Woakes stars as England win warm-up
SYDNEY: Seamer Chris Woakes yesterday geared up for the World Cup with a fivewicket haul to help England demolish the West Indies by nine wickets in a warmup match.
Woakes took 5-19 in 7.3 overs of skilled swing bowling to dismiss the West Indies for a paltry 122 in 29.3 overs. England chased down the target for the loss of just one wicket in 22.5 overs.
Woakes dismissed dashing opener Chris Gayle off the third ball of the first over for a duck and off the very next ball had Darren Bravo, who also failed to score.
He then dismissed Dwayne Smith (21) in his fourth over to leave the West Indies reeling on 35-3.
Lendl Simmons top-scored with 45 with four boundaries and a six before Woakes returned for his second spell to dismiss Simmons and Andre Russell to cap an impressive day.
England opener Moeen Ali hit 46 off 43 balls with nine boundaries and put on 70 for the opening wicket with Ian Bell who made 35 not out.
James Taylor made 25 not out and helped add 55 in an unbroken secondwicket stand.
The victory will give England muchneeded confidence before their opening World Cup game against Australia in Melbourne on Saturday.
In other matches, opener Martin Guptill hit a fighting hundred before rain saved New Zealand’s shambolic batting against Zimbabwe while South Africa beat Sri Lanka.
Guptill hit the 86-ball century as New Zealand wilted to 7-157 in 30.1 overs after winning the toss, before heavy rain washed out the match.
Seamers Elton Chigumbura (2-21) and Tinashe Panyangara (2-28) jolted the New Zealand batting, with wickets falling at regular intervals.
New Zealand’s batting stars Brendon McCullum (eight) and Kane Williamson (six) fell by the fifth over, before Guptill added 43 with Ross Taylor, who made 11.
Guptill hit 13 boundaries and two sixes before he fell to part-timer Sikandar Raza just before rain brought the game to an end.
Sri Lanka were helped to 7-279 in 44.4 overs by opener Tillakaratne Dilshan’s 83-ball 100 before rain reduced their innings.
Dilshan, who smashed 15 fours and two sixes, added 74 with Dimuth Karunaratne who made 46.
Sri Lanka’s stylish batsman Kumar Sangakkara managed 31.
South Africa, given a revised target of 188 in 25 overs, cruised home with Quinton de Kock (66) and Hashim Amla scoring 46.
De Kock hit six fours and two sixes in his 55-ball knock.
Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath took three for 22 to give Sri Lanka a chance of victory but Rilee Rossouw (16) and Vernon Philander (13) saw them through with three deliveries to spare.