91�ȱ�

Defending champions England beat Pakistan by 15 runs in their final World Twenty20 warm-up game in Colombo.

On a stodgy pitch, England made 111 all out from 19.3 overs, Luke Wright top-scoring with 38 from 36 balls and spinner Saeed Ajmal taking 4-14.

But Pakistan could only make 96-9 in reply, left-arm spinner Danny Briggs taking 3-15 and Jade Dernbach 3-14.

England's first match in the World Twenty20 is against Afghanistan in Colombo on Friday.

England have enjoyed an encouraging lead-up to the tournament, drawing 1-1 with South Africa in England before beating Australia in Colombo on Monday.

"It came out really nicely, which is pleasing and really good for our preparation," said Hampshire's Briggs, 21.

"It's good to go into a tournament with confidence, and I hope that can carry on.

"Some of the lads struggled towards the end - it was hard to manoeuvre the ball around.

"But we knew we were always in the game, with any score on the board, and the way we bowled in the second half showed that."

As in the 3-0 Test series defeat in the United Arab Emirates last winter, England's batsmen had no answer to the wiles of Ajmal at the P Sara Oval.

Jos Buttler (15) and Samit Patel (8) at least took England past three figures before Ajmal returned to take three wickets in four balls in the penultimate over.

But Hampshire's Briggs also found turn in the pitch, as did fellow slow bowler Patel, and Pakistan were unable to chase down the apparently meagre total.

England captain Stuart Broad was the most economical of England's bowlers, returning figures of 2-12 from his four overs, including a rare Twenty20 maiden.