England open tour with win
09/01/2012
England's cricketers began their tour of the UAE with victory over an ICC Combined Associate and Affiliate XI.
After a first innings in which a middle order collapse saw the tourists declaring on 185-8, the bowlers struck back to leave the ICC team 164-9 before another declaration left England 261 to win in a minimum of 69 overs.
Andrew Strauss struck 78, but the rest of the batting stuttered as the visitors finally made it home with three wickets to spare.
The victory may cheer the England management, but leaves some of the batsmen searching for form, with the only major score in the first innings being 76 from Alastair Cook.
England play the first of three Tests against Pakistan this month, which may whet the appetite for the summer's Test matches at Lord's against the West Indies and South Africa.
The Test pitches in the UAE should be favourable for batting on, Middlesex batsman Dawid Malan told the BBC last week.
By Keith Prowse