Marcus North has urged detractors of Phillip Hughes not to make too much into the Australia opener's failures against England's back-up bowlers ahead of next week's first Ashes Test.

Highly-rated Hughes has just four days to solve the dilemma of how to handle the predictable bouncer barrage heading his way in Cardiff after twice being found out by England's discarded paceman Stephen Harmison in this final warm-up match in Worcester on Friday.

But North, who scored an unbeaten 106 here yesterday at New Road to cement his place at No.6 in Australia's batting line-up for Cardiff, said Hughes had coped well with the short-pitched deliveries which came his way in South Africa earlier this year and wouldn't be intimidated facing England at Sophia Gardens.

"I wouldn't read too much into his two dismissals in this game. He was facing a guy that is one of the tallest blokes in world cricket. He's always going to get a bit of bounce," North told reporters after stumps.

"If you look back to the first innings I'd be surprised if that ball didn't get a lot of us out."

Hughes, the New South Welshman who averages over 69 after his first three Tests, has been found wanting against the short-pitch bowling served up by Harmison and Graham Onions, scoring just seven and eight in the match and seeing his technique questioned for the first time.

Having been roughed up and dismissed by Harmison over the wicket in the first innings, the 20-year-old Test novice's technique was also exploited when the bowler switched to round-the-wicket in the second.

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