Close England 50 for 1 (Trescothick 5*, Butcher 30*) trail Australia A 352 for 3 dec (Love 201*, Clarke 50) by 302 runs
Scorecard

As if their humiliation at Brisbane was not complete enough, England proved they were capable of plumbing new depths of servitude in their tour match against Australia A at Hobart. By the close, Martin Love had helped himself to another double-century, Andrew Flintoff had been spanked out of the attack, and England found themselves wishing they were back on the golf course.

Only five players remained from England's forgettable efforts at the Gabba, but a change of personnel did not succeed in changing the script, as Australia A cavorted to 353 for 3 in a mere 75 overs. Marcus Trescothick, standing in as captain while Nasser Hussain is on paternity leave, won the toss and chose to bowl first on a lively pitch, and though Alex Tudor drew blood with his very first delivery – a nasty, leaping ball that struck Matthew Elliott on the elbow and required stitches – the only subsequent wounds being inflicted were on England's bowling assortment of tyros and triallists.

Love derailed England's first-Test plans with a timely 250 for Queensland at Allan Border Field, and now he ensured that the second Test would be an equally hit-and-hope affair by treating the bowling with the utmost disdain. Steve Harmison bowled an unsettling opening spell on a juicy track, and Tudor removed Jimmy Maher in the seventh over, but as soon as the early demons had been exorcised, it was all one-way traffic.

In all, Love faced 243 balls and cracked 25 fours, and lauded centre-stage in century stands with England tormentors past and future, Greg Blewett and Michael Clarke. Darren Lehmann needs a big innings at Adelaide to justify his place in the Australian Test team - this may be England's final warm-up, but it might not be the last they see of Love.

The fact that it is Tests from hereon in seemed to be lost on England's management. Despite the palpable need to find a fast bowler worthy of selection at Adelaide, England fielded a disturbingly toothless attack, with Chris Silverwood on the sidelines, Matthew Hoggard left to settle his jittery nerves in the nets, and Richard Dawson given a pointless workout.

Craig White and Flintoff, reasonably enough, were both selected in a shootout for a solitary place, but by the time the declaration came, their respective figures were enough to ensure that neither plays in the second Test. Flintoff, whose 10 wicketless overs went for 62 runs, did not look capable of upping a gear in time for Adelaide, and he left the field in mid-innings for extra strapping to his groin.

White did make one of the few breakthroughs in the day, when he nipped one off the seam to bowl Blewett for 25 (153 for 2), and Dawson got his name into the tour averages by removing Clarke for 50 (275 for 3), but England's plans could not realistically have gone further awry.

To compound a woeful day, Michael Vaughan chopped Brad Williams onto his stumps for 8 in the seventh over of England's reply. But Trescothick, cagily, and Mark Butcher, with six fours and a hint of panache, reached the close with no further alarms.

Teams
England
1 Marcus Trescothick (capt), 2 Michael Vaughan, 3 Mark Butcher, 4 Robert Key, 5 John Crawley, 6 Andrew Flintoff, 7 Craig White, 8 James Foster (wk), 9 Alex Tudor, 10 Richard Dawson, 11 Steve Harmison.

Australia A
1 Jimmy Maher (capt), 2 Greg Blewett, 3 Martin Love, 4 Michael Clarke, 5 Matthew Elliott, 6 Stuart Clark, 7 Brad Haddin (wk), 8 Nathan Hauritz, 9 Ashley Noffke, 10 Marcus North, 11 Brad Williams.

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