Date-stamped : 13 Dec96 - 14:17 Day 1 report Electronic Telegraph England 'A': Butcher is a cut above once more By Peter Deeley in Brisbane IT HAS been a familiar experience on this tour to see Mark Butcher rescuing the England A batting against bowlers managing to extract significant movement in the early overs of an innings. Once more he stood in the breach in this final game, defying the Queensland attack for 3.5 hours after an early collapse had reduced England to 39 for three. Frustratingly, the Surrey left-hander once more failed to progress to the century he thoroughly deserves. When he reached 72, he was sixth out pushing forward to the left-arm spin of Paul Jackson with the ball ballooning up to short leg. This was Butcher's seventh half-century in all games, out of 13 visits to the crease in nine matches. However, in the time he is taking to reach the 70s and 80s - always more than three hours - Butcher would probably be in three figures at home. The responsibility he bears at the top of the order, facing a ball which moves about much more in the first 20-25 overs over here, may explain that. Queensland won the toss and made inroads in the first hour. Michael Vaughan seemed to get a leading edge into the covers when he was aiming to leg, then Anthony McGrath, playing from the crease, edged low to first slip. Craig White enjoyed the bounce and square-cut fours in successive overs. It was therefore unfortunate he should drive at a wide ball and find the keeper's hands waiting. Jason Gallian, in for his first innings in nearly a month, and Butcher added 60 before Gallian fell leg before to a ball from Brendan Creevey which cut back sharply and kept slightly low. Adam Hollioake lasted four balls before getting a more debatable leg before decision and after Butcher's departure Warren Hegg, shouldering arms, became a fourth victim for Creevey, who was making his first-class debut. A tropical storm then swept the ground, interrupting Mark Ealham, who is finding form with the bat late in the tour. Day 2 report Electronic Telegraph England A finishing on low note with double injury By Peter Deeley in Brisbane Scoreboard THE dying moments of a previously untroubled England A tour were marred yesterday by injuries to two Kent players. Mark Ealham fractured a finger and Dean Headley experienced problems with the hip which kept him out of the game for a large part of last summer. Neither will bowl again in this game against Queensland but their absence from the field at least gave a first outing to a familiar figure who knows more about Brisbane than most Englishmen. Mike Gatting must have thought that, like the man who took his harp to a party, no one would ever ask him to play. But after nearly seven weeks without unpacking his whites, there he was fielding at mid-off as one of three substitutes England used during the day. It was here 10 years ago as England captain that Gatting led his side to victory. Two years ago he played at the Gabba under Michael Atherton in a rather less successful Ashes touring party. So it was a rather sentimental return for the England A coach, though he decried any suggestion that he had pulled rank to get on to the field. "It was a question of me plugging the gap," he said. That apart, it was a more sombre England dressing room than on previous days. Headley's hip troubles are potentially quite severe for him. After his outstanding bowling on this tour, the Kent bowler must have been first in line for a call-up if any bowlers fell by the wayside on the senior tours. He first felt the trouble a week ago in Sydney, where there was some swelling in the joint. Headley has been taking anti-inflammatory pills but yesterday bowled in some discomfort, sending down only nine overs. He was to have stayed on holiday in Australia when the rest of the side departed for home on Saturday. Now he is returning with them and an appointment has been made for Monday with the same Kent specialist who treated him before. Headley said: "I am disappointed but also slightly hopeful that this is just a flare-up and not a repetition of the old trouble. It has not been as bad here as it was in Sydney and that gives me some hope." Dean Conway, the England physiotherapist, said clinical tests in Australia had not revealed any signs of damage in the hip region. "It may well be more subjective this time - in his mind," he said. "We are being conservative with regard to getting Headley seen to so quickly but we have to be cautious. This is an important time in his career and not a moment to be taking any chances with the player's future." Ealham's injury too comes at an unfortunate moment for the all-rounder. He has found his batting form in the last two games and here picked up the valuable wicket of Trevor Barsby, the Queensland opener. But in putting down a hard-struck return drive from the other opener, Troy Dixon, Ealham took a nasty crack on the right index finger which had been hit in the previous match. After that, as manager David Graveney remarked, it was "come on the nine men". Craig White chipped in with two wickets as Queensland finished on 154 for four when bad light ended play. Source :: Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com)