DERBY: Australia's Mitchell Marsh took three wickets in quick succession against Derbyshire on Saturday ahead of next week's third Ashes Test against England at Edgbaston.
At lunch on the final day of three, the lively all-rounder had figures of three for 29 in 11 overs in a rain-marred match in Derby.
Derbyshire were 179 for seven in reply to Australia's first innings 413 for nine declared, which featured hundreds by openers David Warner and Shaun Marsh, Mitchell's older brother.
David Wainwright was 17 not out and Tony Palladino 37 not out, the Derbyshire duo having added an unbroken 50 for the seventh wicket.
But that still left the Second Division county with a deficit of 234 runs.
Derbyshire resumed on 81 for two after rain meant no play was possible after lunch on Friday.
Wayne Madsen, the Derbyshire captain, was 14 not out and Scott Elstone 13 not out.
Mitchell Marsh, who impressed in Australia's Ashes-levelling 405-run win in the second Test against at Lord's last week after Shane Watson was dropped following England's 169-run victory in the series opener in Cardiff, was the pick of the attack in an extended session.
He had Elstone (19) caught in the gully by Warner and, four legitimate balls later, pinned Madsen lbw for 19.
Marsh struck again when he had Tom Knight (three) well caught low down at second slip.
Derbyshire were then 104 for five, with Marsh having taken three wickets for nine runs in 19 balls.
Leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed then got in on the act, bowling Jonathan Clare to reduce Derbyshire to 116 for six.
Harvey Hosein (17) was then held by Watson, running round from fine leg, after hooking Peter Siddle.
But with Australia resting their frontline fast bowlers Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, as well as off-spinner Nathan Lyon, Marsh was the only member of the attack on Saturday set to play at Edgbaston.
Australia hold the Ashes after whitewashing England 5-0 on home soil in 2013/14.
The ongoing five-match series is all square at 1-1, with Australia looking to win their first Ashes campaign in Britain for 14 years.
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