STEVE Harmison gave another reminder of his ability to watching England national selector Geoff Miller as he piled on more misery for Australia opener Phillip Hughes ahead of the opening Ashes Test.

Harmison did all he could to convince Miller he should be involved at Cardiff next Wednesday when in England Lions action against a nervylooking Hughes at New Road.

The Durham paceman had accounted for the 20-year-old with a short pitched delivery in the first innings after making only seven.

And it was the same scenario yesterday, with Hughes on eight when he gloved a rising ball from Harmison, bowling around the wicket, to Eoin Morgan at second slip.

It was the major focal point of the third day’s play despite all-rounder Marcus North playing himself into form for the tourists with 106 not out.

North, who has played for five counties in England, said: ‘‘There has been a bit of pressure building up in the last three innings and it was nice to get an opportunity to score some runs.

‘‘Ricky Ponting pushed me up the order to number four today and it was an opportunity to get out there while the ball was still hard and to get a few rewards.

‘‘With the Test match only around the corner and not performing as well as I would have liked, it is a pretty important hundred for me.

‘‘It is nice to spend a few hours in the middle leading up to Cardiff and hopefully that puts me at the front of selection.’’ Harmison bowled with plenty of pace and fire on a slow, lifeless wicket which he had strongly criticised after the first day’s play.

But Hughes has much to work on during the next five days despite averaging 60 in Test cricket.

Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting (15) also looked ill at ease before edging Harmison to Adil Rashid at gulley after not getting to the pitch of the ball – his third failure in his last four innings.

But North, promoted two places to number four in the order, at least provided some cheer for his team-mates following scores of one, 11 and one, although he was fortunate to survive a run-out scare on 14 when well short of his crease.

He added 49 in 18 overs with Simon Katich (37) who fell to a superb reflex catch at short leg by Lions century-maker Stephen Moore off Rashid.

North, who made a century on his Test debut against South Africa in January, went to his half-century off 102 balls.

But he needed only a further 66 deliveries to complete his hundred, which contained 13 fours.

He figured in a fourthwicket stand of 170 in 39 overs with Michael Clarke, who made 80 off 129 balls before lofting occasional spinner Vikram Solanki to Graham Onions at long on.

North finished unbeaten on 106 out of 276 for four, an overall lead of 282.

Australia gained a narrow first-innings lead of six runs after dismissing the Lions for 352.

Paceman Brett Lee claimed his sixth victim when he bowled Sajid Mahmood for a duck.

He had the opportunity to surpass his career-best seven for 114 for New South Wales against South Australia in 2002, only for wicket-keeper Brad Haddin to spill a chance offered by Harmison.

Mitchell Johnson picked up his first wicket of the innings when he bowled Tim Bresnan (5) via the inside edge.

Lee accounted for Mahmood before Rashid reached his half-century off 89 balls with a slash backward of point off Lee.

Stuart Clark mopped up the innings after replacing Johnson.

Scoreboard

England Lions v Australia At New Road

Overnight: Australia 358 (M E K Hussey 150, S M Katich 95; S J Harmison4-80). England Lions 302-6 (S C Moore 120, J L Denly 66, S M Davies 53; BLee 5-53).

England Lions First Innings

A U Rashid c Hussey b Clark ................66

T T Bresnan b Johnson ....................... 5

S I Mahmood b Lee ............................. 0

S J Harmison not out .......................... 7

G Onions c Hughes b Clark ................. 8

Extras (b5 lb2 nb8 pens 0) ..........15

Total (96 overs) ...................352

Fall: 1-172 2-172 3-198 4-209 5-209 6- 295 7-315 8-316 9-344

Johnson 26-1-118-1. Lee 27-6-76-6. Clark 16-2-40-2. Hauritz 18-1-80-0. Clarke 4-0-15- 0. North 5-1-16-1.

Australia Second Innings Close

P J Hughes c Morgan b S J Harmison .. 8

S M Katich c Moore b A U Rashid .........37

R T Ponting c A U Rashid b S J Harmison .15

M J North not out ...............................106

M J Clarke c Onions b Solanki ..............80

M E Hussey not out ............................11

Extras (b11 lb7 nb1 pens 0) ........19

Total 4 wkts (73 overs)........276

Fall: 1-17 2-41 3-90 4-260. To Bat: B J Haddin, M G Johnson, N M Hauritz, S R Clark.

Bowling: Onions 15-2-49-0. S J Harmison 12-3-36-2. Mahmood 14-2-40-0. Bresnan 12- 4-41-0. A U Rashid 16-1-73-1. Solanki 3-0- 15-1. Denly 1-0-4-0