Tim Bresnan’s return from injury continued to go well as he shone with the ball to put the England Performance Programme firmly on top of Queensland Second XI at Brisbane’s Allan Border Field.
Having hit 57 not out in the EPP’s overnight 376 for nine declared, the seam-bowling all-rounder took 4-31 from 10 overs, including two maidens, to help skittle the hosts for 156.
Ben Foakes’ unbeaten 52 then ushered the tourists to 156 for five at stumps on day two of three for a lead of 376.
Bresnan, playing his first game since August as he recovers from a stress fracture of the lower back and pushes for an Ashes start, and Chris Jordan shared four early wickets today.
Only opening batsman Joe Burns offered meaningful resistance for Queensland, carrying his bat for 97 with Chris Sabburg’s 28 the next-highest score.
After Sabburg became one of three victims in four overs for Tymal Mills, who was with England’s Ashes squad before the EPP arrived in Australia, Bresnan struck twice more.
In the EPP’s second innings Alex Lees was soon run out, but captain Varun Chopra and James Vince chipped in with 26 and 20 respectively.
Bresnan, promoted from nine to four, fell for a duck and Jos Buttler followed for 11, but Foakes’ fifty and an unbeaten 35 from first-innings centurion Sam Robson, who dropped down from three to seven, kept the tourists in control.