There is still the slight matter of beating Sri Lanka tomorrow
in their final stage match. Ominously the hosts demonstrated their
form with a nine-wicket win over West Indies yesterday. If England
do fail to win that match they will be dependent on results
elsewhere to qualify for the semi-finals by net run-rate.
But they should be much uplifted by yesterday's triumph. After
two successive bereft performances, which seemed to be the exact
opposite of what peaking for a tournament is about, they found some
kind of salvation.
There were seven balls left, or the equivalent of a light year
in this format, when England won by six wickets. The key
partnership in overhauling New Zealand's total of 148 for 6 was
between Luke Wright, the direct replacement for, if not the replica
of, Kevin Pietersen in this tournament, and Eoin Morgan, on whom
relies any realistic aspiration of becoming champions again.
The pair put on 89 from 60 balls for the third wicket, which all
but took the match beyond the Kiwis. Wright made 76 from 43 balls
with five fours and five sixes. Elegance was not the first
adjective that sprang to mind for his assault, crashing the ball
straight and smearing it powerfully over midwicket.
England's target was well within reach because they had
contained their opponents. It was a pity that the superb bowling of
Steve Finn in achieving this was overshadowed by his proclivity for
knocking off the bails with his knee as he runs in.
England made light of it, New Zealand did not. It was decided
before the competition in discussions with the ECB that if Finn
erred he would be given one warning, with a dead ball called
thereafter. He transgressed four times in all yesterday.
Ross Taylor, New Zealand's captain, said: "I disagree with the
rule, it's a rule for one person. I think it cost us eight runs and
a wicket. Unless the batsman gets out you should just carry on. It
should be a dead ball once a wicket happens."
It is mildly embarrassing for England and a pity that it took
the edge off an emphatic win. As their captain, Stuart Broad, said:
"The number one point of it is that Finny's got to try to stop
doing it.
"Our bowling coach, David Saker, is pulling out whatever hair he
has left because of it – it's up to those two to sort it out. But
that's the first time it hasn't cost us."
Finn was superb otherwise and his bowling up front set the tone
for England. That he removed the two most dangerous sluggers in
Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum always made it possible that
New Zealand would score fewer than the pitch demanded. England, who
opened the bowling with the 21-year-old spinner Danny Briggs after
they left out Samit Patel, were usually in control. A late flurry
in which James Franklin was outstanding made the target
competitive, no more.
Wright is what he is. He already has two fifties in the
competition after scoring 99 not out in the opening match against
Afghanistan and was no doubt grateful yesterday not to have to walk
in after the loss of a wicket in the first over.
England managed to reach the fourth yesterday before Craig
Kieswetter was bowled trying desperately to find some way to
attack, and to find some form. He is a worry. When Alex Hales was
bowled by Nathan McCullum there was still plenty of work to do.
If it was Wright whose club battered most of the runs, it was
Morgan who managed the tempo of affairs. When the required rate
reached nine an over with 11 overs left he looked as though he
might take tiffin before dealing with it. Both were out before the
end going for glory but by that time the result was not in doubt.
Something similar will be needed tomorrow and for the next
week.
Sir Lanka's victory have been worrying for Broad and his team.
The hosts restricted West Indies, who had easily beaten England
three days ago, to 129 for 5. Sri Lanka overhauled that total for
the loss of only one wicket thanks to Mahela Jayawardene (65) and
Kumar Sangakkara (39) who put on 108 together.
If England beat Sri Lanka and New Zealand beat West Indies,
England and Sri Lanka qualify. If England beat Sri Lanka and West
Indies beat New Zealand, three teams will have four points and the
qualifiers will be decided by net run-rate. If England lose, they
could still qualify if New Zealand beat West Indies with three
teams on two points each, separated by net run-rate.
Pallekele scoreboard
New Zealand won toss
New Zealand
Runs/6s/4s/Bls
M J Guptill lbw b Finn 5/0/1/6
R J Nicol c Bairstow b Swann 11/0/1/15
†B B McCullum c Wright b Finn 10/0/2/10
K S Williamson c Kieswetter b Briggs 17/0/1/23
*L R P Taylor c Hales b Finn 22/0/2/12
J E C Franklin run out 40/2/4/33
N L McCullum not out 16/2/0/10
D A J Bracewell not out 2/0/0/1
Extras (b3, lb7, w4, nb1) 15
Total (for 6, 20 overs) 148
Fall 1-7, 2-20, 3-42, 4-67, 5-107, 6-146.
Did not bat D L Vettori, T G Southee, K D
Mills.
Bowling Briggs 4-0-36-1; Finn 4-0-16-3; Bresnan
4-0-29-0; Swann 4-0-20-1; Broad 4-0-37-0.
England
Runs/6s/4s/Bls
†C Kieswetter b Vettori 4/0/0/14
A D Hales b McCullum 22/0/3/15
L J Wright c Taylor b Bracewell 76/5/5/43
E J G Morgan c Bracewell b Mills 30/1/1/31
J C Buttler not out 5/0/0/8
J M Bairstow not out 5/1/2/4
Extras (lb3, w4) 7
Total (for 4, 18.5 overs) 149
Fall 1-21, 2-38, 3-127, 4-142.
Did not bat T T Bresnan, *S C J Broad, G P Swann,
D R Briggs, S T Finn.
Bowling Mills 4-0-23-1; Southee 2-0-32-0; Vettori
4-0-20-1; N L McCullum 4-0-22-1; Nicol 3-0-29-0; Franklin 1-0-12-0;
D A J Bracewell 0.5-0-8-1.
Umpires Asad Rauf (Pak) and S J A Taufel
(Aus).
TV Umpire S J Davies (Aus).
Match referee J Srinath (Ind).
Man of the match L J Wright (Eng).
England win by 6 wkts
How England can qualify
If England beat Sri Lanka and New Zealand beat West Indies,
England and Sri Lanka qualify. If England beat Sri Lanka and West
Indies beat New Zealand, three teams will have four points and the
qualifiers will be decided by net run-rate. If England lose, they
could still qualify if New Zealand beat West Indies with three
teams on two points each, separated by net run-rate.
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