Jason Sangha has given his future Test prospects a massive boost after posting an unbeaten double century for Australia A in their drawn first-class clash with Sri Lanka A in Darwin.

In reply to Sri Lanka’s dominant 485 for 6 declared, Sangha posted 202 not out off 379 balls as Australia A reached a monster 558 for 4 before the game was declared a draw on the cusp of tea on day four. Only ten wickets fell across the four days, with the two-match series finishing in a dull 0-0 draw.

Eighteen-year-old Oliver Peake showed he could also be part of Australia’s next generation of Test players, scoring 92 off 178 balls in just his second first-class game, and sharing a 165-run stand with Sangha. Opener Jake Weatherald (183) led the way for the hosts on Tuesday in a knock that gave his own Test hopes a boost ahead of the Ashes.

But it was the Sangha show on Wednesday. The 25-year-old began the day unbeaten on 121, and the skipper continued to pile on the pain on the way to his maiden double-century in first-class cricket. Sangha’s previous highest score in first-class cricket was 151, but he blew that away on the batter-friendly deck at the Marrara Cricket Ground.

Sangha’s star is well and truly on the rise. He struck an unbeaten 126 to lead South Australia to a tense four-wicket victory in last season’s Sheffield Shield final against Queensland, helping his side break a 29-year title drought.

Sangha averaged 78.20 across six Shield games last season, and he looms as part of generation next for the Australian Test team, having scored three centuries in his last five first-class innings. Peake put his name in that mix as well, falling just eight runs short of a maiden first-class century, having only made his first-class debut for Victoria in March. Peake’s 92 came after he scored an unbeaten 55 off just 38 balls during Australia A’s series-opening one-day win over Sri Lanka A on July 4.

Meanwhile, Weatherald’s century on Tuesday came at the perfect time, with the Tasmania opener firmly in the mix to play in this summer’s Ashes if he can keep his form going.

Australia’s current opening pairing of Usman Khawaja and Sam Konstas struggled in difficult batting conditions in the recent Test series against West Indies, raising questions about whether it’s time to inject a player like Weatherald.

Weatherald led the Shield run charts last season with 906 runs at an average of 50.3, and his scores of 54 and 183 across his two first-class innings against Sri Lanka A will further bolster his cause.

Brief scores:
Australia A558 for 4 in 161 overs (Jason Sangha 202*, Jake Weatherald 183, Kurtis Patterson 59, Oliver Peake 92;  Nishan Peiris 2-144, Nuwanidu Fernando 1-44) drew with Sri Lanka A 485 for 6 dec in 157 overs (Pavan Rathnayake 122, Nuwanidu Fernando 102, Sonal Dinusha 88, Kamil Mishara 81, Soham de Livera 50*, Zanden Jeh 3-132)

[Cricinfo]