Tassie opener adds name to list of Test contenders

With the Australian winter not yet over but the cricket summer beginning in earnest, Tasmanian Caleb Jewell was the first to put his hand up as David Warner's potential Test replacement via a dashing 69 not out for Australia A against New Zealand A in Brisbane.

On a dominant day for the hosts at Allan Border Field, it was Jewell who stole the show late in the piece with a stroke-laden half-century to take the home side to 3-141, after an excellent all-round bowling display saw the Kiwis bundled out for 147 from 44.5 overs.

After Australia A captain Nathan McSweeney won the toss and elected to bowl, local boy Mark Steketee gave the Australians the early momentum, with the prolific Queensland quick striking twice in as many balls in his second over and before the clock had even hit 10am. Both wickets were edges that were well caught by wicketkeeper Jimmy Peirson and then Cameron Bancroft at second slip.

That left the Kiwis reeling at 2-4 but captain Tom Bruce and opener Sean Solia (20) put together the most productive partnership of the innings to swing the contest back towards an even keel.

Bruce looked particularly good for his 37, at one point rocking back and dispatching a Mitch Perry short ball over deep backward square leg for six.

Australia A's four-pronged pace attack continued to hammer away though and it was South Australian right-armer Jordan Buckingham who broke a 59-run stand when he knocked over the left-handed Solia following a sustained period of pressure.

The wicket triggered the most decisive stanza of the day as New Zealand A lost five wickets for 15 runs either side of lunch.

Bowling a tight line and finding a hint of movement, Buckingham collected three of those, while WA left-armer Joel Paris and Vics paceman Perry chipped in with one apiece.

At 7-79 and with the pace attack rampant, Queensland leg-spinner Mitch Swepson could have been forgiven for thinking his services might not have been required.

But when captain McSweeney threw him the ball for the 37th over, it took Swepson just four balls to break a 31-run rearguard with the wicket of Cam Fletcher (24).

The 29-year-old added the final two wickets to his tally to finish with 3-19, although not before the New Zealand A tail had wagged to the tune of 68 runs for the final three wickets – almost doubling their score to reach a still disappointing 147.

Tassie opener Tim Ward looked to have found his rhythm when he got off the mark with a well-timed pull shot to the midwicket boundary, but was out for 16 shortly after when right-arm paceman Jacob Duffy found bounce and a little bit off movement into the left-hander, who prodded and edged to Bruce at second slip.

Jewell wasted no time in getting going, his late-afternoon cameo highlighted by a ravishing cover drive for four from the lively Scott Kuggeleijn, who soon found the edge of Cameron Bancroft's bat as the WA opener departed for 14.

McSweeney (22) was another to make a promising start and the right-hander matched his left-handed partner with a couple of well-struck cover-drives for four, but he too nicked off just as he looked like he was getting into his groove.

Jewell meanwhile continued to drive and pull with abandon, at one point taking Brett Randall for 14 from four balls with two fours and a six as he cruised to a well-made half-century from 63 balls.

He found a useful ally in Campbell Kellaway, the young Victorian who scored a century against South Africa for a Cricket Australia XI on this ground last summer and who today looked composed as he made his way towards stumps, unbeaten on 10, as the floodlights took hold at Allan Border Field.

Australia A v New Zealand A series

First four-day match: August 28-31, Allan Border Field

Second four-day match: September 4-7, Great Barrier Reef Arena (D/N)

Australia A four-day squad: Wes Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Jordan Buckingham, Ben Dwarshuis, Caleb Jewell, Campbell Kellaway, Matthew Kelly, Matthew Kuhnemann, Nathan McAndrew, Nathan McSweeney, Joel Paris, Jimmy Peirson, Mitch Perry, Josh Philippe, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson, Tim Ward

First one-dayer: September 10, Great Barrier Reef Arena

Second one-dayer: September 13, Allan Border Field (D/N)

Third one-dayer: September 15, Allan Border Field

Australia A one-day squad: Wes Agar, Ollie Davies, Ben Dwarshuis, Liam Hatcher, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Ben McDermott, Todd Murphy, Josh Philippe, Matthew Renshaw, Gurinder Sandhu, Matt Short, Mark Steketee, Will Sutherland, Ashton Turner

New Zealand A squad (both formats): Muhammad Abbas, Adi Ashok, Tom Bruce (c), Leo Carter, Josh Clarkson, Henry Cooper, Jacob Duffy, Cam Fletcher, Dean Foxcroft, Mitch Hay, Scott Kuggeleijn, Will O'Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Michael Rae, Brett Randell, Tim Seifert, Sean Solia