Ravi Bopara took his opportunity to impress as England began their ICC World T20 campaign by coasting to a seven-wicket warm-up win over Bangladesh at the Kensington Oval.
Bopara (62), back in the England reckoning after a winter left to his own devices because of his loss of form in last summer's Ashes, completed a 44-ball half-century by crunching a straight-drive off Rubel Hossain for his sixth four.
The Essex batsman got his chance at number three, with Kevin Pietersen a late arrival in Barbados after spending a little extra time at home with his pregnant wife.
He did not disappoint, sharing stands of 45 with Craig Kieswetter and then 71 with Paul Collingwood to help England ease home with almost three overs to spare and put them in good heart for tomorrow's second warm-up fixture against South Africa at this same venue.
After Bangladesh had chosen to bat first and struggled with the spin of Michael Yardy (three for 20) to set 126 for seven, Michael Lumb slapped a catch to cover off Syed Rasel to go early in England's reply before a fair assessment could be made of his and Kieswetter's new Twenty20 opening partnership.
But Kieswetter put his mark on proceedings with a six over wide long-on off Rasel's left-arm pace and then a huge maximum over long-off from Shakib al-Hasan's left-arm slow.
By then, Bopara was under way with a steered edge for four past slip off Rasel first ball - and despite a maiden from Abdul Razzak, bowling the innings' first over of spin, the second-wicket pair appeared set to negotiate the trial by lack of pace on an increasingly slow surface.
Kieswetter was undone, however, by a flatter ball from Shakib which turned and left him stranded yards out of his crease.
Bopara escaped on 30 when he poked a return chance back at Razzak but made no other mistakes - until he ran himself out with victory already assured - as he cashed in again on a ground where he made his maiden Test hundred last year.
Bangladesh had ridden their luck to get their uneven innings off to a handsome start, rushing to 39 without loss after five overs.
Imrul Kayes was dropped by Luke Wright, running in from deep midwicket, in the first over off James Anderson.
Mohammad Ashraful was then caught behind off a Stuart Broad no-ball, in an over whose first two deliveries went for 10 but in the end cost only 12.
Imrul was first to go, well held by a diving Lumb on the third-man boundary from an upper-cut at Anderson.
But it was the introduction of Yardy and Graeme Swann that predictably stalled the Bangladesh charge.
As wickets began to fall - six for 50 in 10 overs - the big shots subsided on a surface offering some turn.
Mohammad Ashraful was neatly caught down the leg-side by Kieswetter in Yardy's first over - and the Sussex strangler soon had two more, Aftab Ahmed holing out in the leg-side deep and Shakib playing on as he moved out of his crease to try to alter the length.
From 88 for five at the 15-over mark, Bangladesh were indebted to Mahmudullah's sensible and unbeaten 38.
It was a bonus when he counted two boundaries to fine-leg from the last two deliveries, bowled by Tim Bresnan. In the end, though, it was a target which barely got England's batsmen out of a canter.
Meanwhile, South Africa made a winning start to their campaign at the ICC World Twenty20 as they beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in their first warm-up match at the Kensington Oval.
South Africa made a winning start to their campaign at the ICC World Twenty20 as they beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in their first warm-up match at the Kensington Oval.
Chamara Kapugedera (61no) helped Sri Lanka recover from 24 for four to post 137 for eight.
But it was not enough, a 61-run fifth-wicket stand from 33 balls between Mark Boucher and Johan Botha keeping South Africa on course for victory which they reached with three balls to spare.
England, South Africa win warm-ups
Ravi Bopara took his opportunity to impress as England began their ICC World T20 campaign by coasting to a seven-wicket warm-up win over Bangladesh at the Kensington Oval.
Bopara (62), back in the England reckoning after a winter left to his own devices because of his loss of form in last summer's Ashes, completed a 44-ball half-century by crunching a straight-drive off Rubel Hossain for his sixth four.
The Essex batsman got his chance at number three, with Kevin Pietersen a late arrival in Barbados after spending a little extra time at home with his pregnant wife.
He did not disappoint, sharing stands of 45 with Craig Kieswetter and then 71 with Paul Collingwood to help England ease home with almost three overs to spare and put them in good heart for tomorrow's second warm-up fixture against South Africa at this same venue.
After Bangladesh had chosen to bat first and struggled with the spin of Michael Yardy (three for 20) to set 126 for seven, Michael Lumb slapped a catch to cover off Syed Rasel to go early in England's reply before a fair assessment could be made of his and Kieswetter's new Twenty20 opening partnership.
But Kieswetter put his mark on proceedings with a six over wide long-on off Rasel's left-arm pace and then a huge maximum over long-off from Shakib al-Hasan's left-arm slow.
By then, Bopara was under way with a steered edge for four past slip off Rasel first ball - and despite a maiden from Abdul Razzak, bowling the innings' first over of spin, the second-wicket pair appeared set to negotiate the trial by lack of pace on an increasingly slow surface.
Kieswetter was undone, however, by a flatter ball from Shakib which turned and left him stranded yards out of his crease.
Bopara escaped on 30 when he poked a return chance back at Razzak but made no other mistakes - until he ran himself out with victory already assured - as he cashed in again on a ground where he made his maiden Test hundred last year.
Bangladesh had ridden their luck to get their uneven innings off to a handsome start, rushing to 39 without loss after five overs.
Imrul Kayes was dropped by Luke Wright, running in from deep midwicket, in the first over off James Anderson.
Mohammad Ashraful was then caught behind off a Stuart Broad no-ball, in an over whose first two deliveries went for 10 but in the end cost only 12.
Imrul was first to go, well held by a diving Lumb on the third-man boundary from an upper-cut at Anderson.
But it was the introduction of Yardy and Graeme Swann that predictably stalled the Bangladesh charge.
As wickets began to fall - six for 50 in 10 overs - the big shots subsided on a surface offering some turn.
Mohammad Ashraful was neatly caught down the leg-side by Kieswetter in Yardy's first over - and the Sussex strangler soon had two more, Aftab Ahmed holing out in the leg-side deep and Shakib playing on as he moved out of his crease to try to alter the length.
From 88 for five at the 15-over mark, Bangladesh were indebted to Mahmudullah's sensible and unbeaten 38.
It was a bonus when he counted two boundaries to fine-leg from the last two deliveries, bowled by Tim Bresnan. In the end, though, it was a target which barely got England's batsmen out of a canter.
Meanwhile, South Africa made a winning start to their campaign at the ICC World Twenty20 as they beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in their first warm-up match at the Kensington Oval.
South Africa made a winning start to their campaign at the ICC World Twenty20 as they beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in their first warm-up match at the Kensington Oval.
Chamara Kapugedera (61no) helped Sri Lanka recover from 24 for four to post 137 for eight.
But it was not enough, a 61-run fifth-wicket stand from 33 balls between Mark Boucher and Johan Botha keeping South Africa on course for victory which they reached with three balls to spare.