Spinners on top but England are denied

England enjoyed an encouraging workout in the first of two warm-up matches prior to the opening Test against Bangladesh with their pair of spinners bowling them to within a hair's breadth of an unlikely victory.

Left-arm spinner Ashley Giles and off-spinner Gareth Batty both claimed three wickets apiece as the President's XI, dismissed for a lowly 57 earlier on the final day, finished on 143 for nine to claim a draw after beginning their second innings 265 runs adrift.

With Yorkshire seamer Matthew Hoggard claiming six for 13 earlier to mark his England comeback in impressive style after five months out with knee trouble and Graham Thorpe finding his touch as an opener, it represented progress for the tourists with a week to go before the opening Test.

Thorpe, dismissed for a duck during England's disappointing first-innings total of 253, hit an unbeaten 47 before England declared when Rikki Clarke was bowled by impressive left-arm spinner Enamul Haque Junior for

But having dismissed their opponents, who consist of four Test players and the remainder under-19 players, for a lowly total in the first innings they were given a far more thorough workout when they began their reply.

Without the swinging ball to aid

19.

them, England laboured in the hot sun with openers Hannan Sarker and Nafees Iqbal sharing a 26-run stand before Kent's Martin Saggers had Iqbal caught behind by wicket-keeper Chris Read for 20.