SMASHING England’s Test bowlers to near records set by Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting one week, back playing in suburban Penrith in Sydney’s west the next.

That’s the scenario that awaits 18-year-old Jason Sangha, highlighting his incredible efforts to derail England’s Ashes preparations on Saturday in Townsville.

Sangha scored 133 in a 263-run third-wicket stand with 22-year-old Matt Short (134 not out) to save the game for a Cricket Australia XI, as the visitors took just one wicket on the last day of their final warm-up match before the Ashes.

The pair, yet to play in the Sheffield Shield, had just five first-class games to their names between them before this week, but that didn’t show. They both looked largely unfazed against a Test-quality bowling attack that included Stuart Broad, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes and potential debutant Craig Overton.

Sangha’s knock was more remarkable considering his age.

He’s just second to Tendulkar for the youngest player to score a first-class hundred against England, while he is also the youngest first-class centurion in Australia since Ricky Ponting in 1992-93.

“Scoring a hundred against England is pretty good,” Sangha said. “It would definitely be up there (as one of my best days).

“You can’t really get too caught up with facing this bowler or that I’m facing Broad or Woakes.

“You’ve really got to try and treat them as any other bowler.”

Ranked as one of the best up-and-comers in the country, Sangha has long been a part of Cricket Australia’s development pathway system — and there’s little doubt he’ll continue.

He and Short will play this week in the Futures League for NSW and Victoria, before returning to club cricket at Randwick-Petersham — against Penrith — and Northcote’s clash next Saturday with Casey South Melbourne respectively.

Short’s century followed a first-innings 51, his 32 games’ experience in CA XI and national performance squads showing as he took Australia to the close at 4-364 as captain.

“You learn from every game of cricket you play at whatever level it is,” Short said.

“It’s definitely these kind of games against international teams that mean a bit more than others.”

Sangha and Short gave just one real chance on Saturday — which was dropped — before Sangha was caught sweeping leg-spinner Mason Crane.

It might have been a lifeless pitch as England experimented with their lines and lengths. And it barely has had the importance of the long days at the Gabba to which England have become accustomed.

But the stumps score should at least raise concerns. After they began the day with a lead of 144 runs after their first-innings score of 515, England planned on steamrolling the youngsters. But in the end, their only saving grace was a one-hour early finish with no chance of a result.

In effect, England had lost hope of breaking through the inexperienced CA XI and beating them, despite having Broad, Ali and Woakes at their disposal.

Potentially the only man missing from the team to take on Steve Smith, David Warner and Co. at the Gabba from Thursday was James Anderson.

“If you play cricket long enough, those days are going to come,” coach Trevor Bayliss said as he insisted he wasn’t concerned. “Today wasn’t the perfect day of cricket for us, we spent a bit of time in the dirt.

“If we’re realistic across the five Test matches, we’ll probably have another one or two of those days.”

Meanwhile, with quick Jake Ball looking set to return from an ankle injury, medium-pacer Craig Overton did his chances of a Test debut no help. He went for an unhappy 0-65 from 15 overs, as Ball appeared to get through a stint in the field and a spell in the nets as England declared him fit for selection.

YOUNGEST PLAYERS TO SCORE FIRST-CLASS CENTURIES AGAINST ENGLAND

— Sachin Tendulkar (India), 1990: 17y, 107d

— Jason Sangha (CA XI), 2017: 18y, 68d

— Hashan Tillakaratne (Sri Lanka), 1985-86: 18y, 223d

— Mushtaq Mohammad (Pakistan), 1962: 18y, 246d

— Gursharan Singh (India Under-22s), 1981-82: 18y, 250d