England’s Ashes preparations suffered a further setback in Hobart on Saturday, with wicketkeeper Matt Prior sending an injury scare through the camp less than two weeks out from the first Test.
Prior felt tightness in his calf when attempting a quick single while batting on day four of the match against Australia A at Bellerive and may require a scan.
It was up to Joe Root to keep wicket for England and Prior’s fitness will now be an ongoing concern for England heading into their final pre-Ashes tour match against an Invitational XI starting on Wednesday in Sydney.
The other talking point on Saturday was chief antagonist Stuart Broad, who was caught in the deep for eight but only headed to the pavilion after a long, all-too-familiar pause.
Broad infamously refused to walk at Trent Bridge earlier this year and was later labelled a “cheat” by Darren Lehmann – something the Australian coach was fined for by the ICC.
The Hobart weather finally made play possible on Saturday, but England’s Test plans have still been significantly hampered by their trip south.
At the close Australia A were 3-119 from 31 overs, with Shaun Marsh 27 not out and Callum Ferguson 15no in response to England’s 7(dec)-430 from 128 overs faced.
Rain prevented any play on days two and three.
Australian Test candidate Alex Doolan made a fluent start to his final bid for a debut in Brisbane, but he failed to put forward an overwhelming case after he was bowled through the gate by James Anderson for 31.
Another in contention, Marsh, also did nothing wrong with limited opportunity.
Anderson (2-20) looked sharp with the ball and Root (58no) made a good fist of his return to the middle-order, but the negatives outweighed the positives for the tourists.
Star batsman Kevin Pietersen (8) was one of several England stars who failed to find form at Bellerive, with Jonathan Trott (4), Gary Ballance (4) and Prior (26) also struggling.
Pietersen was trapped lbw by Trent Copeland with one that stayed low and he now hasn’t made a decent score in two months.
Trott and Ballance were claimed by an impressive Ben Cutting (2-75).
Doolan started like a house on fire for Australia A, punching five fours and looking particularly strong driving through cover and point.
After posting a match-winning 132 for Tasmania against NSW last week, Doolan was building an even stronger case for a call-up in Brisbane, before Anderson managed to nip one through his defences and clip his off-bail.
England captain Alastair Cook (154) and his new opening partner Michael Carberry (153) retired out when play resumed to give others a bat.
