MUMBAI, Nov 9: Andrew Flintoff smashed an unbeaten century to set up England’s emphatic 122-run victory against a Mumbai side in a one-day warm-up game here on Sunday.

Flintoff hit three sixes and 12 fours off 85 balls to help the visitors score 297-4 in 50 overs in the tour opener at the Brabourne stadium.

Paceman James Anderson then boosted his claim for a comeback to the team after having missed out on the Twenty20 Stanford series last week by picking three wickets and restricting Mumbai Cricket Association to 175-8.

Left-arm spinner Samit Patel claimed two wickets before Flintoff, who also took a low catch in the slips off Anderson, capped off a fine all-round performance with a wicket in the penultimate over.

Flintoff later said the century would hold him in good stead when the real contest against India begins with the first one-dayer in Rajkot on Nov 14.

“We’ll play against better teams on this tour,” he said. “I’m not daft and I know it’s a starting point. We’re going to be playing against the likes of Harbhajan [Singh] and [Ishant] Sharma in just over a week’s time.

“But a hundred is a hundred and I’ve not scored one for ages so I’ll take it,” the all-rounder said.

Other visiting batsmen too looked in prime form with Ian Bell (58) and Owais Shah (83) chipping in with healthy knocks after Mumbai skipper Nilesh Kulkarni won the toss and elected to field.

Bell was stumped advancing down the wicket to Vikrant Yeligeti while Shah mistimed a pull for Abhijit Shetye to take a catch at mid-wicket.

Shetye also top-scored for the hosts before being caught behind by Matt Prior off Anderson for 50 which included four fours.

His dismissal triggered a middle-order collapse with the home side losing three wickets for just five runs.

The tourists are set to play another warm-up game on Tuesday in the lead-up to the seven-match one-day series. The one-dayers will be followed by two Tests in Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

Summarised scores:

ENGLAND 297-4 in 50 overs (A. Flintoff 100 not out, O.A. Shah 83, I.R. Bell 58); MUMBAI CRICKET ASSOCIATION 175-8 in 50 overs (A. Shetye 50; J.M. Anderson 3-15).—AFP