Fast bowler Jackson Bird put his hand up for third Test selection with a blistering spell for Australia on day two of their tour match against Sussex in Hove.Bird was almost unplayable through his first seven overs, taking 2-16 with two maidens.
At lunch Sussex were 3-98 in response to Australia's first innings of 5-366 declared.
The Australians batted for just 2.4 overs on day two, calling time as soon as Steve Smith brought up his hundred.
Smith scored an impressive 102 not out, smashing Monty Panesar for four to bring up the milestone.
The Australians took three wickets to leave Sussex 3-33, before Rory Hamilton-Brown exploded with a dynamic 55 not out from 39 balls, and was partnered by watchful England hopeful James Taylor (6no).
Bird was shaping the ball away brilliantly from the right-hander from the moment he took the new ball, and was unlucky not to inflict more damage.
With James Pattinson out for the rest of the tour with stress fractures, Bird, Mitchell Starc and James Faulkner are essentially bowling off at Hove for a start in the third Test at Old Trafford next week.
Starc's left-arm strike ability probably has him as the favourite to be called up for Manchester, but he was a little wayward with the new ball on Saturday.
He had similar figures to Bird at lunch - 1-16 from seven overs, with two maidens, however he didn't threaten as much as he should have.
Starc was often down the leg side or bowling too wide for the batsmen to bother with.
The young quick was inconsistent in the first Test at Trent Bridge, was dropped for the second Test at Lord's and Australia need him to be sharper from the get-go.
Bird bowled consistent line and length and finally got his reward when he destroyed the stumps of opener Luke Wells.
Starc got Michael Yardy to hook loosely three overs later, and Ashton Agar took a sitter at fine leg.
Bird then pounced on Chris Nash, who had made it to 27.
After having his measure for the early overs, Bird got him fending at one outside off stump and the catch carried safely to Steve Smith at second slip.
Faulkner (0-23 from six) struggled in his initial burst, while Nathan Lyon (0-38 from five), also trying to fight his way back into the side for Old Trafford, bore the brunt of Hamilton-Brown's hitting.
In the 20th over of the innings, Lyon was dispatched for four boundaries by Hamilton-Brown, who had also whacked the offspinner for six in the previous over.
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