Colombo, Sep 17: Reigning Champions England, along with Ireland, South Africa and West Indies today won their warm-up matches played a day before the opening of ICC World Twenty20 Cup tournament here.
England defeated Australia by nine runs, with opener Alex Hales scoring 52 runs off 38 balls. Luke Wright made 35 runs from 29 balls while Eoin Morgan scored 30 runs from 16 balls.
Replying to England's 172 for 6, Australia managed to make 163 for 6 in 20 overs in the face of tight English bowling.
Michael Hussey hit five sixes to make 71 runs from 51 balls. England face minnows Afghanistan on Friday.
West Indies batsman Chris Gayle made 65 not out off 48 balls against Afghanistan, winning the warm up match by eight wickets.
Afghanistan had made 122 for 7 in 20 overs, and West Indies achieved their target in the 16th over.
South Africa beat New Zealand by 9 runs despite captain Ross Taylor making 75 runs off 42 balls. Dale Steyn took four wickets to restrict the Kiwis at 177 for 8. Captain A B de Villiers made 54 runs for the winning team.
Ireland scraped past Bangladesh by five runs. Bangladesh faced a middle order collapse despite Shakib Al Hasan's 52 runs off 23 balls, which included three fours and five sixes.
Batting first, Ireland made 164 for 6. Paul Stirling made 71 runs off 41 balls with five fours and five sixes. Shakib alongwith Tamim Iqbal, who made 35 runs, took their team to 105 for 2, but soon after four wickets fell for 21 runs, and Ireland grabbed the opportunity.
