You are in > manchester.com  > News > Sorry England trounced in final India warm-up

Cricket

Sorry England trounced in final India warm-up

11/11/2008

England were bowled out for just 98 runs as they suffered a heavy defeat to a Mumbai President's XI in their final warm-up ahead of the start of the one-day series against India this week.

Chasing the home side's 222-7 at Brabourne Stadium, England's top order failed spectacularly as they were reduced to 38-6, with openers Ian Bell (six) and Matt Prior (three) and captain Kevin Pietersen (0) all being dismissed cheaply.

Paul Collingwood (eight), in at four, and Samit Patel (13), who was promoted to number five to give him batting practice, fared little better as they survived only five overs.

Collingwood was the first to go after coming down the pitch to paceman Rajesh Verma before lobbing a catch to mid-on, and Patel soon followed after edging Kshemal Waingankar.

England's all-rounders also failed as Ravi Bopara (nine) and Luke Wright (one) posted poor scores, while Andrew Flintoff - who scored a sublime century in the first warm-up match - was out for just five this time.

The tourists' tail had bowled well as a unit in restricting the hosts to a below-par total despite the injury absences of Stuart Broad and Ryan Sidebottom.

And they provided some resistance as Graeme Swann made a creditable 24 not out and James Anderson struck 20 before being the last man dismissed after hauling England's total up from 64-9.

But it was too little, too late as the tourists were embarrassed by the opposition, who as a team had little first-class experience but still recorded a 124-run victory.

Steve Harmison was the pick of England's bowlers with 2-38.

England will now look towards the first of seven ODIs this Friday against India, who are coming off the back of a Test series victory over the world's number one side Australia.