Ashes: Gary Ballance & Ben Foakes fail to make case with bat in Perth

Mark Wood bowled six overs for 21 runs on the first day against a Cricket Australia XI

Tom Curran made an unbeaten 77 but the batsmen in England's Ashes squad failed to push for a place in the Test side on day one of their tour match in Perth.

Curran shared 92 with Joe Clarke, in the side after Ben Duckett was suspended, to help England from 172-7 to 314-9 declared against a Cricket Australia XI.

Keaton Jennings, like Clarke a member of the Lions squad, struck 80, and Moeen Ali 24, but Gary Ballance and Ben Foakes managed only one and two respectively.

Mark Wood bowled six overs as the home side reached 62-1 in reply.

Wood is one of six Lions players included in the two-day game after 10 of the senior squad were rested.

The Durham paceman is looking to prove his fitness after an ankle injury prevented him from being part of the Ashes squad.

In losing the first two Tests, England have not managed a total above 302, with coach Trevor Bayliss saying that batting is his biggest concern.

And Ballance, a batting reserve, was caught at gully off the pace of Jackson Koop while Foakes, the back-up wicketkeeper, was caught down the leg side off Nick Buchanan.

Opener Jennings, dropped from the Test side in the summer, played lovely drives and one pull for six, while captain Moeen was untroubled in their third wicket stand of 57.

But after Moeen was lbw sweeping the off-spin of Gabe Bell, England lost five wickets for 75 runs and, at one stage, three wickets for one to a side containing only six first-class players.

Curran, added to the Test squad after Steven Finn was ruled out injured, calmly steadied with Worcestershire's Clarke, who made 45.

England's declaration denied the Surrey man the chance to push for a century, but he took the only home wicket to fall, pinning Josh Phillippe leg before.

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