England win first game by one run

England opened their tour of Australia yesterday with a thrilling one-run, last ball victory over the Australian Cricket Board Chairman's XI.

England made 297 for five from their allotted 50 overs and then dismissed the locals for 296. Tail-ender Jo Angel was run out attempting a single which would have tied the game.

England opener Michael Atherton top-scored with 88 while captain Alec Stewart and middle-order batsman John Crawley also hit half-centuries.

Atherton's performance laid the foundations for England's middleorder to lash out against the Board XI, whose bowlers included former Test players Dennis Lillee and Bruce Reid.

Stewart smacked 74 off just 68 balls while Crawley belted 64 from just 50 deliveries.

The Board XI looked set to overhaul England's total as their top order made a brilliant start.

Ryan Campbell and Michael Hussey put on 87 for the first wicket before Hussey was caught by Mark Butcher for 32 off the bowling of uncapped English paceman Alex Tudor.

Campbell also fell to Tudor for 74 but Matthew Elliott and captain Simon Katich kept the runs flowing until Elliott was bowled by Darren Gough for 39.

Gough finished with two for 40 from 10 overs but it was Tudor, who returned figures of three for 62 in his first international appearance, who turned the game England's way.

Stewart said: "People say it's only a festival game but we came here to win it and if we had lost I would have been disappointed."

England start a four-day game against Western Australia in Perth on Saturday.