Jacob Bethell found some form in Australia with 71 before Glamorgan 21-year-old Asa Tribe scored 114 not out for England Lions against Australia A in Brisbane.
Batting with a massive first-innings deficit of 422 after the Australians dominated the first two days, Bethell and Tribe put on 169 for the fourth wicket in a show of some defiance.
Bethell is most likely to replace any of England’s struggling Test batters in the Ashes, given he is the one spare batter in the full squad, but had only passed 50 once in his previous nine innings this winter.
Batting at number three, he dug in for 154 balls and hit seven fours against a strong attack before he flicked seamer Fergus O’Neill to mid-wicket.
Tribe, a full international with Jersey who hopes to play for England, carried on to record his third first-class century and the first by any of the Lions batters on tour.
The right-hander has made a quick rise in recent months, having made 122 not out, an unbeaten 131 and 206 for Glamorgan in the final two months of the county season.
He put on 74 with Somerset batter Thomas Rew, who made 47 on his first-class debut.
The Lions ended on 274-6, still 148 runs behind.
