Australia had a tough day in the field at New Road despite a brilliant spell of fast reverse-swing bowling from Brett Lee either side of tea.
The England Lions reached 302-6 in reply to the tourists’ 358 with Stephen Moore making 120.
Lee ended the 172-run opening stand between Moore and Joe Denly (66) and single-handedly triggered a collapse to 209-5, but was poorly supported.
Mitchell Johnson, Stuart Clark and Nathan Hauritz were all wicketless.
But Lee, who took 5-53, bowling a full length and getting the ball to swing late at pace, was seriously impressive and must have done enough to extinguish any doubts about whether he would make the team for the first Ashes Test.
“I haven’t trained for 25 weeks to sit on the sideline,” Lee said.
“I have tried to do everything possible to make sure I am ready for the first Test but I have not been looking to put pressure on myself.
“I know if I bowl well and take wickets, I will be putting my hand up to be chosen for the first Test.
“If things don’t happen for the first Test, then I will find a way around it and be ready for the second Test.”
Until Lee crucially found reverse swing in the 45th over, Kent 23-year-old Denly and Moore, the leading run-scorer in first-class cricket last year, had made Australia’s entire attack look distinctly ordinary on a flat track.
Johnson, who had the luxury of being rested for the match against Sussex at Hove, was either rusty or saving himself for higher things as he bowled well below his optimum pace and barely threatened to take a wicket in 20 overs costing 101 runs.
Clark was better, beating the bat on rare occasions with subtle seam movement, but Hauritz again gave the impression that he would struggle if picked for the Ashes.
Moore, playing on his home ground, was always a little more fluent than Denly – but both played some sumptuous drives and were secure with their pull shots, which became an easy method of accumulation on an easy-paced wicket.
Finally, Lee summoned up a big effort and swung a ball into Denly’s stumps, before producing even more prodigious swing with the next delivery, which trapped Ian Bell lbw.
Vikram Solanki just survived the hat-trick, inside-edging to the boundary, but was soon another batsman to fall to Lee’s fast inswinger.
By then Moore had eased to his century with a lovely square-drive for four off Lee and was playing the other bowlers, Hauritz in particular, with great certainty. So it was a surprise when he top-edged an attempted hook – Brad Haddin taking a tumbling catch behind – to be fourth out with the total on 209.
Lee was not done yet, and an ill-at-ease Eoin Morgan was soon pinned lbw, but Steve Davies (53) and Adil Rashid (36 not out) put on a gritty 86 for the sixth wicket before Marcus North’s occasional spin produced one final wicket in the day.
