Captain Andrew Flintoff impressed in his new role up the order as England warmed up for the Champions' Trophy with an emphatic victory over a Rajasthan Cricket Association XI at the K L Saini ground here yesterday.

Flintoff cracked 59 batting at number three while Warwickshire's Ian Bell scored 53 opening and Jamie Dalrymple 79 not out in a 144-run win.

The solitary warm-up encounter before Sunday's match against India in this city also resulted in all six bowlers used taking wickets as coach Duncan Fletcher got his wish for the majority of the squad to obtain meaningful action.

Flintoff's innings, off 53 balls, set the early pace as his second-wicket partnership of exactly 100 with Bell laid the platform for a decent total.

Flintoff's ability to beat the infield with sheer power resulted in eight fours inside the first two power plays - and he also flicked a six off his pads with consummate ease.

However, he refused to confirm where he would bat in the three group matches of this event, his first international action since the Test series against Sri Lanka early last summer.

Flintoff said: "You look at the depth of batting in the side and there are all different ways we can use the order.

"That is something myself and the coach will discuss, there are a number of different routes we can go down, and it is about where is the best place, not just for myself, but for the rest of the lads too.

"Whether I bat one, two, three, four, five, six or seven I am not bothered, I am just glad to be playing again. It is nice to get back into the middle, it was a long summer."

His first innings since an aborted comeback from his ankle injury in July began when Andrew Strauss was caught behind off Shalandu Gehlot in the second over.

Powerful drives down the ground were a feature of the 28-year-old's innings and the tempo was given an injection with his nonchalant six over deep square-leg in an over which cost seamer Afroz Khan 23 runs.

Bell, in anchor role, reached double figures in the tenth over when he caressed a cover drive four four before expanding his range of strokes.

The team's half-century arrived in the 11th over, yet the score had been doubled when Flintoff fell to a mis-hit drive, off the returning Gehlot in the 15th.

Bell fell shortly after reaching his own half-century - having hit a six over long-off - when he was caught at long-on.

Although England lost Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood, both sweeping at left-arm spinner Anoop Dave, to be 164 for five, Dalrymple showed his worth once again, initially alongside Michael Yardy.

Dalrymple went aerial early in his innings with two huge sixes off Dave. He hit four in in a one-and-a-half-hour innings in the heat. Left-hander Yardy batted intelligently for 44 before holing out.

Half of Rajasthan's team were dismissed inside the first 15 overs as James Anderson dismissed both openers and new-ball partner Steve Harmison took a wicket. All four fully-fit frontline pacemen bowled inside the first dozen overs and Sajid Mahmood's three-wicket haul featured before Dalrymple took two.

Flintoff, meanwhile, is uncertain when he will have a dual role having returned from surgery on his left ankle. He said: "I've bowled in the nets and I am quite pleased where I am at, to be honest. I feel I am at about 70 per cent and I have had no ill effects from the ankle. I will build it up over the next few weeks."

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