Ferguson stakes Test claim

Australia coach Tim Nielsen has suggested that batsman Callum Ferguson has a "big chance" of playing in the first Ashes Test at Brisbane on November 25 after an impressive start to the domestic season.

Ferguson cracked 129 off 143 balls in a Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia at Adelaide on Saturday, an innings watched by national selector Greg Chappell. His knock increased the pressure on Test incumbents Mike Hussey and Marcus North, both of whom failed in WA's first innings of that match.

"I think he's a big chance, runs do the talking, don't they?" said Nielsen. "I think he's done a tremendous job. He's gone from strength to strength over the last couple of years. He had a real breakthrough season two years ago then unfortunately hurt his knee. He's come back from injury and made runs whenever he's been given the opportunity.

"All he can keep doing is making sure that whenever the opportunity comes he puts his best foot forward and gets runs. There's plenty of pressure on spots and plenty for the selectors to think about."

Both Hussey and North fell to offspinner Aaron O'Brien, who picked up four wickets as Western Australia were bowled out for 295 in their first innings and forced to follow-on. Hussey, who has scored two Test centuries in almost two years, drove his first ball straight to cover while North, who was dropped before scoring, was bowled for 10 not long afterwards.

"It would be nice for him to get some runs, but we can't panic too much," Nielsen said of Hussey. "That [a golden duck] is going to happen in the game of cricket. The thing for 'Huss' would be to get a couple of really big scores to confirm in his mind that he's back in form."

Nielsen said North, who has made five centuries from 19 Tests but averages under 38, needed to demonstrate consistency at Test level. "There's been a lot of talk about Marcus North, for example. He's made five Test match hundreds now - there is a lot of blokes that play 50 Test matches and don't make five Test match hundreds.

"Every chance these players get is another chance for them to push their own cause for being in that [Test] side. Marcus is coming off a Test match hundred, he played really well in the one-day game against Victoria. That's one of the things in his favour, when he goes back to the domestic level he plays well and shows that he plays well. The challenge for us and for him is to show he can be consistent at that top level."