Julian majors in sixes

Australia 290-7 Minor Counties 281-9 Australia win by nine runs

Brendon Julian hammered his second 50 off only 15 balls as the Australians enjoyed a batting feast in their victory at Jesmond yesterday.

Given a chance to bat at No 4, the left-arm seamer who bats right-handed thrashed eight sixes and nine fours in contributing 106 to the tourists' 50-over total of 290 for 7.

Julian, who was expecting a second season with Surrey until he was named in the Ashes tour squad, hit six sixes in the last 10 deliveries off his 79-ball century.

The Minor Counties captain, Ian Cockbain, formerly of Lancashire, made 82 in the reply of 281 for 9, but there was never any threat of a surprise defeat for the tourists.

In a team containing only five of the Test line-up, Australia's second- highest scorer, with 35 not out, was Matthew Elliott batting at eight, while replacement wicketkeeper Darren Berry made 34 in his first match since joining the squad.

Steve Waugh captained the team, but did not bat or bowl because of a swollen hand suffered while making two hundreds in the third Test at Old Trafford.

The batsmen hoping to press their Test claims - Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting and Michael Slater - all failed to seize their chance.

Simon Oakes, Marcus Sharp and Alan Richardson all bowled well to take two wickets each for the Minor Counties, but the tourists took 165 off the last 20 overs.

(Australia won toss)

AUSTRALIA

M J Slater c Fell b Sharp 27

J L Langer c Humphries b Richardson 12

R T Ponting lbw b Sharp 1

B P Julian b Oakes 106

M G Bevan st Humphries b Dalton 32

G S Blewett c Cockbain b Oakes 3

D S Berry b Richardson 34

M T G Elliott not out 35

M S Kasprowicz not out 7

Extras (b4, lb15, w14) 33

Total (for 7, 50 overs) 290

Fall: 1-35, 2-36, 3-53, 4-146, 5-202, 6-205, 7-256.

Did not bat: *S R Waugh, P R Reiffel.

Bowling: Oakes 10-0-43-2; Sharp 10-2-29-2; Richardson 10-0-51-2; Dalton 9-0-63-1; Fielding 4-0-45-0; Myles 7-0-40-0.

MINOR COUNTIES

S J Dean c & b Julian 38

G W Ecclestone b Reiffel 21

M A Fell c Berry b Reiffel 20

S D Myles c Julian b Bevan 27

*I Cockbain c Bevan b Langer 82

R N Dalton b Kasprowicz 33

M I Humphries c & b Ponting 5

J M Fielding c Reiffel b Slater 4

M A Sharp c Slater b Ponting 0

S Oakes not out 15

A Richardson not out 0

Extras (b4, lb6, w10, nb16) 36

Total (for 9, 50 overs) 281

Fall: 1-61, 2-92, 3-104, 4-150, 5-218, 6-241, 7-249, 8-254, 9-267.

Bowling: Kasprowicz 10-0-58-1; Julian 7-1-34-1; Blewett 2-0-7-0; Reiffel 6-0-16-2; Bevan 10-0-39-1; Elliott 6-0-49-0; Ponting 7-0-42-2; Slater 1-0-7-1; Langer 1-0-19-1

Umpires: D L Burden and J M Tythcott.