Aussies win Somerset warm-up

Australia got their Ashes tour off to a winning start at Taunton, beating Somerset by six wicket on Saturday as Phil Hughes salvaged his reputation by scoring two half centuries in the four-day warm-up game.

Australia got their Ashes tour off to a winning start at Taunton, beating Somerset by six wicket on Saturday as Phil Hughes salvaged his reputation by scoring two half centuries in the four-day warm-up game.

Hughes scored 76 not out at 50 in his two knocks, helping the Aussies romp to a relatively easy win on the final day. The visitors needed 260 runs to win and everyone that batted got some runs as they made 263 for four.

The Aussies started day four on 36 for none, needing 224 runs for victory. Ed Cowan and Usman Khawaja were in the middle, and both went on to record decent scores, with Khawaja top-scoring with 73 off 116 balls.

Cowan was the first to fall, with the score on 86, caught behind by Alex Barrow off Gemaal Hussain for 46. Hughes then came in to join Khawaja, and they batted at a decent pace to push the score to 162.

George Dockrell then took the first of his three wickets, removing Khawaja via a Marcus Trescothick catch. Aussie skipper Michael Clarke then joined Hughes, and they added 39 runs before both being bowled by Dockrell in quick succession.

This left wicketkeeper Brad Haddin to wrap up the innings, striking eight fours and two sixes in his 52 not out, while James Faulkner acted as the anchor at the other end, making just five in the 30 balls he faced.

The Australians next face Worcester, starting on 2 July, before the first Ashes Test gets underway at Trent Bridge on 10 July.

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