Mason Crane finished with three wickets on day two of their pink-ball trial match against a Cricket Australia XI at the Adelaide Oval.

The Hampshire leg-spinner took 3-78 from 21 overs before CA declared on 233-9 in reply to England’s 293.

Will Pucovski was bowled off-stump playing no shot to Crane, who bowled too many bad balls before claiming two late lbw successes.

Meanwhile, another injury scare left England’s resources stretched after Jake Ball sprained his right ankle as he fell over in his delivery stride.

First-change Ball was bowling round the wicket as he lost his footing, and was unable to resume, in his fourth over - walking gingerly off the pitch for further treatment from England’s former Hampshire physio Craig de Weymarn.

He did not return on day two of four, which ended with the tourists 5-0 in their second innings after CA declared 60 adrift thanks to a substantial recovery from 57-5 engineered by Tim Paine (52), Matt Short and then Simon Milenko (50).

There was even a one-over appearance as a sub fielder from England’s fielding coach Paul Collingwood, symptomatic of a nascent tour in which some best-laid plans have faltered already.

Steven Finn (torn knee cartilage) has returned home, all-rounder Moeen Ali (side strain) is reportedly on the mend and now Ball is injured just two days after the summoning of uncapped Tom Curran as Finn’s replacement.