Brett Lee and Nathan Bracken buried their Ashes disappointments with outstanding comebacks as NSW thrashed South Australia by 290 runs at the Sydney Cricket Ground here today.

Lee, returning to first-class cricket after a rib injury in the fifth Ashes Test, gathered momentum over by over to show he was ready to play his 13th Test when Australia meets New Zealand at the Gabba on November 8.

Lee took 5-56 as South Australia, chasing 483, was bowled out for 192 just after tea on the third day of the Pura Cup match.

The blond speedster, who took only nine wickets at an average of 55.11 in England, grew in confidence and by the end of the day had the throttle fully open in an encouraging display in front of national selector Allan Border.

"I'm certainly ready," Lee said.

"I was always going to take it a little bit easier in the first dig and I was a down on pace there.

"But I felt very comfortable out there and the pace was soon back and the rhythm felt fantastic - so no problems there.

"There's certainly no strains, the body felt fantastic."

Lee said he had no trouble bowling a spell of seven overs in the middle session.

"I could have charged in all day but I had to give the other guys a go and it was great that Bracks could back us up."

After Lee whipped the head off the Redbacks batting, Bracken crushed the tail with 4-10 in 6.2 overs.

He was returning from an even longer injury layoff after he was forced home from England with a shoulder injury in June.

An impressive performer in one-day matches, Bracken could be close to Test selection with his leftarm pace offering a welcome variation to the right arm pace of Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Lee.

An early finish was always on the cards when 20 wickets fell on the first day of the match, Gillespie taking career-best figures of 8-50 as the ball seamed and swung on a moist, green pitch.

But NSW, led by young opener Greg Mail, secured the upper hand when it piled on 399 runs on the second day before its second innings ended this morning at 436.

Man-of-the-match Mail carried his bat to be unbeaten on 150 and the 23-year-old looks a bright prospect in an era when talented young players appear thin on the ground.

Blues captain Shane Lee was impressed with Mail, who more than doubled the next best score in the match with his 405-minute knock.

Mail formed big partnerships with a series of players - Michael Slater, Mark Waugh, Mark Higgs, Stuart MacGill and even McGrath, who made his highest score in Australia with 26.

"Greg Mail played an unbelievable innings," Lee said.

"He plays the way he knows how, letting the other guys around him play their strokes - he's the basis of any big scores we make."

Having set SA 483 to win, the Blues were always in the box seat and Lee accelerated the win when he took three quick wickets, including those of key batsmen Greg Blewett and Darren Lehmann in the space of two balls.

Darren Dempsey, facing his second hat-trick in as many weeks, survived, but Lee went on to pick up two more scalps in the middle session for his eighth five-wicket bag in first-class cricket.

The Blues took six points from the match to move into second place on the table behind Queensland.

© 2001 AAP