CLECKHEATON bowler Iain Wardlaw admits Joe Root's wicket is the one he will be targeting when Scotland take on England in the World Cup at Christchurch on Monday.

The former Yorkshire paceman is confident that he and his Scottish team-mates can cause a shock.

And he expects to have a bit of on-field banter with his former colleague, with whom he played during the seamer's two-year spell at Headingley between 2011 and 2013.

Wardlaw said: "I know Joe quite well. We are friends and I played a lot with him. I'm sure we'll have a bit of a laugh and joke and it would be brilliant to get him out.

"You always want to get one over on your friends and there will definitely be a bigger smile on my face if I snick him off.

"When I started at Yorkshire, he was making that step from second to first-team cricket. It's just escalated from there for him."

Wardlaw and his fellow Scots go into Monday's game hoping to recover from yesterday's three-wicket defeat to co-hosts New Zealand.

The 29-year-old former Yorkshire new-ball bowler attracted some warm praise for his 3-57 as Preston Mommsen's attack tried in vain to defend a modest 142.

Root and the England players take on New Zealand at Wellington on Friday and they will want to banish the memory of their grim defeat to Australia before turning their attention to the game against Scotland.

Wardlaw has little doubt that Root will be preparing for the match in his usual dedicated fashion.

He said: "When I was at Yorkshire, Joe was one of the hardest-working guys out there. He'd always be one of the last in the nets having throw-downs, like all the guys at the top.

"He's got the talent and he has done tremendously well. I'm obviously pleased for him how his career's gone so far."

And despite losing their opening match, Scotland remain confident of turning England over.

Wardlaw said: "If we play well, we can beat them. We have a great opportunity.

"I really feel that if we play at the top end of our game, we can win. If we can control our emotions, it will stand us in good stead."

England have struggled for consistency in limited-overs cricket for a number of years and there will be many with the opinion that Eoin Morgan's side are there for the taking.

Yet Wardlaw stressed: "We don't go into games looking at the other side's form. We tend to concentrate on our own.

"On the day, we can't control how they are going to bowl or bat. We have just got to do what we can."