SOUTHAMPTON (England), June 12: Darren Gough is looking forward to the fight for the new ball among England’s one-day pace attack during the upcoming triangular series against Australia and Bangladesh. The 34-year-old Yorkshireman, now at Essex, showed he was still up for the challenge by taking a hat trick on his way to three for 10 in England’s crushing 153-run 50 overs per side warm-up win against a Hampshire XI at the Rose Bowl here on Saturday.

England return to the ground for their first international Twenty20 match, against Australia, on Monday knowing not only Gough but fellow quick Simon Jones, who took two wickets in his first over on Saturday before finishing with three for 18, are both in form.

But Gough, who retired from Test cricket two years ago because of a knee injury in the hope of staying fit enough to be a member of England’s squad at the 2007 World Cup in the Caribbean, said the competition would only be “good” for the side.

He was especially pleased for 26-year-old Glamorgan paceman Jones, who was out of action for 18 months after sustaining a knee ligament injury while fielding during the first Test against Australia at Brisbane in November 2002.

“He’s improved over the last 12 months remarkably,” said Gough of Jones, the son of former England left-arm quick Jeff.

“He’s still got a few things to learn in one-day cricket, when to bowl the right balls, but he’s getting there.”

Scoreboard

ENGLAND:

M.E. Trescothick c Crawley b Lewis 5

G.O. Jones c Udal b Tremlett 0

M.P. Vaughan lbw b Taylor 24

A.J. Strauss c Warne b Lewis 85

A. Flintoff c Tremlett b Taylor 5

K.P. Pietersen c Lamb b Taylor 77

P.D. Collingwood c Udal b Lewis 1

G.J. Batty lbw b Udal 1

Kabir Ali not out 9

D. Gough b Tremlett 10

S.P. Jones c Crawley b Tremlett 2

EXTRAS (B-2, LB-8, W-2, NB-7) 19

TOTAL (all out, 49.4 overs) 238

FALL OF WKTS: 1-2, 2-10, 3-62, 4-72, 5-205, 6-207, 7-210, 8-220, 9-236.

BOWLING: Tremlett 9.4-0-43-3 (4nb, 1w); Lewis 10-0-45-3 (3nb, 1w); McMillan 10-1-26-0; Taylor 8-1-39-3; Udal 6-0-44-1; Warne 6-0-31-0

HAMPSHIRE XI:

G. Lamb c Pietersen b Kabir Ali 17

D. Kenway lbw b S Jones 0

J. Lewis c Strauss b S Jones 0

V.S. Solanki run out 0

C.D. McMillan c G Jones b Gough 2

J.P. Crawley c Pietersen b Gough 0

C. Benham lbw b Gough 0

S.K. Warne c G Jones b S Jones 1

S.D. Udal c Pietersen b Flintoff 17

C.T. Tremlett b Kabir Ali 21

B. Taylor not out 6

EXTRAS (LB-14, W-2, NB-5) 21

TOTAL (all out, 19.5 overs) 85

FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-0, 3-10, 4-14, 5-14, 6-14, 7-20, 8-37, 9-63.

BOWLING: Gough 6-2-10-3 (1nb, 1w); S.P. Jones 6-3-18-3 (1w); Flintoff 4-1-11-1; Kabir Ali 3.5-0-32-2 (4nb).

RESULT: England won by 153 runs.—AFP