Australia struggle against Sandri's pace

Australia 349-7 v Sussex

This was a mixed day for Ricky Ponting: he won the toss, but everything else seemed to go against the Australia captain. At least, that is, until late in the day, when the tourists' lower order conjured up a couple of century partnerships. Off the field the news on the injured Shane Watson was not that great, either.

Pepler Sandri, Sussex's debutant South African pace bowler, did the early damage. Sandri, whose father is Italian, ripped out the middle stump of the star opening batsman Phillip Hughes just half an hour into the day.

Ponting himself then perished prematurely, promptly taking himself off to the nets for a gruelling workout; then, shortly after lunch, the Tasmanian had to witness a mini collapse. It all added up to a less than ideal start to the tour.

Sandri, 26, signed in the spring but his debut was delayed by injury and illness. He went on to take two more wickets, the first of which triggered the post-lunch collapse when three wickets fell in 10 balls.

A galling fact was that, had Australia not asked for this to be a 12-a-side match, then it is unlikely that Sandri would have been in the starting line-up. The 6ft 4in pace bowler has failed to take a wicket for Hastings in the Sussex League so far this season – 0 for 114 off 26.5 overs.

But there had been more bad news for Ponting when he learnt before the start that all-rounder Watson had suffered a strain to his left quadriceps – the muscle on the front of the thigh.

The Aussie management played down the severity of the injury: it was hardly welcome news, nevertheless. A statement read: "Shane Watson had a scan on his left knee yesterday, which confirmed a low grade strain of his quadriceps. We expect this injury should resolve adequately and his return to play will be guided by the progress made in the next few days."

The tourists are not going to be panicked. There was no talk of calling up a replacement immediately although, if that is forced on them, then they are likely to turn to a batsman.

As a temporary measure they could call up David Hussey (brother of Mike, who ground his way to 32 at Hove yesterday) since he is in this country, having just signed on with Nottinghamshire while Adam Voges is on Australia A duty.

But if a longer-term replacement is needed, then Brad Hodge might fit the bill. The 34-year-old Hodge has experience of English conditions, having played for Durham (2002), Leicestershire (2003-04) and Lancashire (2005-2008). He is still in Australia, awaiting the birth of his second child, but a Test batting average of 55.88 from his half-dozen appearances indicates his potency.

Which is patently what the Australian batting lacked yesterday, at least until the wicketkeeper Brad Haddin arrived at the crease. He is not a reincarnation of the brilliant Adam Gilchrist, rather stolid at the crease despite being capable of big shots.

Haddin and Michael Clarke forged a face-saving, two-hour, 114-run partnership. Haddin eventually took advantage of the short boundary, literally smashing his way to fifty when he pulled the leg-spinner Will Beer through a pavilion window for the second of his three sixes. The ball was subsequently changed, presumably because of the possibility of glass shards embedded in its surface.

Brett Lee and Nathan Hauritz carried on the good work after Haddin was out for 69, compiling another hundred stand for the eighth wicket to claw something back for Ponting's side.