David Warner, pictured in May 2012, scored 74 and Clint McKay took four wickets as Australia began their limited overs tour of the British Isles with a 102-run thrashing of Leicestershire in a rain-marred match on Thursday.
©AFP/File - Raveendran

LONDON (AFP) - David Warner scored 74 and Clint McKay took four wickets as Australia began their limited overs tour of the British Isles with a 102-run thrashing of Leicestershire in a rain-marred match on Thursday.

Left-handed opener Warner faced just 78 balls with three sixes and five fours before retiring as Australia made 241 for eight in an innings reduced by rain to 41 overs.

Several other batsmen got starts but the next best score was David Hussey's 37, with Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, the pick of an otherwise modest Leicestershire attack, taking three wickets for 39 runs in nine overs.

Australia will look for more members of their top order to 'go on' when they face Ireland in a full one-day international (ODI) in Belfast on Saturday.

But they had more than enough runs on the board against Leicestershire.

The Midlands county, set a revised target of 239 in 36 overs under the Duckworth/Lewis method, collapsed to 136 all out inside 30 overs.

McKay, a 29-year-old Victoria seamer with 28 ODIs behind him, took four for 31 in seven overs and all-rounder Shane Watson two for 14 in three overs.

Fast bowler James Pattinson chipped in with two for 27 in six as Australia cruised to a crushing victory.

After the Ireland game, Australia play county side Essex before facing England in a five-match one-day series starting at Lord's on June 29.

England are currently an unassailable 2-0 up against the West Indies ahead of the third and final match of that one-day series in Leeds on Friday.