Proteas lose to New Zealand, England thrash Bangladesh in CWC warm-up clashes

England and New Zealand clinched rain-hit victories on Monday in their final World Cup warm-up matches before they clash on Thursday in the tournament opener.

Defending champions England edged out Bangladesh by four wickets in Guwahat, while New Zealand claimed a seven-run win over South Africa at Thiruvananthapuram.

Both matches were decided by rain-adjusted targets.

Worryingly for teams and officials, only two of the seven warm-up games so far played have escaped the rain. Two were abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Chasing a revised target of 197 in 37 overs after Bangladesh made 188-9, England comfortably knocked off the runs with 77 balls to spare.

Moeen Ali top scored with 56 in a 39-ball innings peppered with six sixes.

For Bangladesh, who won the toss, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and opener Tanzid Hasan were in the runs for the second consecutive game.

Mehidy, who made an undefeated 67 in the seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka, cracked 74 with 10 fours off 89 balls.

Tanzid, the top scorer with 84 on the same ground against Sri Lanka, hit 45 off 44 balls. His innings featured seven fours and a six.

England, whose opening warm-up against hosts India was abandoned without a ball being bowled on Saturday, saw 6ft 7ins left-arm fast bowler Reece Topley take 3-23.

Leg-spinner Adil Rashid, England's leading wicket-taker in ODI cricket in the squad, returned 2-27.

At Thiruvananthapuram, New Zealand piled up 321-6 in their 50 overs against South Africa.

Opener Devon Conway made 78 off 73 balls with 11 fours and a six, while wicketkeeper Tom Latham also passed the half-century mark, his 52 runs coming from 56 balls.

It was New Zealand's second successive 300-plus total in the warm-ups, having chased down Pakistan's 345 in their opener.

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