PERTH, Dec 10: England ticked all the right boxes with a much-improved performance in the drawn tour match against Western Australia at the WACA Ground.

The two-day match finished here on Sunday and although they were only playing a WA side missing all its Test stars, it was nonetheless an encouraging couple of days for the tourists at the venue where the third Ashes Test starts on Thursday.

In reply to WA's 8-322 (declared), England cruised to 5-356 at stumps on the second day.

Key batsmen Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook ran into form on Sunday, while bowlers James Anderson, Sajid Mahmood, Steve Harmison and Monty Panesar all impressed during the WA innings to give the English selectors plenty to ponder in the next few days.Strauss, the acting captain, said it was a beneficial outing for the English.

The only downside for the tourists was the continued poor form with the bat of incumbent wicketkeeper Geraint Jones, who fell for a golden duck batting at No 3.

Jones, who didn't take the gloves in the WA innings, made just 63 runs in the first two Tests at 15.75 and is without a half-century in his last 14 Test innings.

Strauss (88) and Cook (106 retired) enjoyed the chance for some extended time in the middle, putting on 183 for the first wicket.

Neither Cook nor Strauss made a significant score in the first two Tests, but they looked in good touch from the outset and were rarely troubled by the WA bowlers.

Earlier, Anderson swung the ball appreciably and finished with 3-53 in a highly impressive performance that revived his chances of retaining his spot for the third Test, while fellow paceman Mahmood also pressed his Test claims with 2-67.—AFP