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England defeated New Zealand by 10 runs in a rain-curtailed Group A match to book a Champions Trophy semi-finals berth yesterday. |
Chasing a 170-run target, New Zealand had found it difficult to score runs from the beginning as they lost wickets at regular intervals.
James Anderson was the main tormentor for the Kiwis. With figures of three wickets for just 32 runs, Anderson kept chipping away at New Zealand’s wickets.
Anderson struck twice in same over to remove Luke Ronchi and Martin Guptill, leaving New Zealand tottering at 14 for 2 in 4 overs.
Tim Bresnan added to New Zealand’s woes by dismissing Ross Taylor and gave England an early edge.
Ravi Bopara also joined the party, removing Brendon McCullum and James Franklin in his successive overs to reduce the Kiwis to 62 for 5 in 13.5 overs.
Kane Williamson was New Zealand’s only saviour. With his 67 runs, he gave a fighting hope to his team to pull off an amazing win. But his dismissal at the hands of Stuart Broad stubbed out any wish for a win.
Corey Anderson, who had given Williamson support at the other end, was also removed shortly when he slogged a Bresnan delivery and found James Anderson at long-on. With two settled batsmen out of the field, the game was almost in England’s hand.
New Zealand’s tailenders did not have any steam left in them to take their team to the finish line and under fierce English bowling attack, they surrendered to England.
Earlier, England captain Alastair Cook survived three dropped catches by Nathan McCullum to score 64 out of his team’s 169 all out off 23.3 overs.
Cook was dropped on 14 and 36 by McCullum, both the chances coming on the leg side from the bowling of left-arm medium-pacer Franklin. The third, when the batsman was on 45, was a simple chance to point off Williamson’s off-spin.
McCullum finally held a catch from Cook off his own bowling when the England skipper hit the ball straight back to him. The New Zealand all-rounder did manage to grasp three other catches and England fell away after reaching 141 for three in a match reduced to 24 overs a side.
Left-arm pace bowler Mitchell McClenaghan, New Zealand’s most dangerous bowler in the tournament, made another early breakthrough when Ian Bell (10) struck the ball fiercely but straight to Brendon McCullum at short cover.
Bell had been dropped in the previous over by Kyle Mills when Franklin failed to hold on to a lofted shot at mid-on. Jonathan Trott (8) was then caught by Nathan at mid-wicket off Mills. Trott’s wicket gave Mills a record 25 in the Champions Trophy.