Key Highlights :
1. Matthew Renshaw has continued his push for an Ashes spot with a century against New Zealand A in Lincoln on Monday.
2. The Australia A opener scored 140 as the visitors reached 5-297 in their second innings before bad light stopped play.
3. Renshaw's performance will put more pressure on incumbent opener David Warner, who is struggling to convince selectors that he is worth one last Ashes hurrah.
4. Warner, who is a veteran of six series versus England, will have to perform against India in June's World Test Championship final to have a chance of playing in the Ashes.
5. Australia are scheduled to select their tour squads for the one-off match at the Kia Oval plus the first two of five matches that follow versus Ben Stokes' in-form team this week. However, both coach Andrew McDonald and national selector George Bailey have stopped short of endorsing the 103-cap batsman for automatic inclusion against England amid his drastic slump in form.
6. Renshaw has bounced back from a disappointing tour of India with two tons for Australia A playing in New Zealand where conditions are similar to England Warner has not been assured of a place in The Ashes and will need to find form quickly in the World Test Championship final against India.
7. Renshaw missed out in the first innings of this match but has otherwise dominated, scoring 112 and then 78 off just 72 in the first game of a tour designed to replicate the conditions Australia will encounter during the Ashes in England in June and July.
8. His performances will make him a strong contender to replace David Warner at the top of the order should he retire or not be selected to face England.
9. Marcus Harris, who was awarded an Australian central contract ahead of Renshaw, has also been in good form, scoring a century and half century for Gloucestershire in the County Championship.
10. In-form West Australian Cameron Bancroft scored 44 in his first knock for Somerset.
11. Peter Handscomb guided his new county Leicestershire to their maiden county championship victory in 19 months after following up his first-innings century against Yorkshire with a match-winning unbeaten 68 at Headingley on Sunday.
12. Harris was rewarded with a Cricket Australia contract after a strong season with Victory and is well in the mix for The Ashes Bancroft is playing for Somerset in the UK to give himself the best chance of making The Ashes squad.
13. Renshaw's century came in a partnership with Tim Ward, who made 63 in a 136-run stand with the left-hander. First innings century-maker Aaron Hardie was run out for 33.
14. Late call-up Jordan Buckingham was the destroyer on Sunday as the hosts were bowled out for 246, with Renshaw taking 2-32.
15. Australia
Matthew Renshaw has continued his push for an Ashes spot with a century against New Zealand A in Lincoln on Monday piling pressure on David Warner at the same time. Renshaw scored 106 not out off just 139 balls to help Australia A to a win by an innings and 213 runs. Warner was dismissed for a duck in the first innings and has now been dropped from the Australian Test squad. Renshaw has now scored 974 runs in six innings at an average of 68.57 and is the leading run scorer for Australia A. He has also scored two centuries in the Sheffield Shield and will be looking to add to that tally when he takes on New South Wales in the next round.
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