Close England 183 (Williams 5-52) and 96 for 3 (Key 38*, Crawley 6*) trail Australia A 352 for 3 dec (Love 201*, Clarke 50) by 74 runs
Scorecard

A spectacular batting collapse left England in danger of another embarrassing defeat, as Australia A took total control of the tour match at the Bellerive Oval, Hobart.

At the close on the second day, England were 96 for 3 in their second innings, still 74 runs adrift, after being forced to follow on. Marcus Trescothick, standing in as captain while Nasser Hussain is on paternity leave, was dismissed twice in the day for a grand total of 11 runs, and only John Crawley, who survived for 175 minutes for an unbeaten 43 in the first innings, showed serious resistance. Crawley was at the crease again by the close of play, as he and Rob Key attempted to pick up the pieces of a devastating day.

England had resumed their innings on 50 for 1, but when a heavy-footed Trescothick snicked Brad Williams to the keeper without adding to his overnight score, Australia A put the boot in. Mark Butcher had looked in fine touch on the first evening, but he flashed an attempted cut to Martyn Love in the slips for 42, and Key lobbed a tame pull shot to Nathan Hauritz at midwicket for 36.

At 108 for 4, England were already in some peril, but Andrew Flintoff was then bowled by Stuart Clark for 1 – in mitigation the ball did keep low – and Craig White prodded and poked for 4 runs in 15 balls (122 for 6). Neither man has done much in this match to justify their selection for Adelaide, although with a fitness doubt still hanging over Flintoff, White seems likely to retain his place.

With Crawley clinging to the wreckage, Williams returned to obliterate the tail, removing the last three batsmen, all to lbw decisions. England conceded a lead of 170, and were immediately asked to follow on.

A hardy opening stand between Trescothick and Michael Vaughan would have been just the tonic on a bad day for England, but instead both were clean bowled inside the first 10 overs. The humiliation was completed when Greg Blewett's occasional medium pace tempted Butcher (25) to slash a catch to Brad Haddin behind the stumps (74 for 3).

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