AUSTRALIA'S top-order batting misfired badly but its wagging tail papered over the cracks in the tour match against Sussex at Hove today.
Ashes preparations were in turmoil when Australia collapsed to 5-114 but attacking knocks from Brad Haddin (69), Nathan Hauritz (65n.o) and Brett Lee (47n.o) saved Australia from major embarrassment.
At stumps on day one, Australia had reached 7-349 after Hauritz and Lee had combined for an unbroken 117-run partnership.
Lee, who will be embroiled in an Ashes "bowl-off'' with his fellow quicks, now have a handy total to bowl at.
It was hard work for the Australians with unheralded South African quick Pepler Sandri (3-73) rocking the top-order as boom opener Phillip Hughes (15) failed to flatter and skipper Ricky Ponting was out for eight.
Mike Hussey's career blues continued when he was fired out lbw off Sandri when he had made 32.
When No. 6 Marcus North (1) edged behind - Australia had lost 3-1 off 10 balls as Sandri fired in his first game for Sussex since being signed on a one-year contract.
However Michael Clarke (45) and Haddin came together to launch a fightback - even though vice-captain Clarke looked scratchy for most of his innings.
Clarke and Haddin were out in the same over - off the bowling of Sussex offspinner Ollie Rayner - and Australia was struggling again at 7-232.
Lee and Hauritz then combined to thwart the home side with Hauritz smacking 12 boundaries and looking particularly classy from the moment he arrived at the crease.
Haddin claimed Australia was happy with its day.
"I think the purpose of the day was just to get some competitive match practice,'' Haddin said.
"It was good to play under a bit of pressure. The two guys at the end (Hauritz and Lee) are very capable batsmen. The main point of this game was just about getting some cobwebs out of the system.''
Earlier, Hughes (15) lost his middle stump as he tried to attack at all costs in an odd innings in which the 20-year-old Macksville mauler smashed former England quick James Kirtley for three fours in the first over.
The rookie Australian opener had an extraordinary start to his Ashes campaign as he played three scratchy shots but also belted three boundaries through his favoured square point area.
Hughes left the ground leaving no-one in any doubt that he would look to fight fire with fire during the Ashes.
"He was definitely in a hurry today which was good to watch,'' Haddin said.
Fellow opener Simon Katich played in his usual solid way for 49 but skipper Ponting was caught behind off England one-day allrounder Luke Wright.
Ponting had looked in good touch before he played a false shot to a ball that jagged away from him.
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