England sink to another low as Lions thrashed by Australia A
O'Neill took 4 for 53 while Bartlett and Hadley took two wickets each as Australia A romped to an innings and 127-run victory
AAP
08-Dec-2025 • 7 hrs ago
Xavier Bartlett, Ryan Hadley, Todd Murphy and Fergus O'Neill celebrate Australia A's win • Getty Images
Australia A 588 for 8 dec (McSweeney 226*, Connolly 88, Bartlett 83, Gilchrist 4-128, Hull 3-103) beat England Lions 166 (Richardson 4-35) and 295 (Tribe 129*, Bethell 71, O'Neill 4-53) by an innings and 127 runs
England's miserable Ashes tour has reached the depths of their Lions side, who were beaten by an innings and 127 runs by an Australia A team.
England's alarming lack of Ashes depth has been further emphasised, after their Lions side were thrashed by an innings and 127 runs by Australia A in Brisbane.
Fresh off the tourists' heavy loss at the Gabba on Sunday leaving them 2-0 down in the Ashes, the Lions were humiliated 10 minutes down the road at Allan Border Field on Monday.
After being bowled out for 166 on Friday, England's batting managed slightly better in their second innings before being all out for 295.
Youngster Asa Tribe, who has played five ODIs for Jersey, finished unbeaten on 129, but Fergus O'Neill's 4 for 53 for Australia A ensured there was no chance of a final-day draw.
Those innings were sandwiched by Australia A's 588 for 8 declared, with Nathan McSweeney using the match to push his Test claims with an unbeaten 226.
The defeat follows a loss to a Cricket Australia XI last month, but most players featured in a first-innings win over a Prime Minister's XI in Canberra.
England's senior side desperately need change ahead of next week's third Ashes Test in Adelaide, but realistically their options are limited.
Ollie Pope is under mounting pressure to keep his spot at No. 3, after failing to reach 50 in any of his first four innings of the series.
But the man most likely to replace him, Jacob Bethell, is still yet to hit his maiden first-class hundred in a career spanning 25 matches.
Bethell showed some signs of promise with a 71 against Australia A on Sunday, but his returns for the tour are now 3, 70, 44, 16, 19 and 71.
Tribe's century in the third innings in Brisbane has been the only hundred of the tour from an England Lions player, with no one sticking their hand up for selection.
The bigger concern for England could be spinner Shoaib Bashir, after years of preparing him for this Ashes summer.
The 22-year-old went for 0 for 115 from 25 overs against Australia A, with McSweeney pulling his first two balls for four on day one, and the match barely getting any better.
Will Jacks was picked ahead of Bashir for the Gabba Test and took the wicket of Brendan Doggett, while offering some value with the bat.
England's back-up quicks Josh Tongue and Matthew Potts did not play in this Lions fixture, with Nathan Gilchrist taking 4 for 128 and Josh Hull 3 for 103.