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England beat Queensland by 92 runs in one-day warmup

AFP
8 January



BRISBANE, Australia, Jan 8 (AFP) - Rookies Vince Wells and Mark Alleyne staked their claim to an international debut as England convincingly beat Queensland in Friday's one-day warmup for Sunday's limited-overs International against Australia.

In their first games for England, Wells and Alleyne top-scored as the tourists amassed a sizeable 324. The visitors went on to bowl out the state side for 232 to secure some consolation after their Test series defeat in Sydney on Tuesday.

Wells set the tone for the dominant England performance with 63 from 60 balls at the top of the order while Alleyne made 60 in a cracking 41 balls at number seven.

Neil Fairbrother contributed an unbeaten 49-ball innings of 56.

Alan Mullally saw off the Queensland top order. Then, in an amazing finish, Alleyne took four wickets in 14 balls -- including two in succession -- to cap a brilliant debut for his country.

The state side were dismissed in the 43rd over of the game, the final warm-up before the opening match of the one-day series with Australia and Sri Lanka.

Wells and Alleyne are bidding for their international debut at the same ground on Sunday, with the side looking for a number four batsman.

England should bring back captain Alec Stewart, Graeme Hick, Darren Gough and Dean Headley for Ben Hollioake, Mark Ealham, John Crawley and Ashley Giles who played against Queensland.

Nick Knight, who opened with Wells in a 128-run stand off 113 balls, is expected to open the batting with Stewart after his 58 Friday off 51 balls.

Wells' assault began in the fifth over when he belted Michael Kasprowicz into the north stand. Two overs later he pulled Andrew Bichel over the ropes to bring up England's 50 in only 43 balls.

Kasprowicz did not return to the attack after conceding 24 off his first over.

A steady stream of wickets during a bowling fightback by Bichel, who went from 0-38 from six overs to finish with 3-57 from ten, stemmed the tide. But England maintained a run-rate of just under six an over.

Fairbrother and Alleyne then finished off the job for the tourists in spectacular style.



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