The Ashes: Alastair Cook Hits Century

Alastair Cook claimed his first century of the winter as England's batsmen used their two-day match against Western Australia to gain some confidence ahead of the third Test.

The Essex batsman scored 106 before retiring at tea having hit 14 boundaries in his innings as England reached 356 for four at the end of their two-day match at the WACA in reply to Western Australia's 322 for eight.

He shared a 183-run opening stand with Andrew Strauss, who fell just 12 runs short of also claiming a century in England's final match before the next Test starts on Thursday.

Ed Joyce also contributed a determined 73 while Chris Read hit an unbeaten 59 on the day when wicketkeeping rival Geraint Jones was dismissed for a duck.

But instead of allowing recovering captain Michael Vaughan, playing his first match for England in eight months have a bat, the tourists gave as many potential candidates for the Test the chance to have a bat as possible.

Strauss, leading the team in the absence of resting captain Andrew Flintoff, fell when he was bowled by left-arm spinner Aaron Heal attempting a reverse sweep.

Jones did little to silence his critics at his continued inclusion in England's Test line-up by falling first ball by pushing forward to slip.

But Joyce, on the tour as the reserve batsman, made the most of his chance and added 79 with Read before being caught in the gully having hit eight boundaries.

Ashley Giles failed to boost his case by pulling to short leg after scoring just four but Sajid Mahmood, a possible candidate to bat at No 8 ahead of the Warwickshire left-arm spinner in the next Test, finished unbeaten on 20.

Western Australia had resumed overnight on 309 for eight and batted on for only 3.3 overs until promising youngster Luke Pomersbach had progressed from his unbeaten 90 overnight to score his century against the tourists.

Pomersbach reached the landmark with a square cut off Lancashire seamer James Anderson to claim his 12th four of his innings which also included two sixes.