MELBOURNE, Oct 2: Brad Hodge pushed his claims for a place in Australia’s team for this month’s cricket Test match against the World XI with a top-scoring knock against the world team in a warm-up one-dayer on Sunday.

Hodge hit 92 as the world team beat Victoria by 12 runs in their one-day practice match.

It was the world squad’s only warm-up match before the three one-dayers against Australia here this week.

Hodge’s innings was the foundation of Victoria’s 269 for nine in reply to the world squad’s 281 for eight.

India’s Rahul Dravid earlier made 66 and South African captain Shaun Pollock contributed an unbeaten 54.

“The guys are getting on really well with each other, that’s one positive aspect,” Pollock said of the World XI.

“The roles still need to be chatted through, just to make sure everyone knows exactly where they stand.

“You get very accustomed to playing a certain role in your side.

“That’s probably our biggest challenge. If we can just make it clear and make the guys stick to playing what role we need them to do, then we’ll be really good.”

England’s Andrew Flintoff had been rested from Sunday’s game before paceman Shoaib Akhtar hit him on the shoulder with a delivery in the nets on Saturday.

Pollock said the England all-rounder would be fit for Wednesday’s series opener.

Scoreboard

WORLD XI:

K.C. Sangakkara c Hussey b Welsford 42

V. Sehwag c Lindsay b Harwood 32

J.H. Kallis c Denton b Harwood 6

B.C. Lara c Klinger b Harwood 9

K.P. Pietersen c Crosthwaite b Harwood 5

R. Dravid c White b Lewis 66

Shahid Afridi b White 18

C.H. Gayle st Crosthwaite b White 37

S.M. Pollock not out 54

D.L. Vettori not out 1

EXTRAS (LB-3, W-7, NB-1) 11

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 50 overs) 281

FALL OF WKTS: 1-63, 2-80, 3-94, 4-98, 5-107, 6-131, 7-195, 8-258.

DID NOT BAT: Shoaib Akhtar, M. Ntini, M. Muralitharan.

BOWLING: Lewis 9-1-58-1 (1nb, 1w); Denton 10-0-64-0 (1w); Harwood 10-1-37-4 (1w); Lindsay 2-0-17-0 (1w); Welsford 6-0-29-1; White 10-0-49-2 (2w); Hodge 3-0-24-0.

VICTORIA:

N. Jewell lbw b Shoaib 2

M. Klinger c Pietersen b Vettori 62

B.J. Hodge c Lara b Muralitharan 92

D.J. Hussey c Kallis b Ntini 32

C.L. White c Afridi b Muralitharan 22

R.J. Quiney run out 3

J. Moss c Ntini b Kallis 10

A.J. Crosthwaite c Vettori b Shoaib 20

T.H. Welsford c Ntini b Kallis 12

G.P. Lindsay not out 4

S.M. Harwood not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-6, NB-2) 10

TOTAL (for nine wkts, 50 overs) 269

FALL OF WKTS: 1-9, 2-98, 3-169, 4-195, 5-213, 6-222, 7-249, 8-260, 9-265.

BOWLING: Shoaib Akhtar 10-2-29-2 (2w); Pollock 8-0-44-0 (2nb, 3w); Ntini 7-0-44-1; Kallis 6-0-34-2; Muralitharan 10-0-54-2 (1w); Vettori 7-0-44-1; Shahid Afridi 2-0-18-0.

RESULT: World Xi won by 12 runs.

Players per side: 13 (11 bat, 11 field).—Agencies