Warner, Smith score tons ahead of Ashes opener | theMugNews | Eye On Everything

MELBOURNE: David Warner and Steve Smith boosted Australia’s Ashes preparations with centuries for New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield on Thursday.

Warner struck 104 off 87 balls and Smith hit 107 off 169 deliveries with 13 fours and two sixes.

Both batsmen are expected to play in the opening Ashes Test against England in Brisbane on November 21.

Warner, who scored three hundreds in last month’s one-day domestic competition, pounded 16 boundaries.

After averaging 23 in three Ashes Tests in England in July-August and scoring 21 and 15 in last week’s Shield opener against Tasmania, Warner lifted his game at first-class level with a series of lusty pulls and off-drives in a welcome sign ahead of the Ashes opener.

Smith declared he’d be going after England spinner Graeme Swann in the upcoming series, as he did in England in the summer. “I think that (attacking strategy) worked quite well for me over in England,” he said.

“I got a hold of him (Swann) a couple of times and they put the field back straight away, so it gave me a good opportunity to get down the other end and get off strike and form a partnership.

“That’s quite often my role against spinners, trying to manipulate the field a little bit and make them do something different and change their line and lengths.”

Thursday’s game was not good news for former Pakistan asylum-seeker and Test hopeful Fawad Ahmed, who claimed one for 91 with his leg-spin off 21 overs for Victoria.

NSW were bowled out for 353 at stumps on day two at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, a lead of 117 in reply to Victoria’s first innings of 236 in their Sheffield Shield match.

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