Mascarenhas lifts England to warm-up win
Dimitri Mascarenhas battered a rapid 84 from 54 balls as England warmed up for Sunday's Twenty20 international with a 51-run victory over a Players' Association XI
Cricinfo staff
14-Mar-2009
Dimitri Mascarenhas battered a rapid 84 not out from 54 balls, and Ian Bell marked his captaincy debut with a determined 55, as England warmed up for Sunday's Twenty20 international against West Indies with a 51-run victory over a Players' Association XI in Pointe-a-Pierre.
Following the disappointment of last week's Test series defeat, England chose to rest a number of their senior players, including Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood and the captain Andrew Strauss, who has not played a limited-overs game for England since the 2007 World Cup.
But, having posted an imposing 299 for 8 and reduced their opponents to 100 for 7, England came uncomfortably close to embarrassment as Samuel Badree and Kenroy Williams compiled a 114-run stand for the eighth wicket to revive their team's fortunes.
England's spinners, Gareth Batty and Adil Rashid, conceded 86 runs in 15 overs between them, and it wasn't until James Anderson and Steve Harmison were recalled to the attack that England regained the initiative. Harmison, overlooked for the final Test, finished with 4 for 59 to boost his prospects of a recall.
After batting first, England lost their opener, Steven Davies, for 2, although Bell and Ravi Bopara both made half-centuries to give the innings a measure of momentum. The loss of three wickets in six overs, however, pushed them back onto the ropes until Mascarenhas, back in favour after missing the India tour before Christmas, clubbed nine fours and two sixes to provide the lower order with much-needed momentum.