England on course for warm-up win

Stuart Broad (right)
12 April 2012

England sprang a surprise by promoting Kevin Pietersen to open in their World Cup warm-up match against Canada - but it was his predecessor Matt Prior who helped to steer a victory course.

Fifth-wicket pair Prior (78) and Jonathan Trott (57) came to the rescue to dig out a near-par 243 all out after Andrew Strauss chose to bat first.

Then Ajmal Shahzad and Stuart Broad (three for 16), having recovered respectively from injury and illness, put Canada's reply in instant disarray by bowling both openers. John Davison played all round a length ball from Shahzad and Nitish Kumar edged Broad down on to off-stump as Canada stumbled to a hapless 48 for five after 10 overs.

Pietersen has long been inked in at number four for England. But they intend to use him at the top of the order in this tournament, in preference to wicketkeeper-batsman Prior - who opened in five of the seven one-day internationals against Australia this winter.

England's new incumbent made an acceptable start after the early loss of Strauss, until he became the second of three victims for Khurram Chohan. Strauss managed only a single and fell in the second over of the match, under-edging a pull behind off the skiddy Chohan.

Pietersen was joined by Trott for a stand of 46, only to go for 24 to Chohan - switched to the pavilion end - when his attempt to squeeze a single off the medium-pacer resulted instead in an inside edge on to the base of leg-stump on a predictably slow surface.

Ian Bell was unable to prosper either, trying to steer runs behind square on the off-side but instead edging Chohan (three for 34) behind. Paul Collingwood failed the patience test, stumped on the charge after missing a leg-break from Balaji Rao.

Prior played admirably - adding 54 with Trott, who went to a mistimed sweep at off-spinner Davison - and then 51 with Broad, after his Sussex team-mates Mike Yardy and Luke Wright both fell cheaply to Henry Osinde to put England back in trouble on 158 for seven.

Prior was eventually bowled by a slower ball from the impressive Harvir Baidwan (three for 50) but did enough to help add an important 63 with the tail in the last 10 overs.

With the new ball, Broad then proved his well-being after a stomach upset, and soon added the wicket of Ashish Bagai to that of Kumar. Jimmy Hansra then aimed across Shahzad's full-length swing and was lbw in front of off-stump, and Broad had three when Ruvindu Gunasekera flailed an edge behind.

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