FATULLAH, Bangladesh, (Reuters) – Stuart Broad’s return to the England attack three days before the start of the Cricket World Cup has come none too soon for a side which still looks battle-worn and uninspired after its long Australian tour.
Only the fired-up fast bowler prevented a thoroughly embarrassing defeat yesterday in their penultimate warm-up match which ended in a slim 16-run defeat of Canada whose sporting focus is far more on ice hockey puck than cricket ball.
Broad, back from the abdominal injury which cut short his involvement in England’s 3-1 Ashes win and ruled him out of the subsequent 6-1 one-day series reverse, took five wickets in Canada’s 227 all out chasing a 244 victory target.
Apart from the 24-year-old’s contribution, however, there was precious little comfort for skipper Andrew Strauss who failed himself with the bat, out for one run off his fifth ball.
Matt Prior (78) and Jonathan Trott (57) at least milked some runs off the lively but limited Canadian attack but the continuing failure of Kevin Pietersen (24) to finish what he starts with a big score will continue to concern Strauss.
Pietersen looked on one of the few bright sides afterwards.
“Conditions were tough but there was some good stuff from our lads, reversing the situation,” Pietersen told reporters.
“It is nice to play here in a different situation after the fast wickets in Australia.”
Canada were left rueing what might have been — albeit in an unofficial friendly — after Rizwan Cheema took them so close with a super knock of 93 before Broad had him caught by Bell.
Paceman Khurram Chohan and seamer Harvir Baidwan helped themselves to three wickets apiece in the England innings of 243 all out.
Cheema said the result against the world Twenty20 champions could have been different had their top order batsmen not faltered.
“We lost some early wickets, otherwise we could have had a different match result.”
England, who are in Group B with co-hosts India, South Africa and West Indies, will play their first World Cup match against the Netherland on Feb. 22 in Nagpur.
Canada meet Sri Lanka in their Group A match at Sooriyawewa, Hambantota on Feb. 20.
England’s final warm-up is against Pakistan on Friday in Mirpur, the eve of the tournament’s opener in Dhaka between India and Bangladesh.
