Strauss happy with 'pretty good workout'

West Indies A 574 for 8 dec and 16 for 0 drew with England 414 (Strauss 97*, Pietersen 92, Collingwood 82, Bell 52)
Scorecard

	Andrew Strauss is bowled three short of his hundred © Getty Images

England's batsmen took the opportunity to find form ahead of this week's first Test as the tour match with West Indies A at Warner Park petered out in a tame draw. Andrew Strauss, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood and Ian Bell all made fifties as England were dismissed for 414 late on the third and final day before the captains agreed to call time early.

"It was not an ideal work-out but it was a pretty good one," Strauss said. "We head to Jamaica with just about as much as we could have got out of this practice time. Clearly when the Test match comes along there will be a need to raise intensity and sharpen up."

Pietersen got the day off to a breezy start with a 53-ball fifty inside the first hour, including five four off one over from legspinner Gavin Wallace, and by the drinks interval he had almost caught up Strauss who was 47 ahead at the start. In all, the morning produced 161 runs in 30 overs. Strauss also found his touch as the session wore on, sweeping Amit Jaggernauth for six and then pulling him for four, but in the next over he played all round a legbreak from Wallace three runs short of his hundred.

Pietersen followed soon after for 92, bowled trying to hit Jaggernauth through midwicket, and when Owais Shah was rather dubiously given lbw for 9, three wickets had fallen for 28 and England were wobbling on 270 for 5.

Collingwood and Matt Prior steadied the ship either side of the interval, adding 80 for the sixth wicket before Bell was run-out for the second time in as many outings, calling Collingwood for a sharp single only to change his mind.

Graeme Swann edged Wallace to slip, and then Collingwood's 82 ended when he top edged an attempted hook off Kevin McClean and wicketkeeper Devon Thomas took a swirling catch. Ryan Sidebottom and Steve Harmison bothfell to return catches off short balls as the final three wickets fell for seven runs.

Resuming with a 160-run lead, West Indies A reached 16 for 0 in five uneventful five overs before both sides decided to end play early.