STUBBS (St Vincent), March 4: Pace bowler Jon Lewis was fit enough to bowl several overs on Saturday in England's first practice session in the West Indies ahead of the World Cup.

Lewis, 31, injured his ankle in Australia and has not had any real bowling practice since a tri-series match with New Zealand two months ago. His selection was subject to fitness.

The team flew in on Friday, changing flights at Barbados and travelling on a small propeller plane to land at St Vincent's tiny airport. On Saturday, a light aircraft crashed not far from the runway. All four occupants escaped shaken but unscathed.

James Anderson, who also missed the back end of England's victorious tri-series campaign, bowled some overs from a shortened run-up after shaking off a back problem.

Kevin Pietersen was the first to bat in the nets after fully recovering from a fractured rib sustained in the first tri-series match in Australia in January.

Captain Michael Vaughan, working his way back to fitness after long-standing knee and hamstring problems, also batted early on and looked comfortable against some local St Vincent bowlers.

England trained in intense heat on a playing field in the small village of Stubbs, with the team minibus going along an unmade road past stray goats to approach the venue.

Their session was accompanied by steel band music and the crashing of waves against cliffs just below the picturesque setting.—Reuters