The Ashes 2013-14: England batsmen plunder runs against inexperienced Cricket Australia Invitation XI His only missteps were a couple of play and misses at Josh Lalor, a left-arm pace bowler that England will face again when they play the Chairman's XI in Alice Springs between the first and second Tests. Lalor, who dismissed Michael Carberry for four and who bowled at a decent lick, eventually got his man caught behind when he ran one across Trott, taking the edge in the process. Like Cook, Trott has been in decent form in the tour matches, having made a century in Perth. In Tests, he has not made a hundred for 17 innings, but with the Ashes about to begin in a week's time, he will be glad for the wellbeing that this weight of runs can bring. Cook will have a similar feeling given he has scored 235 runs for essentially once out, having retired in the previous match in Hobart for 154. Here, he was the epitome of solidity, never once playing and missing. A thick edge early on, off Tremain, that did not carry to slip, was his only woolly moment. Otherwise, it was middle of the bat in attack or defence with each ball treated on its merit as he would do in a Test match. England's captain will have good memories of the Sydney Cricket Ground, having made 189 the last time he played here in the final Test of the 2010/11 Ashes series. In that game he dominated a demoralised attack, something that did not occur here due to the sense of wide-eyed wonder among bowlers experiencing the highlight of their fledgling careers. As is their role, he and Trott set the platform for Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell to press the accelerator, which they duly did, Pietersen with a mix of chutzpah and bludgeon and Bell with that silky caress of his. Pietersen reached his fifty off 68 balls with seven fours and a six before holing out to long-off slogging at James Muirehead, the leg-spinner, while Bell edged a wide leg-break off the same bowler to slip - a catch he seemed to feel he had squeezed there on the half-volley. The first Test at the Gabba will be Pietersen's 100th for England and by the carefree way he batted here he obviously feels ready. Either that or he felt the standard of bowling here was a waste of time, a point you could have some sympathy for given that Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle and Mitchell Johnson await him in Brisbane. A total of 81 balls in Australia is not much to base one's form on but Pietersen does not tend to place his faith in time at the crease as others do, something evidenced by his repeated attempts to play scoop and ramp shots over the keeper's head. Instead, he relies on assiduous net practice with Mushtaq Ahmed and the occasion of the big match to get his juices flowing. Earlier in the day, Steve Finn appeared to strengthen his claims on the third seamer's role after taking five for 103, as he and Stuart Broad took their opponent's last five wickets in 13.4 overs. Broad finished with incredible figures of four for 37 off 24 overs, but it was Finn, bowling better than he had on the first day, who did most of the damage. If England do pick him for the first Test ahead of his lofty rivals, Boyd Rankin and Chris Tremlett, a leap of faith will be needed. On the evidence of this tour so far Finn has been more expensive than the other two but he does possess a knack for taking wickets, and that should never be underestimated. He even manages to persuade umpires that batsmen are out when they are not, as Peter Nevill discovered when he was given out caught behind off a ball that cut back and flicked the top of his thigh. Nevill made 83 and it was his partnership of 178 with Ryan Carters that had given the home side a competitive score of 304, a total England now trail by two runs with five wickets remaining.