DUNEDIN (New Zealand), Feb 28: England were bowled out for just 131 on the opening day of their final warm-up match for next week’s first Test against New Zealand.

Kevin Pietersen top-scored with 50 but the other batsmen struggled in Dunedin after the touring side were put into bat by New Zealand Selection XI captain Jamie How.

How then struck 10 fours in a fluent 65 to lift the hosts to 177 for four at the close in the three-day first-class match.

England captain Michael Vaughan lasted just two balls, Alastair Cook made 19, Andrew Strauss five and Ian Bell 10 before Paul Collingwood scratched around for just two runs from 40 balls.

Pietersen was the only batsman to look comfortable at the crease, hitting nine fours from 72 deliveries. Seamer Iain O’Brien took four wickets and Mark Gillespie three.

Scoreboard

ENGLAND (1st Innings):

A.N. Cook c Patel b Gillespie 19

M.P. Vaughan c Griggs b O’Brien 0

A.J. Strauss c How b O’Brien 5

K.P. Pietersen c Griggs b Orchard 50

I.R. Bell c Griggs b Elliott 10

P.D. Collingwood c Griggs b Elliott 2

T.R. Ambrose lbw b O’Brien 12

C.T. Tremlett not out 17

M.J. Hoggard b O’Brien 2

S.J. Harmison c Taylor b Gillespie 0

M.S. Panesar b Gillespie 4

EXTRAS (LB-6, W-2, NB-2) 10

TOTAL (all out, 40.1 overs) 131

FALL OF WKTS: 1-2, 2-17, 3-38, 4-64, 5-91, 6-95, 7-122, 8-124, 9-125.

BOWLING: Gillespie 14.1-0-62-3 (2w); O’Brien 12-2-34-4 (1nb); Elliott 8-3-12-3; Orchard 6-2-17-1.

NEW ZEALAND SELECTION XI (1st Innings):

M.D. Bell c Ambrose b Hoggard 40

J.M. How c Cook b Tremlett 65

P.G. Fulton lbw b Collingwood 23

L.R.P.L. Taylor c Strauss b Harmison 8

M.S. Sinclair not out 14

G.D. Elliott not out 13

EXTRAS (LB-10, W-1, NB-3) 14

TOTAL (for four wkts, 47 overs) 177

FALL OF WKTS: 1-98, 2-127, 3-144, 4-148.

TO BAT: M.G. Orchard, B.B.J. Griggs, J.S. Patel, M.R. Gillespie, I.E. O’Brien.

BOWLING (to-date): Hoggard 14-5-32-1; Tremlett 13-3-50-1 (2nb); Harmison 12-0-59-1 (1nb, 1w); Collingwood 5-0-19-1; Panesar 3-1-7-0.

UMPIRES: B.G. Frost and P.D. Jones.—Agencies