Jacob Bethell was out cheaply amid a collapse from England Lions against Australia A which saw them bowled out for 166 in the unofficial Test match.
The Ashes squad-member fell to off-spinner Todd Murphy for 19 off 24 balls, the second Lions wicket to fall leaving them 72-2. Bethell was overlooked for the second Ashes Test in Brisbane in favour of part-time spinner and lower-order batter Will Jacks. His last Test cap came in the final game of England's series against India during their home summer.
Bethell's wicket came after Ben McKinney and Tom Haines' opening partnership lasted for just 9.1 overs, when McKinney was dismissed by Fergus O'Neill for 25. Haines was then out shortly after Bethell, starting a slide which turned into a full blown collapse. Wicketkeeper-batter James Rew was out for seven, becoming the first of Jhye Richardson's four victims. Thomas Rew, Nathan Gilchrist and Matthew Fisher all got starts, but Gilchrist and then Josh Hull fell in consecutive overs to end the innings at the end of the second session on day one.
Richardson was the pick of the Australia A bowlers, returning figures of 4-35 from 12 overs. After he bowled James Rew, he cleaned up Ben Kellaway in his next over, before also seeing the backs of Fisher and Gilchrist. Richardson has been mooted by Australia selectors as potentially in line for a Test recall later in the Ashes series, as he continues to build his bowling loads up after undergoing shoulder surgery earlier this year. Murphy and Xavier Bartlett took two wickets apiece, while O'Neill and Beau Webster each picked up one.
This is scheduled to be the Lions squad's final match in Australia. Several members of the squad featured in the senior England squad's warm-up match ahead of the first Ashes Test, before they lost to a Cricket Australia XI by eight wickets in Perth two weeks ago.
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