casey briefly held a share of the lead before slipping back down the leaderboard.
Casey carded an opening 67 to lie two shots behind joint overnight leaders Hendry and Canizares and after two birdies in his first six holes on Friday, the former Ryder Cup star found himself in front.
However, Casey then dropped a shot at the 18th, his ninth hole, and worse was to come with a double-bogey six at the second. Another six followed on the par-five third and when he also bogeyed the fifth, Casey was on his way to an inward half of 40 and a halfway total of two-under-par.
