Doolan hopes ton tempts selectors - Sydney Morning Herald

Eyeballing the pace attacker ... Tasmanian Alex Doolan scored an unconquered 161, allaying concerns about the fitness of Australia's Test batsman. Photo: Anthony Johnson

AFTER scoring an unconquered 161 against South Africa at the SCG on Saturday, Australia A batsman Alex Doolan hoped his innings would warrant some discussion when the national selectors met before this week's opening Test in Brisbane.

With concerns surrounding Test players Shane Watson (calf muscle) and Ricky Ponting (hamstring) and a string of poor scores from Australia's top batsmen, the 26-year-old Tasmanian picked the perfect moment to play the innings of his 35-first-class-match career.

The century came on the back of a stellar start to the season which has yielded 490 runs at an average of 81. His effort to post his highest score - and against a world-class South African attack - was the highlight of a tough day which resulted in only one legitimate wicket falling after almost seven hours of toil by both teams.

''I certainly hope it's talked about,'' Doolan said when asked if the knock might've caught the attention of the Test selectors. "But there's plenty of quality players in that dressing room. I mean, Phil Hughes has 19 first-class centuries, three Test centuries and two against South Africa. I think he'd be in the firing line as far as next man in.

''Who knows? Hopefully it puts my name up there and hopefully people are starting to talk."

Doolan, whose father Bruce faced the first ball for Tasmania when the state joined the Sheffield Shield competition in 1977, said he wouldn't disappoint his country should his greatest wish be fulfilled.

''I feel there's a little bit of work to be done before that chance may arise," he said. "But certainly [I] feel confident enough to hold my own out there."

Doolan resumed his innings on 76 and immediately made an impact when he hit paceman Dale Steyn for 10 runs in the first over of the morning. With his intent declared, he could seemingly do nothing wrong on a lifeless pitch. While on 88, he tried to pull out of a shot against Rory Kleinveldt's bowling, but the ball still raced to the boundary after it found the toe of his bat. He notched his fifth first-class century when he cut Kleinveldt sweetly for four.

"Probably coming to terms with the fact you were playing against the world's best team was my biggest battle and overcoming some nerves to a certain extent," he replied when asked about the biggest challenge of the knock.

He and Tasmanian teammate Tim Paine built on the foundation Rob Quiney (85), Steve Smith (67) and Glenn Maxwell (64) laid for the Aussie second XI on Friday. They frustrated the Proteas attack and, as their partnership ticked past the milestone marks of 50, 100 and homed in on 150, the Proteas looked disinterested.

Steyn was rested after four overs when it became clear the pitch offered the pacemen nothing. Skipper Graeme Smith left the bulk of the yakka to his spin bowlers Imran Tahir, J.P. Duminy and Faf du Plessis when paceman Vernon Philander was given a spell. Hashim Amla, with only one first-class wicket at an average of 236, was certainly enthusiastic. One appeal was done with such a strong, fine voice he would've impressed Opera Australia scouts, but his bowling didn't trouble either batsman. Even Amla agreed the South African approach, to toss him the ball to kill time before the hosts finally declared at 7-480, wasn't the attitude expected from the world's top Test nation after it was pointed out his countrymen would scan the scores and lament their team couldn't dismiss Australia's second-stringers. "That's one of the challenges [to crank up the intensity in a tour match] because when you are playing a Test match you're playing for your country; you have the butterflies in the stomach," Amla said. "These warm-up games are exactly that, warm-up. You don't go full out all the time. You do have patches where you try and push the pace but not the whole game. During our bowling performance we just went through the motions and gave guys a bowl."

Smith wasted no time when South Africa finally batted and scored 60 runs from 84 balls - 11 of which found the boundary - before he retired when South Africa had reached 81. The reason for his voluntary departure when a big score beckoned was to allow Amla an opportunity to bat before the first Test. Victoria's John Hastings, a surprise choice to open the bowling in tandem with Nathan Coulter-Nile, bowled sharply and smartly as the Proteas managed only eight runs from his 11 overs.