LUKE Wright hit 75 not out as England thrashed West Indies by nine wickets in their final Twenty20 warm-up match.

Following Tuesday’s struggle against Scotland they were ruthless and won with 32 balls to spare at Lord’s.

West Indies needed Ramnaresh Sarwan’s late 46 in 34 balls to reach 144-6, Adil Rashid the best bowler with 1-20.

Ravi Bopara (60) and Wright shared 119 in 12.2 overs, Wright firing three successive sixes, five in total, as 62 of his fine innings came in boundaries.

It was England’s seventh successive victory against the Windies in completed Tests, one-day international and Twenty20 games stretching back to the winter tour in the Caribbean.

If questions needed asking after Tuesday’s match, they were answered convincingly.

Wright played second fiddle to the in-form Bopara, who hit four fours in five balls off Dwayne Bravo at the start of the innings, but the Sussex all-rounder accelerated in dramatic fashion with some mighty hits, one reaching the top tier at mid-wicket, and reached fifty from 36 balls in the 11th over.

His innings was all the more impressive after he went eight deliveries without scoring, 31 then coming from 11 balls.

Bopara recorded his fifty in the next over with his seventh four and played another stylish innings before he was finally caught on the mid-wicket boundary, leaving just 26 needed from 46 balls.

England’s performance in the field was also sharp, and Ryan Sidebottom took an outstanding catch over his right shoulder at third man to snare a top-edge and dismiss Shivnarine Chanderpaul first ball.

Rashid came into the attack after six overs following the completion of the fielding restrictions.

The 21-year-old Yorkshireman was hit for two sixes and conceded 31 from his three overs against Scotland at Trent Bridge on Tuesday but bowled accurately with 11 dot balls and claimed the important wicket of Bravo who mis-hit to long-off.

Wright also contributed with the ball, and a quicker bouncer brushed the gloves of Xavier Marshall en route to wicketkeeper James Foster.

His perfect all-round day was in stark contrast to West Indies counterpart Kieron Pollard.

He had to carry on running to the pavilion after charging down the wicket for a single despite partner Marshall being anchored in his crease.

Then came his one over with the ball that cost 22, the final three deliveries of which were hit for mammoth sixes into the leg-side by Wright.

It was not the only blemish for the beleaguered Windies, Sulieman Benn at mid-wicket spilling a fiercely struck pull shot by Bopara when the opener was on 29.

Chris Gayle was in the West Indies 13 but took no part in the match, with Denesh Ramdin leading the side, but the big left-hander will be urgently needed for their opening match of the main tournament against Australia on Saturday.

England, by contrast, go into tomorrow’s first match against the Netherlands full of confidence, hoping that the balance of their team is much nearer where they want it to be. (BBC Sport)
WEST INDIES innings
X. Marshall c wkp. Foster b Wright 35
A. Fletcher run-out (Rashid) 18
S. Chanderpaul c Sidebottom b Anderson 0
K. Pollard run-out (Broad) 2
D. Bravo c Bopara b Rashid 13
R. Sarwan not out 46
L. Simmons c Anderson b Swann 7
D. Ramdin not out 16
Extras: (b-1, w-6) 7
Total: (6 wkts, 20 overs) 144
Fall of wickets: 1-31, 2-32, 3-49, 4-64, 5-85, 6-113.
Bowling: Anderson 4-0-35-1 (w-1), Sidebottom 4-0-33-0 (w-1), Broad 4-0-25-0 (w-2) Rashid 4-0-20-1 (w-1), Wright 2-0-17-1, Swann 2-0-13-1.

ENGLAND innings
R. Bopara c Marshall b Chanderpaul 60
L. Wright not out 75
K. Pietersen not out 4
Extras: (lb-2, w-2, nb-2) 6
Total: (one wkt, 14.4 overs) 145
Fall of wickets: 1-119.
Bowling: Baker 3-0-28-0, Edwards 3.4-0-31-0 (w-1, nb-2), Bravo 2-0-23-0 (w-1), Benn 3-0-22-0, Pollard 1-0-22-0, Chanderpaul 2-0-17-1.