David Warner scored 74 and Clint McKay took four wickets, as Australia began its limited overs tour of the British Isles with a 102-run thrashing of Leicestershire in a rain-marred match.
Left-handed opener Warner faced just 78 balls with three sixes and five fours before retiring, as Australia made 8 for 241cin an innings reduced by rain to 41 overs at Leicestershire.
Several other batsmen got starts but the next best score was David Hussey's 37, with Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, the pick of an otherwise modest Leicestershire attack, taking 3 for 39 in nine overs.
Warner opened the batting with Matthew Wade (32) with the pair putting on 69.
He admits the partnership is a work in progress but it will bear fruit with more time at the crease.
"It just shows us what obviously the true conditions of England are," Warner said.
"We always think it is going to disrupt us in our game, but as professional athletes we just go out there and get done what we have to do."
Australia will look for more members of their top order to 'go on' when it faces Ireland in a full one-day international in Belfast on Saturday.
But the tourists had more than enough runs on the board against Leicestershire.
The Midlands county, set a revised target of 239 in 36 overs under the Duckworth/Lewis method, collapsed to 136 all out inside 30 overs.
McKay took 4 for 31 in seven overs and all-rounder Shane Watson 2 for 14 in three overs.
Fast bowler James Pattinson chipped in with 2 for 27 in six overs, as Australia cruised to a crushing victory.
Warner says the inclement weather will hold Australia in good stead for later in the tour.
"Obviously me and Matt are very similar players," he said.
"We are both aggressive as a unit out there. We probably have to work on our ones (singles) a little bit more."
After the Ireland match, Australia plays county side Essex before facing England in a five-match one-day series starting at Lord's on June 29.
England is currently an unassailable 2-0 up against West Indies ahead of the third and final match of that one-day series in Leeds on Friday.
AFP
Tags: cricket, sport, england, united-kingdom First posted June 22, 2012 07:23:41
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