Head sees Australia set Middx 284 target

Travis Head's composed century has helped Australia post an imposing 6-283 in their warm-up match against Middlesex at Lord's.

Head, who was the team's top run-scorer during last year's Champions Trophy series, carried on where he left off 12 months ago with a patient 106 from 133 balls on a sunny afternoon in northwest London.

Head, who was moved up the order to open the batting with D'Arcy Short, received able support from Shaun Marsh (49) and Aaron FInch 50).

Australia made two changes from the side who beat Sussex earlier in the week, with Marsh and Billy Stanlake coming in for Marcus Stoinis and Andrew Tye.

Skipper Tim Paine won the toss and elected to bat and after a brisk start the tourists lost their first wicket when Short was dismissed for 18 after Sydney-born Nathan Sowter took a stunning one-handed flying catch off the bowling of Thomas Barber.

Coming to the crease with the score at 1-31, Marsh put on 114 with Head for the third wicket before he fell one shy of his half-century when he swatted a Max Holden delivery into the hands of Steve Finn.

Glenn Maxwell, who scored just one against Sussex on Thursday, fell cheaply again when spinner Ravi Patel trapped him in front of the stumps for three to reduce the tourists to 3-150.

Finch spent an hour in the middle and helped the scoreboard move along in typical fashion with three sixes in his 54 from 52 balls before holing out to James Franklin off Barber.

That same combination accounted for Paine, who fell for nine with Ashton Agar (20) and Michael Neser (4) unbeaten at the end of the innings.