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England cash in on lifeless WACA deck

Joe Root was the odd man out as England’s batsmen cashed in on a lifeless wicket in their three-day tour match against a WACA Chairman’s XI in Perth.

Ian Bell (77no) and Jonathan Trott (64no) combined for au unbeaten 133-run stand to guide England to 2-270 at stumps on day two in reply to the WACA’s 5-451 declared.

All of WA’s top-six batsmen made it past 50.

So, too, did England’s Michael Carberry (78), Trott and Bell.

But Test opener Root could only managed 36 before being trapped in front by seamer James Allenby.

Root averaged 37.7 with the bat during England’s 3-0 Ashes triumph earlier this year.

But that figure was inflated by his 180 at Lord’s, and the 22-year-old could find himself under the pump if he fails to fire in the first few Tests of this summer’s return Ashes series.

Bell was Australia’s nemesis in England with an average of 62.4, and he again looms as a major headache.

The 31-year-old cracked 11 fours and two sixes on Friday, and looked at ease against a WACA attack that was weakened by an early knee injury to paceman Burt Cockley.

Cockley was sent off for scans after breaking down midway through his third over.

And Tom Triffitt was also in the wars, with the wicketkeeper requiring six stitches underneath his right eye after being struck in the face by a sharp-turning Michael Beer delivery.

Although England’s batsmen looked in good touch, the same can’t be said for their pace battery.

James Anderson, Chris Tremlett, Steven Finn and Boyd Rankin were meant to feast on the inexperienced WA side.

Instead, it turned out to be a famine, with the quartet picking up just three wickets between them before being put out of their misery by the home side’s declaration shortly before lunch.

Queensland’s Chris Lynn (104), Mitch Marsh (58), Luke Towers (77), Marcus Harris (69), Ashton Turner (62no) and James Allenby (53) all made England’s attack look second rate.

England are set to be bolstered by the return of skipper Alastair Cook, paceman Stuart Broad, batsman Kevin Pietersen and spinner Graeme Swann for next week’s four-day tour match against Australia A in Hobart.

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