Dan Lawrence put in an all-round performance to help England Lions beat Cricket Australia XI at Metricon Stadium to seal the three-match series with a game to spare.
Lawrence took 4 wickets, including 3 in 4 balls, as Cricket Australia XI were bowled out for 179.
Henry Brookes, on Lions debut, dismissed the dangerous Max Bryant for 10 in the third over, with Marcus Harris adding 31 with opener Caleb Jewell before the wickets started tumbling.
Lawrence had Jewell caught behind with the second ball of the 11th over, with Jake Lehmann falling the same way next ball. Brad Hope survived the hat-trick ball only to succumb LBW the very next, leaving the hosts 46-4.
Durham seamer Brydon Carse then struck twice in the 15th over and Lawrence’s fourth left CA XI 76-7.
Xavier Crone’s 66 off 88 balls helped his side to a respectable total, with Carse finishing with 3-17 from 8 overs.
Lawrence then got to business with the bat, and scored a quickfire 35 which included 2 fours and 2 sixes. His innings left England needing 46 runs, which they managed to achieve with 54 balls to spare.
Lawrence said: “It’s great to get another win under our belts in what were quite challenging conditions, with the threat of bad weather meaning we were up against it in our run chase.
“I’m pleased to be able to contribute again with bat and ball. Those first 20 overs with the ball really put us in a good place, and while they came back in the later overs the target was still very manageable.
“These first two wins give us good confidence going into the rest of the one-day series, showing we can perform in all phases of the game and adapting to suit the match situation.”
England Lions play their final match against Cricket Australia XI at Metricon on Thursday before travelling to Sydney for two matches against a NSW XI.
