BLACKCAPSv England, fifth One-Day International at Chester-le-Street, Durham
BLACKCAPS 283-9 in 50 overs, England target reduced to 192 in 26 overs by D/L method (Guptill 67, Williamson 50, Taylor 47, Elliot 35, Wheeler 39; Stokes 3-52) lost to England 192-7 in 25 overs (Bairstow 83*, Billings 41; Santner 3-31) by three wickets. England won the Series 3-2.
The BLACKCAPS have gone down fighting in the fifth and final One-Day International against England, losing via Duckworth Lewis at Durham by three wickets.
The visitors – with half centuries from Martin Guptill (67) and Kane Williamson (50) and a blazing unbeaten cameo from Ben Wheeler (39 from 28 balls) – posted a competitive total of 283-9 in 50 overs.
Ben Wheeler hit two sixes and a boundary off the last three balls
Rain arrived during the lunch break and delayed play for two hours. The revised equation under the Duckworth Lewis method saw England needing 192 runs from 26 overs at 7.38 runs per over.
The hosts got off to a disastrous start and were 45-4 in the ninth over, but a belligerent recovery from Jonny Bairstow (83 not out from 60 balls) guided the home team to a famous victory.
Jonny Bairstow conjured his maiden 50 en route to victory
Bairstow, called in for the injured Jos Buttler, delivered a risk-and-reward innings, taking advantage after being put down in a couple of key moments.
With the victory, England ended the BLACKCAPS’ chances of securing their fourth successive ODI series win.
Kane Williamson (below), who amassed an incredible 396 runs during the five-match series at an average of 79, was named Player of the Series, while Bairstow was Man of the Match.
BLACKCAPS skipper Brendon McCullum surprised the English batsmen when he used rookie left-arm off-spinner Mitchell Santner to open the bowling attack.
The decision proved to be an inspired one, Santner claiming three quick wickets in the batting power play (and putting himself on a hat-trick) in a defining period of the match.
Firstly, Alex Hales (1) was caught superbly by Williamson at square leg, who produced a well-timed jump and held on with his outstretched left hand in the second over.
Williamson's grab was a stunner
Two overs later, Santner removed Joe Root (4), stumped by Luke Ronchi in his 50th ODI for New Zealand, and England captain Eoin Morgan (0) who went first ball when he was caught on the midwicket boundary by Guptill (below).
All of a sudden England was reeling at 20-3. The wickets kept coming. Ben Stokes (17 from 13 balls) came out and played his shots, but was undone by Wheeler when McCullum took a fine catch trailing back at mid-off.
BLACKCAPS debutant Andrew Mathieson, who became the 186th cricketer to represent New Zealand in ODI cricket and whose prior claim to fame was having broken the Ford Trophy record for most wickets in a summer (2014/15), claimed Jason Roy (12) with his first ball in international cricket when the opener was caught by Guptill retreating at short third man.
When Matt Henry removed Billings with a fine, diving catch to Ross Taylor at midwicket in the 18th over, the game was back in New Zealand’s favour.
Earlier in the day, McCullum had lost the toss and his counterpart and good mate Morgan was quick to say that his side would field first in the overcast, bowler-friendly conditions.
Rain delayed that start by 20 minutes before McCullum attacked from the outset of play.
He charged down the pitch to hit Steven Finn over the long on boundary. The English pace bowler would have the last laugh, though, removing him the following ball as McCullum played on.
Williamson, who became the first batsman to bring up 1000 ODI runs in 2015, helped restore the BLACKCAPS' batting performance with a 94-run partnership with Guptill.
The 24-year-old brought up his 19th ODI half century from 63 balls, before he played on to his stumps looking to pull Ben Stokes to the square leg boundary.
Taylor (47 from 63 balls), became the first New Zealander to score 1000 runs against England in ODIs, while Guptill continued the momentum with a patient partnership of 49 runs for the third wicket.
Ross Taylor cracked another milestone
Grant Elliott hit 35 from 36 balls, but his wicket, which was closely followed by the dismissal of Taylor and Luke Ronchi (2), saw the BLACKCAPS lose three wickets for 19 runs and they lost momentum at a crucial stage.
Ben Wheeler hit the most important innings of his young ODI career when he smashed two sixes and a four from the final three balls of the innings to ensure the BLACKCAPS would post a competitive total.
In the end though, England would scrap their way to victory in front of a rapturous sellout crowd – they had got the better of one heck of a series.
Andy Mathieson is only the second BLACKCAP, after Shane Thomson, and 19th player from any country to have taken an ODI wicket first ball on debut.
