Ian Bell chimes in with unbeaten ton against Australia A
After England’s second string bowlers dominated Australia A on day one of the warm-up match in Hobart, Ian Bell starred on day two, finishing unbeaten on 121 at stumps.
Alongside him was Paul Collingwood, himself 74 not out, the pair teaming up for the kind of middle-order partnership that England fans will be hoping they can deliver when the Ashes get underway in Brisbane on November 25th.
By the end of the day, Andrew Strauss’ side had amassed a total of 335-5 to build a 105-run lead over an Australia A side peppered with Test hopefuls.
For the hosts, young leg-spinner Steven Smith was unable to further push his case to get the nod for an Ashes berth ahead of under pressure off-spinner Nathan Hauritz, finishing the day with figures of 0-57 from his ten overs, after providing one of few shining lights in Australia A’s batting on day one.
Instead it was http://www.senore.com/Cricket/New-South-Wales-c823’ Steve O’Keefe who continued to impress, top scoring with 66 on day one and finishing as the best of the bowlers on day two with figures of 2-70 from 21 overs.
It was O’Keefe who brought Alastair Cook’s innings to an end on 60, the opener scooping the catch to Clint McKay.
It was a dismissal that triggered a mini-collapse for the visitors, with Jonathan Trott caught by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Usman-Khawaja-c2729 soon after and Kevin Pietersen making only a brief appearance at the crease as O’Keefe exploited his weakness against left-arm spin to bowl KP for five.
While O’Keefe isn’t in the extended 17-man Ashes squad for Australia, the manner of Pietersen’s dismissal will surely give Australia selectors pause for thought as they consider whether to retain the right-arm spin of Hauritz or hand left-arm finger-spinner Xavier Doherty a Test debut in Brisbane.
Hauritz and Doherty are currently going head-to-head in the Sheffield Shield match between NSW and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Watson-c96326 (15), Simon Katich (bowled by Doherty for 36) and wicketkeeper-batsman Brad Haddin (17) failing to set the world on fire.
Ricky Ponting, who was dismissed for seven in Tasmania’s first innings, managed only 27 in the second with Watson claiming his Test skipper’s scalp on his way to finishing with figures of 2-17 at stumps on day two.
At the MCG, Mitchell Johnson brought up his century on day two, finishing unbeaten on 121 as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Victoria-c859. Johnson’s Test and WA teammate Michael Hussey had recorded an 18-ball duck on day one, while Marcus North made just 17 as neither the incumbent Australia middle-order batsmen or their would-be replacements Khawaja and Callum Ferguson (both playing for Australia A) pushed their cases for inclusion in the playing XI for the Brisbane Test.
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