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COLOMBO, Nov 27: England completed a comfortable five-wicket victory on the third and final day of their warm-up match against a Sri Lanka Cricket President’s XI on Tuesday.
England were set a victory target of 246 after bowling out the President’s XI for just 81 and chased down the target in 61 overs.
Kevin Pietersen finally found some form on tour with a top score of 59 from 86 balls. Alastair Cook scored 58 from 116 balls.
England fast bowler Steve Harmison was earlier sent for a scan on his injured back and was given the all clear. Fellow pace bowler James Anderson also resumed bowling on the third morning after an ankle injury scare the previous day.
The first Test starts on Saturday in Kandy.
Scoreboard
SLC XI 1st inns 298-9 declared (U. Tharanga 86, J. Mubarak 68, K. Silva 53; M. Hoggard 3-57, M. Panesar 3-67)
England 1st inns 134 (R. Bopara 47, A. Cook 35; S. de Silva 4-41)
SLC XI 2nd inns (overnight 77-8):
U. Tharanga b Hoggard 5
M. Udawatte c Prior b Bopara 45
M. Warnapura lbw b Bopara 4
T. Dilshan c Shah b Hoggard 3
J. Mubarak lbw Hoggard 0
C. Kapugedara c Collingwood b Hoggard 0
K. Silva c Prior b Hoggard 2
S. de Silva run out 4
C. Welagedera c Prior b Anderson 9
I. Amarasinghe not out 0
K. Lokuarachchi absent hurt
EXTRAS: (B-4, LB-2, NB-3) 9
TOTAL: (all out, 30 overs) 81
FALL OF WKTS: 1-9, 2-14, 3-32, 4-32, 5-32, 6-40, 7-52, 8-75, 9-81.
BOWLING: Hoggard 9-3-25-5, Bopara 10-2-32-2 (3nb), Panesar 9-4-14-0, Pietersen 1-1-0-0, Anderson 1-0-4-1.
England 2nd inns
A. Cook lbw b Mubarak 58
M. Vaughan c Dilshan b Mubarak 28
I. Bell c Welegedera b Dilshan 6
K. Pietersen c Silva b Kapugedara 59
O. Shah not out 33
R. Bopara c and b Mubarak 21
M. Prior not out 27
EXTRAS: (LB-3, NB-10, W-2) 15
TOTAL: (for five wkts, 61 overs) 247
FALL OF WKTS: 1-50, 2-74, 3-139, 4-167, 5-210.
BOWLING: Welagedera 11-1-38-0 (4nb, 1w), de Silva 10-0-53-0 (3nb, 1w), Amarasinghe 9-0-38-0, Mubarak 15-0-57-3 (3nb), Dilshan 9-1-34-1, Kapugedera 7-1-24-1.
RESULT: England won by five wickets.
—Agencies
