BASSETERRE (ST Kitts), Jan 28: England captain Andrew Strauss made a century to lead the touring side to a 217-run victory over St Kitts Invitational XI in the opening match of their West Indies tour on Tuesday.

Strauss, who was out for a second-ball duck in the first innings, struck 103 from 116 balls before retiring in England’s second innings total of 265 for five declared.

Ian Bell, vying with Owais Shah for the number three spot in the four-Test series against West Indies, scored 52.Left-arm spinner Monty Panesar took three wickets for a match haul of seven as the St Kitts Invitational XI collapsed to 221 all out shortly before the close on the third and final day.

Shah, who scored an unbeaten 125 in England’s first innings 424 for eight declared, will have further checks after scratching the cornea of his left eye.

England meet West Indies ‘A’ in another three-day match on Thursday before the first Test starts in Kingston, Jamaica next Wednesday.

Scoreboard

ENGLAND (1st Innings) 424-8 declared (O.A. Shah 125 not out, K.P. Pietersen 103, S.J. Harmison 58, A.N. Cook 52; A.E. Willett 5-118).

ST KITTS INVITATIONAL XI (1st Innings) 251 (C.L. Rogers 63; M.S. Panesar 4-53).

ENGLAND (2nd Innings, overnight 118-0):

A.J. Strauss retired out 103

A.N. Cook retired out 50

I.R. Bell c Turner b Smithen 52

M.J. Prior run out 3

S.C.J. Broad c Smithen b Berridge 35

J.M. Anderson not out 7

A.U. Rashid not out 3

EXTRAS (B-6, LB-1, W-1, NB-4) 12

TOTAL (for five decl, 58 overs) 265

FALL OF WKTS: 1-118, 2-179, 3-189, 4-238, 5-252.

BOWLING: Williams 3-0-23-0; Boland 5-0-30-0; Willett 7-0-38-0; Powell 6-0-20-0; Liburd 5-0-27-0; Turner 7-2-20-0; Ward 9-0-30-0; Smithen 7-2-29-1; Berridge 9-1-41-1.

ST KITTS XI (2nd Innings):

S.M. Jeffers c Harmison b Broad 41

K.K. Tyson c Strauss b Harmison 5

S.S.W. Liburd lbw b Broad 10

C.L. Rogers c Ambrose b Panesar 79

J.A. Mitchum c Anderson b Pietersen 30

A.E. Willett c Ambrose b Panesar 6

E.J. Powell c Strauss b Rashid 4

T.R. Ward c Strauss b Rashid 6

N.A. Boland st Ambrose b Panesar 16

J.M. Simmonds not out 15

T.R.J. Smithen lbw b Anderson 0

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-8) 9

TOTAL (all out, 54 overs) 221

FALL OF WKTS: 1-16, 2-48, 3-79, 4-168, 5-172, 6-179, 7-184, 8-195, 9-220.

BOWLING: Anderson 9-1-33-1; Harmison 6-3-18-1; Broad 4-1-18-2; Rashid 15-2-67-2; Panesar 15-4-51-3; Pietersen 5-1-25-1. —Agencies