Hughes eases pressure 

Source: ReutersPhil Hughes

Phillip Hughes eased one selection headache for Australia as Stuart Clark and Shane Watson set about creating a couple more before the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston.

The opener scored his first half century in seven outings in a morale-lifting performance against Northamptonshire as Australia this week try to level the Ashes series in Birmingham.

Hughes (65no) enjoyed a bit of luck but showed enough to signal there is plenty of fight left in the young New South Welshman despite his testing tour to date.

He survived a confident caught behind appeal down the leg side on 24 off the bowling of David Lucas, the paceman celebrating the wicket before turning around to ask the question only to be turned down.

Four runs later on 28, Hughes edged a defensive shot between wicketkeeper and first slip off David Wigley's bowling.

But if his confidence was shaken by the near misses, he wasn't going to show it and smacked the next ball through cover for four.

If there has been one trait that opposition teams would have picked up on during Hughes' career, it is that he can be bogged down and he normally responds with a big shot.

Fortunately for him, his hand-eye co-ordination often allows him to get away with it.

He brought up his fifty by belting spinner Graeme White over the long-on boundary just before the close of play on day two.

But if that problem has been at the very least temporarily solved, then Clark and Watson are keen on other spots in the Test side being re-examined.

Clark (2-45) was tossed the new ball and collected two scalps in his opening eight-over spell to show that he still has something to offer even if his 34th birthday is only two months away.

The Sydneysider admitted to being a bad spectator in the opening two Ashes Test and felt he could add a bit to the attack in his experience, accuracy and bounce.

"I am the happy how the ball came out of my hand today. As far as selection goes, I do not know. It is up to them," he said.

"They are going to pick the best four or five bowlers to win the Test match.

"I don't think today would have hurt me in any shape or form."

Australian coach Tim Nielsen said this month that he felt that Clark and Peter Siddle were similar bowlers and that was part of the reason why Ben Hilfenhaus was preferred to Clark for the Ashes series opener in Cardiff.

With Mitchell Johnson in a rut and Siddle on the expensive side, it will be interesting to see which way selectors lean if they continue with a three-man pace attack.

Meanwhile Watson backed up his commanding 84 on day one by taking 2-20 off five overs the following day.

Both wickets came from errant shots but if Edgbaston is as seam friendly as the groundsman has suggested, Watson may just unseat Marcus North for the No.6 spot.

At stumps on day two, Australia were 0-139 in their second innings, a lead of 225 runs, with the promoted Andrew McDonald (69no) having enjoyed a good hit-out.