Australia A v England Lions: Aussie bowlers come to rescue after lower order crumbles at Canterbury

Australia A needed a disciplined bowling performance to retrieve the upper hand against England Lions at Canterbury after their last six wickets only contributed 35 runs.

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Australia A’s batsmen have collapsed in the face of an England Lions bowling attack led by Sam Curran, losing six wickets in the space of an hour at Canterbury.

However the tourists remain in control after a disciplined bowling performance kept England to 6-232, needing 165 with two days to go.

Australia had resumed at 4-362 on day two with Travis Head, expected to retain his spot in the XI for the first Ashes Test, unbeaten on 130 overnight. Head had shared a 219-run stand with Matthew Wade, who pressed his Ashes case with a score of 114.

Sam Curran was the destroyer as the Aussie batsmen struggled.

However Australia folded as Curran (6-95) ripped through the middle order and tail, accounting for Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine, Michael Neser, Chris Tremain and Jackson Bird.

Head was left stranded on 139 as Australia was bowled out for 397.

Australia’s seam bowlers initially struggled to make inroads before Bird (2-36) bowled Zak Crawley for 15.

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Chris Tremain struck twice in quick succession after lunch with the wickets of Ben Foakes, who was caught behind, and Sam Northeast, who edged to third slip.

England’s Dominic Sibley and James Bracey put on 89 for the fourth wicket before Bracey fell to Bird for 37 thanks to a Kurtis Patterson catch in gully.

Mitchell Marsh trapped Sibley lbw on 74, leaving England at 6-232 at stumps.

Mitchell Marsh picked up a key late wicket.

Head said the batting collapse was disappointing but Australia were still in a strong position.

“It was disappointing, we would have liked to get more runs as a team,” he said.

“We finished yesterday in a brilliant position. We’ve still got a lot of runs on the board. We’re in a great position now with the way we’ve bowled.”