BASSETERRE (St Kitts), Jan 26: Kevin Pietersen put the confusion of the last month behind him, and Owais Shah made a strong claim for a place with hundreds in England’s opening tour match against St Kitts and Nevis on Sunday.

Pietersen hit 103 at better than a run-a-ball, and Shah was undefeated on 125, as England, choosing to bat, reached 424 for eight in their first innings at the close on the first day of the three-day match at Warner Park.

Steve Harmison made 58 in a late flurry, and Alastair Cook got 52 early on, as England plundered the inexperienced St Kitts and Nevis attack.

Leg-spinner Akito Willett, the son of former West Indies left-arm spin bowler Elquemedo Willett, still managed a career-best five wickets for 118 runs from 24 overs.

Pietersen was removed from the post of England captain, following a dispute with former England head coach Peter Moores, but he showed there clearly may not be any hard feelings, when he smashed 13 fours and three sixes from 107 balls.

Shah, looking to unseat Ian Bell for a place in the middle order for the first Test against West Indies in Jamaica, cashed in on the modest attack and hit a dozen boundaries from 169 balls.

England were away to a shaky start, when their new captain Andrew Strauss fell for a duck, when he fended the second ball of the match from Calvin Williams to third slip.

Ian Bell came to the crease and with Alastair Cook, the new England vice captain, repaired the early setback with a stand of 96 for the second wicket before Willett removed them both in the final half-hour before lunch.

Bell was caught and bowled for 36, and in Willett’s next over, Cook was bowled to leave the visitors on 118 for three at lunch.

Pietersen and Shah held centre stage after the interval, when they added 154 for the fourth wicket to add beef to England’s innings.

But Pietersen fell just before tea when he charged at a delivery from Willett outside his off-stump, missed, and was stumped.

Flintoff joined Shah, but failed to take advantage of a let-off and before he was caught at deep mid-on off Steve Liburd’s uncomplicated spin for 11 as England reached 302 for five at tea.

But the big all-rounder will take no further part in the match, after he picked up a left-side strain bowling in the nets. Stuart Broad will take his place for the remainder of the game.

In the final session, Matt Prior failed to ease worries about his batting when he fell for 16, and Adil Rashid made six before Harmison entered and scored all but six of his runs in boundaries before he was dismissed in the final over of the day.

England also has a three-day tour match against West Indies ‘A’ starting on Thursday at the same venue, before travelling to the Jamaica capital of Kingston for the first Test which opens on Feb 4.

Scoreboard

ENGLAND (1st Innings):

A.J. Strauss c Mitchum b Williams 0

A.N. Cook b Willett 52

I.R. Bell c and b Willett 36

K.P. Pietersen st Simmonds b Willett 103

O.A. Shah not out 125

A. Flintoff c Rogers b Liburd 11

M.J. Prior c Rogers b Willett 16

A.U. Rashid c Mitchum b Willett 6

S.J. Harmison c Boland b Mitchum 58

EXTRAS (B-3, LB-3, W-4, NB-7) 17

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 91.5 overs) 424

FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-96, 3-103, 4-257, 5-292, 6-318, 7-337, 8-424.

TO BAT: J.M. Anderson, M.S. Panesar.

BOWLING (to-date): Williams 10-2-35-1; Boland 8-0-56-0; Powell 14-3-39-0; Ward 16-1-81-0; Willett 24-3-118-5; Jeffers 4-0-31-0; Liburd 14-1-54-1; Mitchum 1.5-0-5-1.

ST KITTS INVITATIONAL XI:

N.A. Boland, T.R. Ward, K.K. Tyson, C.L. Rogers, J.M. Simmonds, A.E. Willett, E.J. Powell, S.M. Jeffers, J.A. Mitchum, S.S.W. Liburd, C.A. Williams.

UMPIRES: A.L. Kelly and W. Mitchum. —Agencies