England warm-ups off to a flyer

After their 11-0 thrashing in Bangladesh, England Under-19s were in desperate need of a victory to right their ship and get them back to winning ways in time for the impending World Cup. They duly secured one in authoritative, destructive style, with a crushing 172-run win in their first warm-up match against a Malaysia President's XI.

England's captain and vice-captain showed their team the way to success with a partnership of 251 runs; both Moeen Ali and Varun Chopra striking rapid-fire centuries to help England heap on a more-than-imposing 350 after being sent in. Malaysia scored steadily on a decent pitch, but they were always behind the clock and they folded for 178.

Chopra was in particularly fine nick, blasting 142 from 140 balls in a knock which included ten fours and three sixes. He got England off to a flyer with Mark Stoneman (27) and Robert Woodman (9), but it was his third-wicket stand with the masterful Ali - whose 101 took just 87 balls - that put the match beyond Malaysia's reach. Together they flayed the home side's attack, punishing the bad balls and often also the good.

Malaysia's batsmen were soon in trouble as the strike bowler Huw Waters took 3 for 15 from six overs. Steven Mullaney found similar success, ripping out the lower order with 3 for 22. Ali used eight bowlers in all, to give practice to as many bowlers as possible.

These pre-World Cup warm-ups were originally designed to help with just acclimatisation in mind, a plan which has been working well. As their coach Andy Pick confirmed: "The team have coped with the weather here which is crucial." But England's recent woes have meant that it's not just their bodies, but their minds too which have had to adapt.

This victory has restored some much-needed confidence - "Our boys have shown improvement," added Pick, with a little understatement - but one victory does not a campaign make. Now England will have to come out and repeat their success in the next few warm-up games to try to build the momentum ready for the real thing.