Mark Waugh leads Bradman XI to an emphatic win over England

BOWRAL, NSW, Jan 8 AAP - Mark Waugh led his Bradman XI to an emphatic win over England in their one-day cricket match at Bowral today.

Defying poor light and playing through light mist - or low cloud - Waugh made an unbeaten 108 to lead the Bradman XI to 4-285 in 46.3 overs in reply to England's 8-279 off its 50 overs.

Waugh brought up his century with a six over extra cover.

He took 92 balls and hit four sixes and seven fours.

He earned a standing ovation for his effort, which was a tribute to his sharp eye and natural ability in appalling conditions.

In near darkness, Waugh closed the match with another six.

While Waugh, batting down the order, enjoyed himself in the gloomy conditions, Michael Slater's dark mood was self-induced as he lasted just three balls before he was bowled by Matthew Hoggard for a duck to give his side the worst possible start.

Hoggard also bowled Brad Haddin (28) in an accurate opening spell.

Simon Katich made 36 off 47 balls before he was bowled in Ian Blackwell's first over - a nice symmetry given Katich, in his first over, had earlier bowled Blackwell.

That paved the way for Waugh to enter the fray just as a southerly change came through threatening rain.

Conditions darkened and the temperature dropped but the rain stayed away long enough for Waugh to strut his familiar one-day stuff, his half-century coming off 46 balls, hitting three sixes and three fours.

The prospect of an early finish spurred Waugh and Jamie Cox to up the scoring rate and they were always ahead of the required run-rate under the Duckworth-Lewis method had rain intervened.

They put on a century stand in 93 balls, as Waugh's team reached 3-200 in the 33rd over.

Cox (49) was out first ball after the drinks break, lbw to Adam Hollioake.

He hit five fours and a six in his 60-ball stay.

Earlier, Owais Shah, unwanted by England for the World Cup, scored 127 to anchor England's innings.

Shah opened the batting and, after a tough period, was dismissed in the 48th over with his score made from 154 balls.

He hit nine fours and two sixes before he was caught on the boundary by Stuart MacGill off part-time bowler Greg Mail, who bowled at the death for an impressive return of 2-11 from three overs.

England's innings was personified by Shah, who took 81 balls to reach 50 before scoring his last 77 runs off 73 balls.

England, slow at first, sparked into life in the final 10 overs, which were delivered by a collection of unlikely bowlers - part-timer Katich, guest player Mike Whitney, slow medium pacer Shawn Bradstreet and Mail, who is normally an opening batsman for NSW.

As a result, England blasted 91 runs off the final 10 overs - thanks mainly to Shah and Hollioake, who hit a quick half-century as the pair added 105 off 83 balls.

Dominic Thornely, who took 2-30 off 10 overs, and Mail, who took 2-11 off three overs and effected two run outs, were the most impressive performers in the field for the Bradman side.

England left out the bulk of its Test players, with Robert Key and Hoggard the only players from the victorious fifth Test side backing up two days later.