text: England must have played against worse teams than this St Kitts Invitational XI but, after a day that descended into near farce, it is difficult to think of any. Warm-up games can be low-key affairs but there cannot have been many times when an international side have been pitched against a team as bad as this. St Kitts were simply shambolic, so bad that Chigwell Cricket Club could give them a decent game, and an almost tragic example of the steep decline of Caribbean cricket. They were simply not fit for purpose. Jos Buttler appeals for a stumping as England dominated the second day of a farcical match in St Kitts . Mark Wood looked lively in his early spell after he was brought in for his first bowl for England . The statistics will say that England, having bowled St Kitts out for 59 on the first day of their opening two-day tour match, rattled up 379 for six declared with both Alastair Cook and Ian Bell retiring out. Then St Kitts, given just one session to hang on, capitulated again and finished on 76 for seven, narrowly avoiding handing England a hollow victory. The match was drawn, just about, and it should also have been hung and quartered. The modern fixture madness that will see England play 17 Tests in the next 10 months makes proper warm-ups almost impossible and is one of the main reasons why home teams nearly always win Test series these days. But when they are as meaningless as this it is questionable why it is even worth bothering. England may have spent time in the middle but they may as well have just turned up in Antigua next week to play the first of three Tests. Wood celebrates his first England wicket, but he is probably still a way off getting a first Test cap . Alastair Cook acknowledges the crowd after making a century, shortly before being retired out . Jos Battler had a short go at attacking the home bowlers before England declared with a mammoth 320 lead . For what it is worth, Bell and Joe Root made untroubled half-centuries yesterday after Cook had moved to his first century for England since the Ashes warm-up in Hobart 18 months ago and promptly retired. Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler then had a bit of a bash before England declared at the fall of Stokes just before tea, the small matter of 320 ahead. Then, in a move which further devalued the authenticity of the ‘contest,’ England brought Liam Plunkett and Mark Wood into the match for a work out. Wood, the Durham fast bowler, looked lively in his first bowl for England off his minimalist run-up and earned his first wicket when he bowled Shane Jeffers but it is unlikely to be enough to earn him a first Test cap just yet. Gary Ballance looked out of touch, the only real problem for England in a very comfortable match . Liam Plunkett charges in as England reduced their hosts to 24 for six in farcical circumstances . When St Kitts plummeted to 24 for six and almost had a batsman timed out before he emerged just in time with the Velcro on his pads barely fastened, the home side’s embarrassment was almost complete. Yet at least they regained a semblance of pride by holding on as England gave their two spinners a decent bowl, Akeem Saunders and Leon Clarke doing most to keep England at bay. The only place in England’s first Test team yet to be decided, it seems, is between Adil Rashid and James Tredwell for the sole spinner’s slot and Tredwell was the clear winner here, taking three wickets to Rashid’s one. The Yorkshireman will need to have a very good second match to edge out Tredwell. James Tredwell (left) outperformed Adil Rashid in the contest to be England's Test spinner next week . Buttler makes an unconventional stop as England came close to winning the game in just two days . The only concern for England will be the form of Gary Ballance who looked out of touch before falling for 16, the legacy perhaps of a World Cup where he somehow became a symbol of England’s unimaginative one-day thinking. England’s desperate attempt to get as much as they can from the second of these two warm-ups will tomorrow see them bowl 90 overs at St Kitts whatever happens and then bat for 90 overs on Thursday. The first cricket score of 225 for 25 could be recorded at Warner Park tomorrow and the once proud reputation of Caribbean cricket will most likely take another hit. Truly, it is a sad state of affairs.
target: England reduce Invitational XI to 24 for six after amassing lead of 320 .
  Hosts hold out for a draw, but the game had descended into a farce .
  England will learn little from glorified net against woeful opposition .
  James Tredwell out-bowls Adil Rashid in contest to be Test spinner .