CHRISTCHURCH (New Zealand), Feb 2 England made a bright start to their two-month tour of New Zealand by easily winning their first practice game against Canterbury here on Saturday.

England won the match by 51 runs after racking up 295 for six from their 50 overs then bowling the home team out for 244.

Ian Bell top-scored with 79 off 89 deliveries, while opener Alastair Cook was the only other player to post a half-century, making a rapid 51.

Kevin Pietersen chipped in with a typically robust 48 and Sussex all-rounder Luke Wright provided some late fireworks with an unbeaten 42 off just 15 balls.

Seamer James Anderson captured five wickets for 47 runs for England as the tourists made light work of a Canterbury side missing most of their internationals.

The only batsmen likely to play against England in the Tests this summer was Peter Fulton, who made 31 before throwing his wicket away.

Former South African batting prodigy Johann Myburgh top-scored with 87. Myburgh has recently settled in New Zealand but will not be eligible to play for his adopted homeland for at least another two years.

Saturday`s match was the first of a weekend double-header between the two sides before England play New Zealand in a Twenty20 on Tuesday.

Scoreboard

ENGLAND

A.N. Cook c van Wyk b Burson 51

P. Mustard b Hiini 22

I.R. Bell c Robertson b Astle 79

K.P. Pietersen c Astle b Ellis 48

P.D. Collingwood b Burson 11

O.A. Shah c Hiini b Astle 17

R.S. Bopara not out 17

L.J. Wright not out 42

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-1, W-6) 8

TOTAL (for six wkts, 50 overs) 295

FALL OF WKTS 1-73, 2-86, 3-181, 4-207, 5-236, 6-236.

DID NOT BAT A.D. Mascarenhas, S.C.J. Broad, G.P. Swann, R.J. Sidebottom, J.M. Anderson.

BOWLING Burson 8-0-53-2 (4w); Davidson 5-0-27-0; Hiini 10-1-71-1 (2w); Ellis 9-1-36-1; McCone 5-0-30-0; Astle 9-0-52-2; Robertson 2-0-12-0; Frauenstein 2-0-12-0.

CANTERBURY

I.A. Robertson c Mustard b Anderson 24

M.H.W. Papps c Mustard b Anderson 4

J.G. Myburgh run out 87

P.G. Fulton c Wright b Mascarenhas 31

S.L. Stewart c Mustard b Mascarenhas 7

C.F.K. van Wyk c Anderson b Collingwood 25

B.C. Hiini c Sidebottom b Anderson 27

C. Frauenstein b Anderson 0

A.M. Ellis c Bell b Sidebottom 11

M.P.F. Davidson b Anderson 6

T.D. Astle b Sidebottom 7

R.D. Burson 7

R. McCone not out 2

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-7, W-10, NB-2) 23

TOTAL (11 wkts, 50 overs) 261

FALL OF WKTS 1-12, 2-52, 3-133, 4-152, 5-179, 6-215, 7-223, 8-224, 9-238, 10-244, 11-256.

BOWLING Anderson 10-1-47-5 (3w); Sidebottom 10-1-34-2 (2w); Broad 10-0-56-0 (2nb, 1w); Mascarenhas 10-0-43-2; Swann 7-0-43-0 (1w); Collingwood 3-0-27-1 (2w).

RESULT England won by 34 runs.

UMPIRES B.F. Bowden and A.L. Hill.

NOTE 13 players per side.—Agencies