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Alex Carey has carried his white-ball form into the Sheffield Shield, hitting 90 off 85 balls as South Australia battled to stay in their clash with NSW.

Alex Carey has launched his red-ball summer by blitzing a quick-fire 90 for South Australia against NSW, before Nathan Lyon inspired a late collapse for the Blues.

Carey smashed 90 from 85 balls on day two at Sydney's Cricket Central, as South Australia went to stumps at 7-227 in reply to NSW's 366.

After arriving at the wicket with the visitors at 3-87, Carey peppered the cow-corner boundary and regularly had the game stopped for lost balls in the scrubland.

The left-hander peppered four sixes in his counter-attacking knock, going after Tanveer Sangha (2-97) after the NSW spinner struck twice.

Carey's runs came after Travis Head also hit two sixes in his 30 for South Australia, batting at No.4 and not opening just six weeks out from the first Test against India.

Head twice hit Sangha over the rope for six, before the legspinner beat the left-hander in flight when he tossed a ball up outside off stump and drew his edge.

But, after hitting two half-centuries on Australia's recent one-day tour of England, Carey stayed in white-ball mode.

He hit back-to-back boundaries down the ground off quick Jack Nisbet, and also slog-swept Nathan Lyon for another six into the scrubland.

Sangha was given the same treatment later in the day, before Carey reverse-swept and drove the spinner to the boundary.

"Tanveer was bowling a pretty aggressive line around the wicket into some rough, so I felt like I had to be on the front foot and not just sit on the crease," Carey said.

"The intent was definitely there. I think when I am playing my best cricket I have a strong intent.

"I just thought I had to be a little proactive."

The wicketkeeper-bat eventually bit off more than he could chew, caught in the deep trying to take on Lyon.

His dismissal prompted another collapse of 4-5, with Lyon taking three wickets in 14 balls to finish with 4-45.

Australia's Test spinner had Daniel Drew caught-and-bowled for a duck, before he spun one out of the rough to bowl Ben Manenti for four.

Captain Nathan McSweeney was run out on 55, adding salt into the wound for South Australia as the pressure from Lyon mounted.

"I've been itching to get back playing. It's what I love doing," Lyon said.

"I feel like I've been training the house down and in a really good headspace.

"I had (spin coach) John Davison down last week, so just ticking those boxes with a really big summer ahead."

Carey's knock came after fellow wicketkeeper Josh Inglis hit 122 from 117 balls for Western Australia against Queensland.

Earlier, Sangha (19no) and Liam Hatcher (26) added 42 for the final wicket for the Blues,  giving the hosts a brief upper-hand when the pair then struck early with the ball.