Australia head coach Darren Lehmann has insisted that Ed Cowan's Ashes campaign is not finished after the Tasmanian batsman performed well in their practice match against Sussex this week.

Nottinghamshire's James Taylor, touted as a potential replacement for injury-doubt Kevin Pietersen, scored an unbeaten hundred in the match at Hove, while Cowan also shone with two half-centuries in Australia's two innings.

Cowan, who scored just 14 runs in the first Test at Trent Bridge, was dropped for the second Ashes match of the summer in favour of Usman Khawaja, but Lehmann has stressed that his displays in the warm-up fixtures have improved his chances of returning to the side.

"Yeah, it does. He batted really well both innings," Lehmann told reporters.

"We'd love him to get a big hundred and really put pressure on, but it does his chances good."

Cowan averages 31.28 in 32 Test match innings.