short and wide again and that's a gift, punched from the crease through the covers
New Zealand vs England, 5th ODI at Christchurch, Feb 23 2008 - Ball by Ball Commentary
RESULT
5th ODI (D/N), Christchurch, February 23, 2008, England tour of New Zealand
New
NZ
Full commentary
Well, there you go. New Zealand's players jump up and down in celebration in an almost completely empty stadium. The official Duckworth-Lewis margin of victory is 34 runs and that deservedly gives New Zealand the series 3-1. The outstanding feature of the game today was Brendon McCullum's blitz at the top of the NZ innings which, in the end, proved far more important that seemed when New Zealand were coasting.
From Martin Williamson and Andrew Miller, it's goodnight. We will be back at 10.30am on Wednesday March 5 (2130 GMT on March 4) with the first day of the first Test. Join us then ...
end of over 3710 runs
NZ: 213/6CRR: 5.75 • RRR: 2.30
Ross Taylor41 (52b 7x4)
Daniel Vettori7 (13b)
James Anderson 8-0-65-1
Stuart Broad 6-0-41-0
8.55pm And the rain is heavily enough for the umpires to want to chat ... and as they do the batsmen are already heading off, and seconds later so are the officials. Out come some fairly limited covers/plastic sheets and their lightness causes problems as the wind is blowing across the ground and causing them to billow ...
9.15pm The men in red come out, have a chat and a giggle and head back inside again. The wind is blowing stiffly and no sooner are the umpires off than it stops raining ... so they turn and start back for the middle, signalling for the covers to come off and, on cue, it starts raining again! So everyone stands looking rather lost and waiting for it to either stop or start and not occupy the meteorological limbo we are in at the moment.
9.30pm It's just about stopped. Most of the crowd have gone home and there's not much sign of anyone dashing out to resume play. The cut-off is 10.00pm, so time is running out, overs are being deducted all the time and that suits New Zealand as they are miles ahead on Duckworth-Lewis ...
9.35pm The umpires come out again and the covers are coming off. The rain has stopped, a stiff wind is blowing, and the vast majority of the crowd have long since headed home. We'll find out the calculation any second ... it will be something daft like New Zealand need fours runs in four overs ...
9.40pm We will start in five minutes with four overs left. Now, listen carefully ... New Zealand are already past the winning target because of the overs lost but that might change if wickets are taken so we will bowl out the remaining overs. Clear? As mud ...
9.45pm And just as we thought there would be a brief resumption, the covers off and the stumps back in place ... we are told the game is over and New Zealand have been declared winners. The right result but a rather messy end to the series.
36.6
4
Anderson to Taylor, FOUR runs
36.5
1
Anderson to Vettori, 1 run
flicked behind on the leg side for an easy run
36.4
1lb
Anderson to Taylor, 1 leg bye
off the pad behind square on the leg side
36.3
4
Anderson to Taylor, FOUR runs
short and wide, he leans back and cuts, getting a thick outside edge but quite safe and it shoots to the backward-point boundary
36.2
•
Anderson to Taylor, no run
almost a carbon-copy ball and shot
36.1
•
Anderson to Taylor, no run
full on off stump, very correct defensive push back to the right of Anderson who leans across to field
end of over 362 runs
NZ: 203/6CRR: 5.63 • RRR: 2.85
Daniel Vettori6 (12b)
Ross Taylor33 (47b 5x4)
Stuart Broad 6-0-41-0
James Anderson 7-0-56-1
35.6
•
Broad to Vettori, no run
leans back and cuts with no real power to point
The rain getting heavier ...
35.5
2
Broad to Vettori, 2 runs
firm front-foot drive through cover, not timed that well and the chasing fielders overhaul it with ease
35.4
•
Broad to Vettori, no run
short on leg stump ... on another day with another umpire that would be called a wide
35.3
•
Broad to Vettori, no run
fractionally short outside off, Vettori plays a rather nothing cut under the ball by some way
35.2
•
Broad to Vettori, no run
too wide slanting away as the ball goes across him, not tempted
35.1
•
Broad to Vettori, no run
good line and length, Vettori into the right position to block
And we have drizzle in the air to add to the fun. Blame It On The Boogie blurts out ...
end of over 353 runs
NZ: 201/6CRR: 5.74 • RRR: 2.80
Ross Taylor33 (47b 5x4)
Daniel Vettori4 (6b)
James Anderson 7-0-56-1
Ryan Sidebottom 10-0-51-3
Did Vettori hit it? We may never know ... the replays are inconclusive ...
34.6
•
Anderson to Taylor, no run
good length on off stump, defended
34.5
3
Anderson to Vettori, 3 runs
flicked off his toes square, Wright makes a sprawling, sliding save on the boundary edge
34.4
•
Anderson to Vettori, no run
straight and full, defended
34.3
•
Anderson to Vettori, no run
the ball zips past the outside edge, a loud appeal from behind the wicket but Billy Bowden yet again unmoved. Anderson looks bewildered ... Vettori stands utterly stony faced
It's about wickets from here on in.
34.2
•
Anderson to Vettori, no run
tighter line, pushed to mid-off
34.1
•
Anderson to Vettori, no run
wide, angled across the left hander and Anderson might have had a nervous moment as he waited to see if he would get away with it
end of over 342 runs • 2 wickets
NZ: 198/6CRR: 5.82 • RRR: 2.81
Ross Taylor33 (46b 5x4)
Daniel Vettori1 (1b)
Ryan Sidebottom 10-0-51-3
James Anderson 6-0-53-1
Forget his first four overs - that's 3 for 20 in his last six. Good effort. Right, while I head off for a rewrite, he's Martin Williamson
33.6
•
Sidebottom to Taylor, no run
defended on off stump, Sidebottom pounces in his follow through, and that's the end of a very fine over
33.5
1
Sidebottom to Vettori, 1 run
dabbed out to midwicket to get off the mark
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