Middle therapy for uneasy Hughes

David Lucas had Phillip Hughes hopping about in the second innings, but the Australia opener hung in for 65 not out to harbour hopes of a therapeutic century on the third day in Northampton

Question marks still hung over the well-being of Mitchell Johnson and Phillip Hughes as Australia endured mixed fortunes at Northampton.

The tourists closed day two of three at Wantage Road on 139 for none in their second innings - with a lead of 221 - having successfully jockeyed a position of qualified authority.

There was a much-needed half-century for out-of-form opener Hughes (65no), and three wickets for Peter Siddle in a home innings which featured handy contributions from Alex Wakely (62) and Riki Wessels (50).

The scoreboard told little of the full story, however.

Would-be pace spearhead Johnson and Hughes were touted at the start of this Ashes summer as two of Australia’s most lethal weapons. Yet two matches into the five-match npower series, and with their team trailing 1-0, unexpected vulnerabilities have been exposed in both.

So it was again today, Hughes’ batting a fretful spectacle as he again mixed some fine if eccentric shots with an increasingly evident susceptibility to the short ball.

Johnson, meanwhile, could only reflect on a hapless spell of seven wicketless overs for 42 - harsh figures as he sought to rebuild confidence in time for next week’s third Ashes Test yet paid dearly for slipping in too many four balls.

Australia had subsided from their overnight 231 for three to 308 for eight on a sunny morning, their plans for quicker and easier runs derailed by two unlikely stumbling blocks.

After captain Mike Hussey chose to retire out on his overnight 75, David Lucas and debutant Jack Brooks each found movement through the air and off an easy-paced pitch.

Chief among those disappointed was surely the tourists’ Test number six Marcus North, whose position against England at Edgbaston is thought to be under threat from all-rounder Shane Watson.

Northamptonshire seamer Jack Brooks is uncatchable after claiming Andrew McDonald as his maiden first-class wicket

After Watson’s 84 yesterday, North could have done with a half-century at least of his own.

Instead, he had added only seven to his overnight 32 when he poked a one-handed drive off Lucas to a tumbling David Willey at cover-point.

Left-armer Lucas struck again with his next delivery, making wicketkeeper Graham Manou’s only innings on tour so far as short and unsuccessful as possible as he toppled over to be lbw.

Brooks then uprooted two of Andrew McDonald’s stumps for his maiden wicket at this level and followed up for good measure by having Johnson caught in the slips in the same over.

Siddle and Nathan Hauritz managed to help the tourists past 300 before Hussey called time - and Stuart Clark duly had Northants opener Ben Howgego caught behind in his first over.

Soon after lunch, number three Rob White bottom-edged an attempted off-side force at Clark on to his stumps - and when Niall O’Brien was bowled driving down the wrong line at Siddle it was 57 for three.

But former England Under-19s captain Wakely and Wessels responded with a counter-attack, the latter’s half-century slightly the quicker from 63 balls and with seven fours to his partner’s six.

McDonald and Hauritz both suffered along with Johnson. Yet medium-pacer Watson was in business in only his second over when Wakely mis-pulled to midwicket.

Hauritz had Mark Nelson dropped behind by Manou on six, but Wessels fell in anti-climax a ball after reaching his fifty when he drove Watson tamely to mid-off.

Alex Wakely toughed it out for a valuable 62 before becoming the first of Shane Watson's two wickets before the tea break

Siddle returned after tea with two bonus wickets, and after Nelson was very well-caught at midwicket by Simon Katich, Northants declared 82 behind.

What followed makes comfortable reading in the scorebook for Australia and Hughes, as he and stand-in opener McDonald (69no) put on an unbroken stand.

McDonald looked largely assured in his new role on his way to a near run-a-ball fifty. But he is unlikely to be considered for a Test place, and it was his partner who was inevitably under the microscope.

Hughes did at least come through the test, surviving quizzical looks from close quarters when Lucas was sure he had him caught behind down the leg-side but could not convince umpire Martin Bodenham.

Hughes might also have gone caught behind off David Wigley four runs later on 28, had Wessels managed to cling on to a tough one diving to his left.

But the Australian stuck at it, went on to reach his half-century with a six over long-on off Graeme White - and gave himself a shot at a therapeutic hundred tomorrow.