A century from Joe Burns has led Australia A to a 122-run demolition of the England Lions in Hobart, giving the home team a 2-0 lead in their unofficial ODI series.
Having been sent in on Monday, Australia A set the Lions a mammoth target of 316 to win with Burns (114) and Callum Ferguson (74) providing the bulk of the runs but the touring side failed to bat out their overs, with the Aussies knocking them over for 193 in the 42nd over.
England's decision to bowl first looked like a brilliant one when Stuart Meaker squared Aaron Finch up with the second delivery of the day and the Australia A captain edged the ball to Varun Chopra.
But after the early breakthrough, the Lions failed to claim another wicket until the 16th over when Alex Doolan was run out by Craig Overton for 31.
Doolan and Burns had taken Australia A to 78 before the former was run out.
But the home team did not falter after Doolan's wicket with Burns and Ferguson putting on a 128-run partnership for the third wicket.
Burns smashed two sixes and 13 boundaries in his century before he was caught by Gary Ballance off Rikki Clarke's bowling in the 39th over
Clarke added Ben Rohrer (15) and Ferguson's scalps to his wicket tally in the 46th over and finished with figures of 4-54 off eight overs as Australia ended their innings on 7-315.
Australia A missed their chance to take a wicket in the first over when John Hastings dropped Alex Hales off Kane Richardson's bowling but the English opening batsman did not last much longer as he edged Richardson to Tim Paine in the fifth over.
Chopra (38) and Lions captain James Taylor (79) put on 71 for the second wicket before the former was bowled by Finch in the 20th over, with Ben Foakes out soon after for three.
Taylor then combined with Ballance (23) but Australia A kept it tight with the ball and when the latter was bowled by Hastings in the 32nd over, the Lions needed 9.3 runs per over to win.
Good late bowling by Cameron Boyce, Hastings and Finch saw the English all out with eight-and-a-half overs left.
Alister McDermott (2-19 off 4.3) had Australia A's best figures, while Finch, Boyce and Hastings took two wickets each as well.
First Posted 18 February, 2013 6:33PM AEST
