England start day four of the second Test needing 218 runs to win and with Andrew Strauss playing an array of neat shots Between the sloppy fielding and England scoring at about a-run-a-minute, New Zealand's Daniel Vettori questions the shape of the ball The first hour of play belongs to England as Vaughan avoids unnecssary risks and Strauss makes a tidy half-century Vaughan heads to the pavilion for 48, caught behind off Chris Martin who celebrates a much-needed wicket; England are 171-2 at lunch Although variations to the Black Caps' attack bring Vaughan's wicket, Strauss continues with a stylish display to bring up the hosts' 200 Kevin Pietersen survives an appeal for lbw and then blasts Vettori for six, the most aggressive shot of a 50 partnership with Strauss Strauss cuts another boundary, of his eleven, on his way to a four-hour century and to confirm his return to form A series of misfields, the form of Strauss and Pietersen, and the cold, windy conditions have taken New Zealand from dominant to done-for Hope stirs however for Vettori's men as Strauss is caught by Ross Taylor and Pietersen is run out by Iain O'Brien's fast, flat throw Another wicket comes close as O'Brien's off-cutters create two c&b chances off Bell, neither are taken, one an absolute dolly Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood both have poor, shakey starts but the pair respond with a series of cuts and pulls to the onside boundary Collingwood, 32 today, swipes a forlorn ball from Oram off his hip to win the match for England off the last ball before tea The batsmen cross to seal the win, incidentally denying Collingwood and England three extra runs as the ball goes for four Vettori sees his team lose a match they had looked like winning, while Collingwood hopes to have done enough to play in the next Test England coach Peter Moores congratulates Monty Panesar whose six-wicket haul in the second innings turned the game on its head Panesar is man of the match with second innings figures of 6-37 from 17 overs, and now has 24 wickets at Old Trafford in four Tests
|
Bookmark with:
What are these?