Cricket: Ealham suffers broken finger

England A 230 Queensland 154-4

England A look set to finish their Australia tour without Dean Headley and Mark Ealham, after both sustained injuries on yesterday's second day of their final tour match against Queensland here.

The Kent pair managed only 16 overs between them before withdrawing from the fray after tea, prompting the coach, Mike Gatting, to make his first appearance of the tour as a substitute fielder as Queensland took advantage of the lightweight attack to finish only 76 runs adrift on 154 for 4 after a second stoppage for bad light.

"Mark suffered a fracture in his index finger attempting a caught-and- bowled, so unfortunately he'll be out for a little while," Gatting said. "Dean's hip is a bit sore and we thought it was best in the long term if he came off and rested it."

The opener Troy Dixon seized on England's under-strength attack to score 62 for Queensland, but Craig White responded to the responsibility of becoming a strike bowler by dismissing Dixon and Jim Maher to finish with 2 for 27.

Earlier, Headley and Glen Chapple helped England add a valuable 60 runs to their overnight score with a spirited 32-run last-wicket partnership.

Second day of four; Queensland won toss

ENGLAND A - First Innings

M A Butcher c Cassell b Jackson 72

M P Vaughan c Barsby b Creevey 0

A McGrath c Law b Muller 1

C White c Seccombe b Creevey 24

J E R Gallian lbw b Creevey 26

*A J Hollioake lbw b Prestwidge 0

M A Ealham c Seccombe b Creevey 41

W K Hegg c Law b Creevey 3

A F Giles c Seccombe b Creevey 20

G Chapple not out 16

D W Headley b Muller 14

Extras (lb7, nb6) 13

Total (83.3 overs) 230

Fall: 1-8, 2-9, 3-39, 4-99, 5-114, 6-147, 7-164, 8-198, 9-201.

Bowling: Muller 18.3-6-42-2; Creevey 27-5-70-6; Prestwidge 12-2-45-1; Law 5-2-14-0; Jackson 21-8-52-1.

QUEENSLAND - First Innings

T J Dixon c Vaughan b White 62

T J Barsby lbw b Ealham 29

J P Maher c Hegg b White 10

*S G Law c Chapple b Hollioake 19

M P Mott not out 12

J L Cassell not out 9

Extras (lb3, nb10) 13

Total (for 4, 54 overs) 154

Fall: 1-62, 2-81, 3-130, 4-132.

To bat: W A Seccombe, S A Prestwidge, B N Creevey, P W Jackson, S A Muller.

Bowling: Headley 9-1-30-0; Chapple 13-4-33-0; Ealham 5-2-16-1; Giles 9-3-25-0; White 10-2-27-2; Hollioake 8-5-20-1.

Umpires: P D Parker and J F Torpey.