Four-Wicket Win Seals Semi Spot For New Zealand

Four-Wicket Win Seals Semi Spot For New Zealand

New Zealand were celebrating as they bowled England out for 146.

©REUTERS/Andrew Caballero-Reynolds (SRI LANKA SPORT CRICKET) Picture Supplied by Action Images

New Zealand 147-6 (Guptill 53, McCullum 48) beat
England 146 (Elliott 4-31, Bond 3-21) by four wickets
Scorecard
ICC Champions Trophy Group B, Johannesburg

New Zealand qualified for the semi-finals of the ICC Champions Trophy, topping Group B by virtue of a four-wicket win over England at Johannesburg.

Shane Bond and Grant Elliott shared seven wickets as New Zealand bowled England out for 146 and an opening stand of 84 between Brendon McCullum (48) and Martin Guptill (53) gave the Black Caps the platform from which to get home in the 28th over.

Top scorer in England's innings after they were invited to bat first was Paul Collingwood, who after being offered a remarkable reprieve by New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori, could only make 40.

He was run out by Brendon McCullum after leaving his ground believing that the end of an over had passed, but despite the third umpire giving him out, Vettori withdrew the appeal.

Vettori himself only bowled seven balls, ending a last-wicket stand of 29 between Ryan Sidebottom (20) and James Anderson (4 not out) after Bond and Elliott ran amok.

Kyle Mills grabbed the first wicket when Andrew Strauss edged a lifter to Brendon McCullum without a run on the board and Bond then dismissed Joe Denly (5), Owais Shah (3) and Ravi Bopara (30) while Elliott's medium pace accounted for Collingwood, Luke Wright (4), Stuart Broad (1) and Graeme Swann (11).

Ian Butler, in the side as a replacement for the injured Daryl Tuffey, was the other man to have some success, having Eoin Morgan caught by Ross Taylor for nine.

On a cracked and uneven pitch McCullum and Guptill came out determined to impose themselves on the England bowlers and they did just that, playing aggressively and enjoying some good furtune.

Boundaries flowed, some from genuine shots others from edges that flew past fielders and McCullum hit four fours and three sixes to Guptill's seven fours and one six.

McCullum faced 39 balls and was dismissed when he was caught and bowled by Broad and although he then dismissed Ross Taylor (1), Elliott (3) and Gareth Hopkins (2), New Zealand held their nerve to get home, an unbeaten ten from Vettori and two from Franklin seeing them over the line.

Neil Broom also made a patient 17 at number three.

© Cricket World 2009

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