England, New Zealand warm-up for World Cup opener with rain-hit wins

England and New Zealand clinched rain-hit victories on Monday in their final World Cup warm-up matches before they clash on Thursday in the tournament opener.

Defending champions England edged out Bangladesh by four wickets in Guwahati while New Zealand claimed a seven-run win over South Africa at Thiruvananthapuram.

Both matches were decided by rain-adjusted targets.

Worryingly for teams and officials, only two of the seven warm-up games so far played have escaped the rain. Two were abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Chasing a revised target of 197 in 37 overs after Bangladesh made 188-9, England comfortably knocked off the runs with 77 balls to spare.

Moeen Ali top scored with 56 in a 39-ball innings peppered with six sixes.

For Bangladesh, who won the toss, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and opener Tanzid Hasan were in the runs for the second consecutive game.

Mehidy, who made an undefeated 67 in the seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka, cracked 74 with 10 fours off 89 balls.

Tanzid, the top scorer with 84 on the same ground against Sri Lanka, hit 45 off 44 balls. His innings featured seven fours and a six.

England, whose opening warm-up against hosts India was abandoned without a ball being bowled on Saturday, saw 6ft 7ins left-arm fast bowler Reece Topley take 3-23.

Leg-spinner Adil Rashid, England's leading wicket taker in ODI cricket in the squad, returned 2-27.

At Thiruvananthapuram, New Zealand piled up 321-6 in their 50 overs against South Africa.

Opener Devon Conway made 78 off 73 balls with 11 fours and a six while wicketkeeper Tom Latham also passed the half century mark, his 52 runs coming from 56 balls.

De Kock hit on head

It was New Zealand's second successive 300-plus total in the warm-ups, having chased down Pakistan's 345 in their opener.

South Africa fast bowlers Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen took three wickets each but fellow quicks Kagiso Rabada and Gerald Coetzee went wicketless for a combined 90 runs in 14 overs.

Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson made 37 to add to his 54 against Pakistan but he will sit out Thursday's opener in Ahmedabad as he continues his recovery from injury.

In reply, opener Quinton de Kock smashed an undefeated 84 but his side fell just short of a rain-revised target of 219 off 37 overs.

De Kock, who will retire from international cricket after the World Cup, hit 12 fours and a six in an 89-ball innings.

The 30-year-old stood firm in the draining humidity and also survived being hit on the head by a Daryl Mitchell bouncer.

Rassie van der Dussen hit 51 off 56 balls while Trent Boult took an economical 2-20 off five overs.

The final round of warm-ups take place on Tuesday when Afghanistan face Sri Lanka in Guwahati, India tackle the Netherlands at Thiruvananthapuram while Pakistan and Australia clash in Hyderabad.

/KN/