England account for CA XI in ODI warm-up

Moeen Ali enjoyed his best day of the summer with the ball as England's run of 61 days without a win finally came to an end against a youthful Cricket Australia XI.

After Ali's miserly 2-28 from 10 overs had restricted the hosts to 9-258, England's top order all made starts as they cruised to victory inside 41 overs in their only warm-up match before Sunday's one-day series opener against Australia.

 

Alex Hales (52 off 39) and Eoin Morgan (81 off 76) also looked dangerous for an England side who were without the recovering Joe Root, after Victorian schoolboy Mackenzie Harvey had earlier played the innings of the day for the hosts.

It marked England's first win since they accounted for a CA XI two months earlier in an Adelaide tour match before the first Ashes Test.

After a disastrous Ashes returned him just five wickets at an average of 115 in England's 4-0 loss, Ali bowled with better control on Thursday at Sydney's Drummoyne Oval.

 

He claimed the hosts' top-scorer Travis Dean for 62 when he had him caught at cover and later took his second when John Dalton holed out at cow corner.

The only blight on his day came when he was caught behind second ball for one, late in England's chase, continuing his poor form with the bat.

Fellow spinner Adil Rashid claimed three scalps, but England's quick brigade of Liam Plunkett (2-52), Mark Wood, Tom Curran and Chris Woakes all went at more than five an over after Harvey unleashed with a 39-ball half-century.

In his first top-flight senior game, the 17-year-old lifted his fourth ball over third man for six off Wood and struck three more maximums before Rashid had him stumped for 59.

The innings came just over two weeks after the nephew of former Australian allrounder Ian Harvey had hit 136 off 130 balls against a Pakistan under-19s squad.

Earlier, captain Matt Renshaw - the only player with senior international experience in the side - blew his best chance to impress Australian selectors ahead of March's tour of South Africa when he was caught behind for 25.

Dropped from the Test side at the start of the Ashes, Renshaw has been stuck without a top-level game for the past month as he sits on the sidelines for the BBL's Brisbane Heat.

2017-18 International Fixtures

Gillette ODI Series v England

Australia ODI squad: Steve Smith (c), David Warner (vc), Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Cameron White, Adam Zampa.

England ODI squad: Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Dawid Malan, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.

First ODI MCG, January 14. Tickets

Second ODI Gabba, January 19. Tickets

Third ODI SCG, January 21. Tickets

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Tickets

Fifth ODI Perth Stadium, January 28. Tickets

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Tickets

Gillette T20 trans-Tasman Tri-Series

England T20 squad: Eoin Morgan (c), Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Dawid Malan, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, David Willey, Mark Wood.

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Tickets

Second T20I Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Tickets

Third T20I Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Tickets

Fourth T20I NZ v England, Wellington, February 14

Fifth T20I NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final TBC, Eden Park, February 21