Mark Stoneman hits England's first century of 2017/18 Ashes tour as Joe Root's team pile on the runs

England lead Cricket Australia XI by 87 runs with 7 wickets remaining: The Surrey opener’s 111 was his fourth successive 50-plus score on this trip, which bodes well for the opening Test next week

England finished the day 337-3 (Getty)

Mark Stoneman scored England’s first century of this Ashes tour as Joe Root’s team piled up the runs on the second day of this final warm-up match against a Cricket Australia XI.

The Surrey opener’s 111 was his fourth successive 50-plus score on this trip, form which bodes well ahead of next week’s opening Test against Australia in Brisbane.

Alastair Cook also posted his first-half-century since arriving in Australia three weeks ago, although he was unable to emulate his opening partner in reaching three figures after falling for 70 shortly before tea.

Joe Root, Cook’s successor as captain, and Dawid Malan also posted unbeaten half-centuries as England reached the close on 337 for three, a first-innings lead of 87.

For all the talk of the vulnerability of England’s batting, Cook’s innings means every member of the top six has now made at least 50 heading into the Ashes.

Concerns still exist, particularly over James Vince at No3. The Hampshire batsman started his tour with 82 against a Western Australia XI in Perth – an innings during which he was dropped three times.

Vince followed that up with scores of 33 and 29 against the same opposition in last week’s day-night tour match in Adelaide. And he failed again on day two of this match, out for 26 after he was caught at short leg off the bowling off leg-spinner Dan Fallins.

Alastair Cook also batted well at the top of the order (Getty)

Vince disputed the dismissal, claiming he was caught off a bump ball. But the umpires decreed he had to go and, if is likely, this is Vince’s final innings before the Ashes he is likely to head to Brisbane with some trepidation.

It is a very different story for Stoneman, who will face Australia’s pace attack of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazelwood with confidence after his run of form on this tour.

Stoneman did offer one life to the CA XI when he was dropped on 41 at gully off the bowling of Simon Milenko. And he may be disappointed not to have gone on and made a big hundred after he eventually fell offering a sharp return catch to Dan Fallins.

The attacks he has faced in these warm-up matches may well be nowhere near the standard he will face over the coming weeks.

Concerns remain over James Vince (Getty)

But runs breed confidence and that is a commodity that the 30-year-old should be overflowing with.

Cook was also dropped, on 40 when Gurinder Sandhu failed to gather a difficult return catch.

This is a big tour for Cook, who knows his future in the team may be under threat if he has a bad Ashes tour given his place is no longer guaranteed after giving up the captaincy earlier this year.

But he will surely feel better about himself ahead of Brisbane after posting his first half-century since August and putting on an opening stand of 172 with Stoneman.

Stoneman eventually fell for 111 (Getty)

England were 217 for three by the time Stoneman eventually fell.

But the way Root and Malan set about the CA bowling attack took their team into a sizeable lead by the end of the day.

For Root, who reached his fifty in 73 balls, this was a second half-century of the tour. Malan now has three and is in a good place given he wasn’t even sure he would retain the No5 position when he left England in late October following a difficult debut summer in Test cricket.

The challenge for both Root and Malan on the third day of this match will be to cash in and go big.

That is what coach Trevor Bayliss demanded following his side’s 192-run with in Adelaide last weekend.

So far only Stoneman has delivered.