Cricket: Hollioake ensures successful start

A sparkling century from Ben Hollioake ensured England's Under- 19 team started their tour of Pakistan in style yesterday with a convincing 58-run one-day victory over Rawalpindi Under-19s in Rawalpindi.

The promising Surrey youngster, brother of the England A captain, Adam Hollioake, stroked an unbeaten 133 to take England to 273 for 3 after the tourists were invited to bat.

The home side always struggled to keep up with the required scoring rate in the face of some tidy English bowling, batting through their 45 overs for the loss of six wickets without threatening a victory charge.

Jonathan Powell, of Essex, finished with 3 for 38 off his nine overs, while Durham's Stephen Harmison also impressed, conceding just 25 runs in his seven-over spell with the new ball as Rawalpindi finished on 215 for 6.

UNDER-19 MATCH (Rawalpindi, Pak): Rawalpindi 215 for 6; England 273 for 3 (B Hollioake 133 no). England won by 58 runs.

ENGLAND UNDER-19 PARTY IN PAKISTAN: A Flintoff (Lancs, capt), G Batty (Yorks), D Cosker (Glam), I Flanagan (Essex), J Graham (Durham), S Harmison (Durham), B Hollioake (Surrey), N Martin (Middlesex), Z Morris (Yorks), D Nash (Middlesex), S Peters (Essex), J Powell (Essex), C Read (Gloucs), D Sales (Northants), A Tudor (Surrey). Manager: P Neale. Coach: J Abrahams.

ENGLAND UNDER-19 ITINERARY: 27 Nov: v Islamabad (one-day). 29 Nov: KCCA, Karachi (three-day). 3 Dec: v Sahiwal DCA, Sahiwal (three-day). 8 Dec: First Test v Pakistan Under-19, Faisalabad (four-day). 14 Dec: v LCCA, Lahore (three-day). 19 Dec: Second Test, Sheikhupura, Lahore (four- day). 26 Dec: Third Test, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore (four-day). 1 Jan: v Combined XI, Lahore (one-day). 3 Jan: First one-day international v Pakistan Under-19, Gujranwala. 5 Jan: Second one-day international, Sialkot. 8 Jan: Third one-day international, National Stadium, Karachi.