ENGLAND'S bowlers ripped through the Vice-Chancellor's XI at the Sir Frank Worrell ground in Jamaica yesterday to steer the tourists to an innings and 85-run win. (Scores: West Indies Vice-Chancellor's XI 119 & 70; England 274 (England win by an innings and 85 runs.
The hosts were skittled out for 70 in their second innings with Matthew Hoggard, Simon Jones and Ashley Giles each taking three wickets.
Jones finished with the impressive figures of 3-3 from two overs.
The composite side lost nine wickets for 29 runs after the openers had put on 41 for the first wicket.
They put up little resistance and they were hampered by the absence of Kenyan international Steve Tikolo who could not bat because of illness.
Coach Duncan Fletcher was happy with their preparations ahead of the Test series: "The two games have been very good for us because the guys have got out there and had a good bat and the bowlers have had to work hard for their wickets.
"Everybody has worked very hard since we first got here. The work ethic has been very good ever since we toured Bangladesh and it's very pleasing to see they have continued that on this tour."
Earlier, Graham Thorpe ignored his back problems to give England a timely boost ahead of the first Test against the West Indies next week.
Thorpe, whose Test place was in doubt because of a stiff back, fired a stubborn 55, which included one six and six boundaries, and guided England to a first innings total of 274 all out.
The main contributor to the England innings was Nasser Hussain who hit an impressive 86 before being clean-bowled by Jermaine Lawson.
He was joined by Giles after England lost four wickets before lunch.
After Hussain's dismissal, Paul Collingwood was out next for 14, off Jason Bennett's bowling.
The 21-year-old fast bowler also trapped Andrew Flintoff lbw for four and ended with figures of 3-72 off 14 overs.
But there was some better news for England; Mark Butcher's ankle injury is healing fast.
Initially rated as "extremely doubtful", Butcher's Test hopes were ranked as ‘50-50’ yesterday by physiotherapist Kirk Russell after he began jogging again for the first time. (BBC Sport)
VICE-CHANCELLOR'S XI 1st innings 119 (S.Harmison 4-17)
ENGLAND first innings (o/n 152-2)
M.Trescothick b Lawson 0
M.Vaughan c Bravo b Cunningham 66
N.Hussain b Lawson 86
P.Collingwood c Bravo b Bennett 14
G.Thorpe c Haynes b Willett 55
A.Flintoff lbw b Bennett 4
C.Read c Bernard b Bravo 0
A.Giles lbw b Lawson 2
M.Hoggard not out 5
S.Jones b Cunningham 13
S.Harmison c Nurse b Cunningham 0
Extras: (b-13, lb-2, w-1, nb-13) 29
Total: (all out, 79 overs) 274
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-149, 3-166, 4-190, 5-198, 6-200, 7-228, 8-261, 9-274.