Warner Breaks One Day Record

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David Warner fell three runs short of scoring the first double century in Australian domestic one-day cricket.

The New South Wales opener hit 20 fours and 10 sixes in making 197 off 144 balls in Thursday's win over Victoria in the Ryobi Cup 50-over competition.

He beat the previous domestic record of 187, scored by Jimmy Maher in 2004.

Warner, 26, has now scored three centuries in his past four matches ahead of the forthcoming Ashes series.

He was left out of his country's limited-overs squads for the current tour of India and his international career has been disrupted by a series of disciplinary offences.

Warner missed the first two Tests of this summer's Ashes in England after punching England batsman Joe Root at a Birmingham nightspot in the lead-up to the series.

That suspension came three weeks after acomments directed at two Australian journalists on Twitter led to a fine and strong criticism from national governing body Cricket Australia.

Warner, eventually caught on the boundary by Jon Holland off the bowling of John Hastings, has now accumulated 527 runs at an average of 75 in the provincial competition, which concludes with the final between New South Wales and Queensland on Sunday.

His total was still 71 runs short of the world record individual score for a one-day game, the 268 amassed by Ali Brown for Surrey against Glamorgan in 2002.

Australia's home Ashes series against England starts in Brisbane on 21 November.

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England Ashes Favourite - Beefy

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England are "red-hot" favourites for the Ashes down under, with a 5-0 whitewash of Australia on the cards, says former captain Sir Ian Botham.

Australia, beaten 3-0 in England this year, have been weakened by injuries to several fast bowlers.

James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Jackson Bird will miss the first Test, starting on 21 November.

"They are struggling with bowlers," Botham told BBC Radio 5 live's Sportsweek. "5-0 is a real chance."

Australia were beaten at Trent Bridge,Lord's and Durham but outplayed England for large portions of the weather-affected draws at Old Trafford and The Oval.

Nonetheless, Botham believes England remain comfortably the better side.

"Are Australia better than the recent scoreline suggests? No," said Botham, England's highest Test wicket-taker with 383.

"They are rebuilding but I think they are struggling. They have got a lot of injuries. I think England are red-hot favourites.

"What's my forecast? Oh, I have to stay with 5-0. Just to annoy the Aussies. It's possible. It really is possible."

Botham believes the bouncier surfaces down under will lend themselves to more riveting cricket.

"I expect to see pitches with more pace and bounce, which will suit the England team. But it also suits the Australia team," he added.

"Put that into the melting pot and I can see exciting cricket coming."

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Aussies Declare as Clarke Bowled

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Stuart Broad bowled Michael Clarke for 187 to claim his 200th Test wicket before Australia declared their first innings on 527-7 shortly after tea on day two at Old Trafford.

Broad became the 15th Englishman, and second youngest after Sir Ian Botham, to reach the milestone but the runs kept coming for the tourists in the third Ashes Test, Brad Haddin (65no) and Mitchell Starc (66no) helping themselves to half-centuries.

Clarke and Haddin put on 62 in good time either side of lunch and it was something of a surprise when Clarke deflected a short ball onto his stumps. The Australia skipper's effort spanned 314 balls, included 23 fours and is the highest of his five Ashes hundreds.

England spinner Graeme Swann, who had removed Steve Smith (89) and David Warner (5) before lunch, completed his 17th five-wicket haul in Tests with the wicket of Peter Siddle (1), who was bowled aiming into the leg side.

But Starc joined Haddin in a boundary-filled, eighth-wicket stand of 97 in 19.3 overs as each of England's frontline bowlers - Swann (5-159), Broad (1-108), Tim Bresnan (1-114) and James Anderson (0-116) - ended the afternoon session with more than 100 in the runs conceded column.

Clarke called his batsmen in four overs after tea, giving Australia plenty of time to try and make some inroads into England's top order before the close.

Australia resumed on 303-3 at the start of day two and, in bright sunshine, Clarke and Smith batted throughout the first hour with few alarms to extend their fourth-wicket partnership to 214 - before Smith suffered a rush of blood to deny himself a maiden Test hundred.

He came down the pitch to Swann and miscued a big heave into the leg side. Jonny Bairstow, at midwicket, made a steepling catch look easy.

Warner, recalled for his first appearance of the series after serving a ban for punching England's Joe Root in a Birmingham bar earlier in the summer, was given a hostile welcome by the Manchester crowd.

He lasted only 10 balls. Swann found the left-hander's outside edge and Jonathan Trott at slip took the catch after it looped up via wicketkeeper Matt Prior's thigh.

Warner, who hit his pad with the bat at the same moment the ball made contact with his outside edge, was convinced he had not hit it and - after a discussion with Clarke - wasted Australia's last DRS review in a futile attempt to overturn umpire Tony Hill's decision.

Australia are 2-0 down in the series and need victory in Manchester to keep alive their hopes of regaining the Ashes.

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