At Chester-le-Street, June 15. England won by 114 runs. Toss: New Zealand. One-day international
debuts: T. R. Ambrose; T. G. Southee.
England carried their winning momentum from the Tests and Twenty20 international into the
50-over series, and once again Pietersen sent the crowd home with something to talk about. His
sixth one-day international century, and first in England, contained an outrageous stroke that thrilled
the 16,000 capacity crowd and split opinions: some argued it was creative and brilliant, others
unfair and illegal. Pietersen played what became known as a "switch-hit" when he twice changed
his right-handed stance and grip to those of a left-hander just as the bowler - Styris - approached
his delivery stride. The result was two sixes, one over what had become midwicket, the other over
what was now long-on.
The sight of Collingwood trying vainly to reverse-sweep, and the fact that
Styris had only one boundary fielder on the off side for his off-cutters, spurred Pietersen to try
a shot he had been grooving in the nets and had used in the inaugural World Twenty20 against
Zimbabwe less than a year before. Yet, such was the reaction that within 48 hours MCC, custodians
of the Laws, issued a statement that the shot was acceptable. Pietersen, with 110 off 112 balls,
and Collingwood, finding form at last, laid the foundations of England's impressive 307 for five,
and Shah topped it off with a free-wheeling 25-ball 49. New Zealand's timid reply was ended by
local hero Collingwood taking four wickets in two overs.
Man of the Match: K. P. Pietersen.