This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Shu'ba with the same chain of transmitters and they did not doubt about keeping the dates between his fingers (as is expressed in the previous hadith).

وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عَدِيٍّ، ح وَحَدَّثَنِيهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ حَمَّادٍ، كِلاَهُمَا عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ وَلَمْ يَشُكَّا فِي إِلْقَاءِ النَّوَى بَيْنَ الإِصْبَعَيْنِ ‏.‏