England in Winning Position Against Australia A

Hobart: Ian Bell scored 192 to move England into a winning position on Friday against Australia A in its final pre-Ashes tour game, and in the process answered the taunts that had accompanied his previous Ashes tour.

Bell could not answer with the bat, managing 331 runs in 10 innings, and his ordeal was emblematic of England's woes.

Four years later the tables look to have turned. England holds the Ashes and on Friday he completed an imperious innings against Australia A to ensure he heads into the first Test at Brisbane from Nov 25 as anything but an object of fun.

Bell batted for more almost six hours and hit 22 fours and a six in a virtuoso innings which continued the impressive preparation of England's top order batsmen for the Ashes series. He shared a partnership of 240 with Paul Collingwood (89) for the sixth wicket.

At stumps Australia A was 128 for three in its second innings, still 165 runs short of making England bat again, and the tourists were well placed to claim a confidence-boosting win.

Kevin Pietersen's failure in England's first innings -- he was out for five -- cast the only shadow over the bright form of the England top order.

Collingwood was constrained by the second new ball but eventually hit out and reached his 89 in 252 minutes with 10 fours and a six.

Alastair Cook earlier made 60 and, though Andrew Strauss made only 10, he came into the match on the back of centuries in England's matches against Western and South Australia.

Friday's play in Sheffield Shield matches at last provided some succour to Australia's fans and its selectors.

Mike Hussey made 118 for Western Australia against Victoria. After an 18 ball duck in the first innings, the under-pressure middle-order batsman was at risk of losing his Test place. But he hit 15 fours and two sixes in a timely return to form. Marcus North was 23 not out when Western Australia declared its second innings at 222-3.

There were also promising signs with the ball as Shane Watson and Mitchell Johnson each claimed five wicket hauls.

Johnson followed his unbeaten innings of 121 for Western Australia against Victoria on Thursday with a haul of 5-35 from 16 overs, bowling with pace and venom.

Brief scores
Australia A 230 and 128 for 3 (Hughes 58, Bresnan 3-25)
England XI 523 (Bell 192, Collingwood 89, Cook 60, O'Keefe 4-88)
Status Australia A trail by 165 runs