Ashes: England beat Australia A in final warm-up

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England full of confidence - Collingwood

Tour match, Hobart (day four):
England 523 & 11-0 bt Australia A 230 & 301 by 10 wickets
Match scorecard

England secured a dominant 10-wicket win against Australia A in their final warm-up match ahead of the first Ashes Test in Brisbane on Thursday.

Resuming on 128-3 in Hobart, the hosts were quickly in trouble as Chris Tremlett took three early wickets.

Cameron White hit 111 but when he fell to Monty Panesar (3-63), Australian hopes were effectively over.

Tim Bresnan's fourth wicket wrapped up the innings before the England openers knocked off the nine runs required.

Ian Bell's terrific 192 was ultimately the key innings in Tasmania, but with Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott and Paul Collingwood all looking in good touch, coach Andy Flower will be content with his side's batting preparations.

The bowling quartet of Stuart Broad, Jimmy Anderson, Steven Finn and Graeme Swann may have enjoyed the luxury of a week in Queensland to hone their skills but the back-up attack's display in this game will have sent a timely reminder that team selection should not be taken for granted.

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Once again, Tremlett, Bresnan and Panesar put the Australians under pressure throughout, and with injuries a common factor on lengthy Ashes tours, the two pacemen should be prepared to play some part in the Test series.

Tremlett's pace and bounce did the damage early on the final day as he collected three wickets in eight balls before lunch.

Phillip Hughes (81), who opened in the first Test of the last series in 2009, added 23 to his overnight score before he was well taken by Strauss at first slip.

Wicketkeeper Tim Paine hardly pushed his case to take over from Brad Haddin in the full Test squad when he was trapped lbw for two shortly after while Steve Smith - who has been included in the 13-man party for Brisbane - shouldered arms to his first ball.

Steve O'Keefe kept out Tremlett's hat-trick ball though and a 78-run stand with White held up England in the afternoon as the hosts fought to avoid defeat.

However when O'Keefe miscued a drive off Panesar on 27 the hosts were in trouble, despite White bringing up a well-deserved century.

On the day the Australian squad was announced, it was something of an irony that the all-rounder - who played against India as a specialist spinner two years ago - was the only man to cause the England bowlers real problems.

Tremlett did his chances of Test selection no harm with a fine display

He eventually edged behind for 111 and when Mark Cameron fell for a duck, an innings victory seemed a possibility.

Peter George and Clint McKay just did enough to avert that particular embarrassment but Strauss and Cook still only needed nine balls to knock off the runs required and seal a hugely convincing win.

"We have the genuine belief we can do it out here," admitted Collingwood, whose 89 in England's first innings helped to silence a few of his critics.

"I'm not 100% sure we've had that in the past. But I can safely say this time round we have.

"We've prepared ourselves in the best possible way to go into Thursday's Test match.

"Winning two games gives you confidence and the belief again. But there have been some huge individual performances in the three games as well.

"It was an exceptional performance in this match especially."

England have a reputation as slow starters in recent Ashes series, particularly those in Australia, but Collingwood is unfazed by the challenge of taking on Ricky Ponting's side at the Gabba.

"The team see it as a challenge," he added. "Whenever we have come across these sorts of challenges in the past - whether it be not winning at Lord's for 70 odd years - the guys really like it.

"Brisbane is one of those places where it is obviously difficult to get a result, because Australia have been very strong.

"But that just makes it even more exciting for us. This is the ultimate; this is what we play the game for.

"We get tested, and this is the biggest challenge we can have as cricketers."

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Listen to the Ashes live on Test Match Special on BBC 5 live sports extra, Radio 4 LW and online (UK users only) - series starts 25 November 2010. Archive: Relive past Ashes series