England thrashed in Mumbai tour game

England's brittle batting was exposed once again when they crashed to a 124-run defeat against a scratch Mumbai side in a one-day warm-up game here on Tuesday.

Chasing a modest 223, the visitors slumped to 98 all out in 25 overs to set alarm bells ringing ahead of the real action, which starts in Rajkot on Friday with the first of seven one-day internationals.

Local seamer Khsemal Waingankar picked up 5-37 as the tourists lost their top five batsmen for 33 runs in a collapse reminiscent of their recent Twenty20 drubbing in Antigua when they were bowled out for 99.

Waingankar had played in just one first-class game prior to Tuesday's outing at the Brabourne stadium.

England captain Kevin Pietersen afterwards tried to downplay his side's failure against unimpressive opposition.

"I think the guys are all right," he said. "Today and what happened the other day doesn't really count in the grand scheme of things. What counts is the internationals.

"This really doesn't matter, but it has taught us a few quick lessons."

The England bowlers did well to restrict Mumbai President's XI to 222-7 off 50 overs after electing to field with paceman Steve Harmison and left-arm spinner Samit Patel picking two wickets each.

The local team owed their total to Sushant Marathe, who struck a fine 65 with seven fours, and opener Paul Valthaty, who made a patient 44 off 75 balls. Shoaib Shaikh boosted the total further with a cameo 35-ball 37.

The visitors struggled from early in their innings when in-form opener Ian Bell, who made 58 in the side's 122-run victory in the opening tour match here on Sunday, was caught behind off Waingankar for six.

Pietersen was out for a duck, trapped leg before by Waingankar who also accounted for Patel (13), Ravi Bopara (nine) and Luke Wright (one).

Andrew Flintoff failed to sustain the form that saw him smash an unbeaten century in Sunday's game, edging behind off Rahil Shaikh having made just five.

The Rajkot one-dayer will be followed by matches in Indore (Nov 17), Kanpur (Nov 20), Bangalore (Nov 23), Cuttack (Nov 26), Guwahati (Nov 29) and New Delhi (Dec 2).

The one-day series will be followed by two Tests in Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

Brief Scores:

Mumbai Cricket Association XI: 222-7 in 50 overs (S. Marathe 65, P. Valthaty 44; S. Harmison 2-38, S. Patel 2-50)

England XI: 98 all out in 25 overs (G. Swann 24 n.o.; K. Waingankar 5-37).

MUMBAI, Wednesday AFP