WELLINGTON, March 3: England stayed calm at the death to snatch a thrilling four-run win in the third one-day cricket international on Saturday, despite an unbeaten century by New Zealand captain Kane Williamson.
Williamson finished 112 not out, rebuilding New Zealand�s innings after a middle-order collapse provoked by off-spinner Moeen Ali, who took 3-36 from his 10 overs, and leg-spinner Adil Rashid, who took 2-34.
New Zealand had been strongly placed at 97-2 in the 21st over, chasing England�s 234 all out in 50 overs which was grafted on a slow pitch offering extreme turn and frustrating big hitters. Ali, who narrowly missed a hat trick, and Rashid shared five wickets to set in motion a collapse which saw New Zealand slump to 103-6 before it ended 230-8.
Williamson rebuilt the innings in a determined partnership of 96 for the seventh wicket with Mitchell Santner. England regained the upper hand with a piece of good fortune, when Santner (41) was run out at the non-striker�s end in the 46th over.
Williamson hit a ball from Chris Woakes straight back down the pitch and Woakes, on his follow through, deflected the ball onto the stumps after Santner had left his ground. New Zealand was then 199-7 and its hopes of winning appeared over.
But Williamson kept the hosts in the game as he reached his century from 133 balls. New Zealand came to the 49th over, needing 23 runs from the last 12 balls with two wickets standing.
Williamson tried everything but the odds were against him on a pitch which did not favour attacking stroke play.
SCORECARD
England: Jason Roy c Guptill b Boult 15, Jonny Bairstow b Sodhi 19, Joe Root c Sodhi b de Grandhomme 20, Eoin Morgan b Southee 48, Ben Stokes c Munro b Sodhi 39, Jos Buttler c Latham b Sodhi 29, Moeen Ali run out 23, Chris Woakes c Williamson b Boult 16, Adil Rashid run out 11, Tom Curran not out 2, Mark Wood run out 1. Extras: (2b, 2lb, 7w) 11. Total: (All out in 50 overs) 234. Fall of wickets: 1-25, 2-53, 3-68, 4-139, 5-168 6-184, 7-215, 8-222, 9-231, 10-234. Bowling: Tim Southee 10-0-48-1, Trent Boult 10-1-47-2, Mitchell Santner 2-0-12-0, Colin de Grandhomme 10-1-24-1, Ish Sodhi 10-0-53-3, Colin Munro 8-0-46-0.
New Zealand: Martin Guptill c Curran b Woakes 3, Colin Munro c Stokes b Rashid 49, Kane Williamson not out 112, Mark Chapman c Morgan b Ali 8, Tom Latham lbw b Ali 0, Henry Nicholls lbw b Rashid 0, Colin de Grandhomme c Woakes b Ali 3, Mitchell Santner run out 41, Tim Southee c Stokes b Woakes 7, Ish Sodhi not out 2. Extras: (1lb, 4w) 5. Total: (For eight wickets in 50 overs) 230. Fall of wickets: 1-12, 2-80, 3-97, 4-97, 5-98, 6-103, 7-199, 8-210. Bowling: Chris Woakes 10-1-40-2, Mark Wood 6-0-36-0, Tom Curran 7-0-49-0, Ben Stokes 6-0-27-0, Adil Rashid 10-1-34-2, Moeen Ali 10-1-36-3, Joe Root 1-0-7-0. � AP
