Travis Head's century was the cornerstone of Australia 283 for six as the world champions found runs hard to come by against Middlesex in a one-day tour match at Lord's on Saturday. Head made 106 and Australia vice-captain Aaron Finch 54. But for the second match in a row, after their 277 for nine in a 57-run tour-opening win over Sussex at Hove on Thursday, Australia failed to reach the now 50-over par total of 300. It was a worrying sign for Australia ahead of a five-match one-day international series against No1-ranked England, the 2019 World Cup hosts, that starts across London at The Oval on Wednesday. Once again spin bowlers put a brake on Australia's run-rate despite an extremely short boundary on the Tavern side of Lord's. Off-spinner Max Holden returned miserly figures of one for 29l. Head opened alongside D'Arcy Short as Finch dropped down the order after his 78 against Sussex. Short fell for 18 when a mistimed pull off Thomas Barber was brilliantly caught one-handed by a leaping Nathan Sowter at midwicket. Shaun Marsh, playing his first match of the tour after Marcus Stoinis was left out following his hundred against Sussex, made 49 off 64 balls before falling short of a fifty when he was well-held at midwicket by Middlesex captain Steven Finn, the England fast bowler, to give Holden a deserved wicket. For the second match in a row, Glenn Maxwell fell in single figures to a spinner, the all-rounder lbw for three trying to sweep left-armer Ravi Patel. Maxwell's exit left Australia 150 for three in the 31st over. Finch launched Patel for six while the patient Head, who has been playing English county cricket for Worcestershire this season, had the satisfaction of scoring a century. But the fact it took him 133 balls was evidence of Australia's struggles on an occasionally two-paced pitch. They could have done with Head going on but instead he was caught behind cutting off legspinner Sowter. Australia's Hilton Cartwright suffered the embarrassment of dropping a simple catch in the deep to reprieve Finch on 46. - AFP..