Canberra:  Test opener-in-waiting Phil Jaques gave Australian selectors more food for thought with a dominant century as the Prime Minister's XI plundered England's bowlers in their opening Ashes cricket tour game here.

The New South Wales left-hander pounded the tourists' bowling for 112 as the Prime Minister's XI, featuring Australia's rising young stars, had a run feast with 347 for five off their 50 overs after England sent then into bat on Friday.

It was the highest score by a PM XI team against a touring side, surpassing the 334 for 5 against India compiled here in 1999. 

The runs flowed late in the innings with 112 runs coming off the last 10 overs.

Shaun Marsh hit an unconquered 78 off 56 balls, Travis Birt smacked 40 off 45 balls and Adam Voges chipped in with 39 off 32 balls.

The PM XI batsmen smashed a total of eight sixes in the innings, with skipper Cameron White helping himself to three of them.

Jaques, who has the obstacle of long-time incumbents Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden blocking his way into the Australian Test team, hit nine  boundaries and two sixes in his breezy knock off 110 balls.

Jaques, who has a British passport and was once approached to play for England, has played in two Tests and scored 94 in his ODI debut against South Africa earlier this year.

He gave only one chance on 21 when he was put down by wicketkeeper Geraint Jones off James Anderson, before he holed out in the deep to Alastair Cook off medium-pacer Paul Collingwood in the 37th over.

England captain Andrew Flintoff, looking for a solid bowling stint in his recovery from ankle surgery, was the pick of England's wayward bowlers with 1-55 off 10 overs after conceding just 10 runs of his first five overs.

The skipper took England's first wicket of the Australian tour when Tasmanian opener Tim Paine advanced down the wicket but was caught low down by wicketkeeper Jones off an inside-edge for six in the sixth over.

Lancashire fast bowler James Anderson, who had first use of the new ball, was expensive going for two boundaries in his third over and was pulled for six by Jaques in his next over to have 19 runs taken off his first four-over spell.

Seamer Sajid Mahmood had major problems with his run-ups and overstepping in his first tour hit-out and had a tally of six no balls and four wides in his sorry return of 1-97 off nine overs.

Spinner Ashley Giles claimed Mark Cosgrove for 24 off 34 balls in his opening over after first drinks, deceiving the South Australian left-hander with flight and giving Andrew Strauss a splendid tumbling catch at deep mid-wicket, leaving the PM XI at 75 for 2 in the 17th over.

Birt clobbered sixes off spinners Giles and Monty Panesar before he was deceived by a slower delivery from Mahmood and was bowled for 40 off 45 balls.

Panesar only bowled three overs for 17 and Giles 1-53 off eight overs.

Birt put on 87 runs for the third wicket with Jaques, while Voges, who has scored the fastest century in Australian domestic cricket off 62 balls, was caught on the boundary rope by Kevin Pietersen to give Anderson his wicket at a cost of 65 runs.

Skipper White ripped into Anderson with successive sixes and Marsh smacked a six off the last ball of the innings bowled by Mahmood.