England, WI, SA, Ireland win warm-up matches

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England, WI, SA, Ireland win warm-ups

Updated at 18:22 PST Monday, September 17, 2012

England, WI, SA, Ireland win warm-up matches

COLOMBO: England beat Australia by nine runs, Ireland pipped Bangladesh by five runs, the West Indies slammed Afghanistan by eight wickets and South Africa overcame New Zealand by nine runs in the warm-up matches played on Monday a day before the opening of the ICC World Twenty20 Cup.

Pakistan also defeated India by five wickets in a sensational warm-up match

Reigning champions England piled up 172-6 after being sent in to bat, with opener Alex Hales top-scoring with 52 off 38 balls. Luke Wright hit a 29-ball 35 and Eoin Morgan scored a brisk 30 from 16 balls.

Australia managed only 163-6 in reply against the tight England bowling despite a polished 71 off 51 balls from Michael Hussey, who hit five sixes.

England, who take on Afghanistan in their opening match in Colombo on Friday, play another practice match against Pakistan on Wednesday.

A middle-order collapse saw Bangladesh go down to Ireland despite Shakib Al Hasan's hurricane 52 from 23 balls that was studded with three fours and five sixes.

Ireland made 164-6 after being asked to take first strike, with Paul Stirling hitting a 41-ball 71 with five fours and as many sixes. Ed Joyce scored 39 from 36 balls.

Shakib and Tamim Iqbal (35) took Bangladesh to a comfortable 105-2, before four wickets fell for 21 runs to allow Ireland to bounce back.

West Indies opener Chris Gayle warmed up for the tournament with an unbeaten 65 off 48 balls as the West Indies eased past Afghanistan's modest 122-7 in the 16th over.

New Zealand skipper Ross Taylor hammered seven sixes in an unbeaten 75 from 42 balls, but could not prevent South Africa from carving out a nine-run victory.

South Africa rode on captain AB de Villiers' 54 to make 186-6 before four wickets from Dale Steyn restricted the Black Caps to 177-8. (AFP)

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