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Runs in England have Aussies confident

3 minute read

The amount of runs being scored in England this year by Australian players has Test captain Tim Paine confident for the Ashes.

TIM PAINE
TIM PAINE Picture: Lee Warren/Gallo Images/Getty Images

Australia's batsmen's sheer volume of runs in England has Test captain Tim Paine confident his players are ready to make an impact in the Ashes.

Australia A wrapped up their first win of the red-ball tour of England on Wednesday, after Marcus Harris and Joe Burns both scored centuries against Sussex.

Marnus Labuschagne and Cameron Bancroft are both also having bumper years in county cricket, applying pressure on the long list of players battling for spots.

Labuschagne has scored 1057 runs at 70.46 for Glamorgan this year, hitting five centuries to send selectors a gentle reminder of his incumbency in the Test team.

Bancroft also reached three figures for the third time this county season on Monday, as he waits in the wings for a return if the opportunity presents itself.

Matthew Wade, Travis Head and Will Pucovski all also hit hundreds for Australia A in the one-day series, while Peter Handscomb notched up two half-centuries.

David Warner has meanwhile starred in the World Cup, featuring among the tournament's leading run-scorers.

And Paine said the copious amounts of runs scored had filled him with confidence headed into the first Ashes Test on August 1.

"It's what we want to see," Paine said.

"I think we're in a really good position at the moment as a Test team.

"We've got a lot of guys who have had a good summer. And some other guys over here playing county cricket playing well.

"Then obviously we had two guys score hundreds. We've got plenty of options and guys in good form, so that holds us in a really good place."

Australia A needed to return for just one over on day four to wrap up the win, after Harris knocked off the fourth-innings target of 11 off just six balls on Wednesday.

However, they expect the intensity to step up a notch on Sunday, when they take on an England Lions side at Canterbury.

That squad will include Ben Foakes and Sam Curran - who both played in England's last Test series against the West Indies - as well as spinner Jack Leach.

"We expect the intensity to go up next week," Paine said.

"There are potentially guys in that team who will play in the first Test. Any chance we get to put some doubts in their mind we've got to take."

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