Warne spins into form with three

TAUNTON, MAY 12: The irrepressible Shane Warne strode back into centre stage today with three wickets as Australia completed their World ...

TAUNTON, MAY 12: The irrepressible Shane Warne strode back into centre stage today with three wickets as Australia completed their World Cup warm-up with a workman-like win over Somerset.

Warne ripped out the county side’s top order, removing three of the four top batsmen. The leg-spinner took wickets in his second, fourth and sixth overs.

McMillan storm

ARUNDEL: Craig McMillan added to his growing reputation as high-speed run-getter as New Zealand completed their tournament practice matches with a third successive win.

McMillan hit 95 as the Kiwis overhauled Sussex’s 219 for five with more than 10 overs to spare for a seven-wicket win.

Windies worries

LONDON: Fears that West Indian stars Brian Lara and Courtney Walsh could miss the start of the World Cup grew as they mysteriously failed to appear for the team’s final tune-up.

Questions over the state of Lara’s wrist injury have been raging ever since he declared himself fully fit on arriving in England at the end of lastmonth.

The team captain was absent for the third practice game in a row as his team-mates amassed 224 for six off 40 overs against Surrey in a rain-affected encounter at The Oval.

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Strike bowler Walsh’s absence has also raised eyebrows after he said he was fit to play against Gloucestershire at the weekend. Team officials, however, left him out, saying he had a knee problem.

Ricardo Powell took centre stage blasting 53 off just 22 balls in Windies’ 88-run victory over Surrey.

Results

At Arundel: New Zealand beat Sussex by 7 wickets. Sussex 219-5 in 50 overs (C Adams 73). New Zealand 223-3 in 39.4 overs (C McMillan 95, R Twose 56).

At Northampton: Northamptonshire beat Bangladesh by 44 runs. Northamptonshire 279-5 in 50 overs (M Loye 62, K Curran 57 not out, D Sales 50). Bangladesh 235 all out in 48.4 overs.

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At Taunton: Australia beat Somerset by 32 runs (Duckworth/Lewis method). Australia 243-5 in 50 overs (M Bevan 68 not out). Somerset 208 all out in 45.2 overs.

At Scarborough:Yorkshire beat Scotland by 5 wickets (D/L method). Scotland 126-9 in 41 overs (C White 3-15). Yorkshire 131-5 in 40.1 overs (G Blewett 57 not out).

At The Oval: West Indies beat Surrey by 88 runs (D/L method). West Indies 224-6 in 40 overs (R Jacobs 80, R Powell 53). Surrey 169-8 in 39.5 overs.At Old Trafford: Lancashire vs Pakistan (match abandoned).