Moeen Ali stars with bat and ball as England XI beat Sri Lanka A Moeen Ali added an explosive 21-ball 50 to his three wickets as England began their World Cup winter with a resounding 56-run Duckworth-Lewis victory over Sri Lanka A. Moeen, who learned on the eve of this first warm-up fixture at the SSC that he was to replace Alex Hales as Alastair Cook's opening partner, made a remarkable start to his new job hitting a quickfire 56. Moeen's three wickets helped England restrict their hosts to 198 for six in a match initially reduced to 43 overs per side due to overnight rain, before the all-rounder unfurled six fours from the first six legitimate balls he faced as left-armer Vishwa Fernando conceded 25 runs in the over. Cook had played an opening maiden to Lahiru Gamage at the other end, but he too was soon freeing his arms on the way to a 54 - and Moeen completed his half-century with a huge six off the spin of Ramith Rambukwella over long-off to add to his 10 fours. Moeen went soon afterwards, mis-timing a steepling shot to long-leg off Gamage to end an opening stand of 94. Cook duly made it a half-century each for the openers, reaching his milestone in distinctly less impressive fashion - escaping a loud Gamage lbw appeal on the grounds, it transpired, that the umpire thought he had hit the ball and then picking up the second run he needed from an overthrow after a scampered single. Fernando's day got no better as following his solitary over, he spent 15 in the field before having to be carried off when he sprained his ankle. England were well ahead of the game, and still decisively so on 145 for two after 25 overs when threatening storm clouds sent them off for bad light. Opener Kusal Perera had given the home innings some substance hitting 56 runs - and then from 122 for six an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 76 helped Sri Lanka scramble to a score of nearly 200 on a stodgy pitch. After Sri Lanka A won the toss, Cook had the freedom to ensure all seven of his bowling options were used. Among them, Moeen and Chris Woakes were the pick - with only Chris Jordan providing significant cause for concern especially in two initial overs which cost 25 runs, the second containing three wides, a no-ball and a free-hit six over long-on for Perera. Steven Finn provided England's early breakthrough, with a very good delivery which had Kaushal Silva edging behind on the front-foot defence. James Tredwell took a tumbling catch to dismiss Niroshan Dickwella off the bowling of Moeen, who also made short work of former Sri Lanka one-day international captain Dinesh Chandimal. Perera was threatening to give England's bowlers a more thorough examination and brought up the Sri Lankan 100 to register his own 67-ball 50 but he ramped an upper-cut straight to third man in Finn's next over before Moeen once again struck when Thilina Kandamby made the second duck of the innings - poking a simple catch to cover. Ben Stokes had a flat-footed Ashan Priyanjan edging a wide one behind - and although Jeevan Mendis and Rambukwella batted sensibly together, England bowled well enough in the powerplay to keep the situation under control, before Moeen led England's response with the bat.