Bushrangers quartet Ryan Carters, Glenn Maxwell, Alex Keath and Jon Holland have impressed in the first three-day match of the Emerging Players Tournament.

Playing for the AIS against New Zealand A at Peter Burge Oval in Brisbane, batsman Keath was the star with a hundred in the second innings after scoring a fifty in the first dig.

The hosts were put under early pressure after Carters, AIS captain, won the toss and elected to bat. They lost two early wickets with Carters and fellow opener Marcus Harris falling cheaply.

Keath then combined with New South Welshmen Tim Armstrong to steady the AIS innings. The pair put on 133 for the third wicket before Keath departed for 73, bowled by left-arm spinner Luke Woodcock.

Explosive all-rounder Maxwell got a start before being dismissed for 36. AIS declared their first innings on 5/304, some late hitting from West Australian Tom Beaton pushing the score past 300.

Holland bowled with control during New Zealand A's first innings. With former New Zealand international Neil Broom getting on top of most AIS bowlers in his innings of 197, which included ten sixes, Holland kept it tight, finishing with the figures of 1/51 off his 12 overs.

Opener Carters saw the AIS to fifty without loss before he was dismissed for 26. Keath picked up where he left off in the first innings, combining with a free-scoring Maxwell, for a 133-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

With the bowlers under his control, Maxwell succumbed in the nervous nineties, dismissed by left-arm paceman Trent Boult for 90 (82 balls).

A short time later, Keath brought his century, his first since November 24 when he scored 192 for Victoria in the Futures League. The AIS declared their second innings closed at 8/388, giving New Zealand 353 to chase.

Holland shouldered much of the workload during the second innings, bowling 21 overs. He was the first bowler to claim a wicket, trapping Brad Wilson lbw for 21.

Helped by a century to opener BJ Watling, New Zealand A got agonisingly close to a victory before they were halted by bad light. They finished just ten runs short but only had themselves to blame as they were later penalised for a slow over rate.

AIS's next match begins tomorrow (August 6) against South Africa Emerging Players in Townsville.

AIS 5/304 (Dec) Armstrong 112, Keath 73, Beaton 50* & 8/388 (Dec) Keath 104, Maxwell 90, Beaton 79 drew with New Zealand A 8/340 (Dec) Broom 197, Bracewell 52 & 7/343 Watling 139, Woodcock 52

05 AUGUST, 2011 Dylan Atkinson