NAPIER (New Zealand), Feb 19: New Zealand have taken the unusual step of revealing their masterplan to beat England in the fourth One-day International here on Wednesday, detailing perceived flaws among key batsmen.

A win for New Zealand would give them an unbeatable 3-1 lead in the five-match series while England need a victory to stay alive.

Although it is rare for a team to reveal tactics before a match, the New Zealanders say the shortcomings of England openers Alastair Cook and Phil Mustard are no secret while Kevin Pietersen is a liability for his partner.

Chris Martin will bowl around the wicket to Cook, creating a left-armer’s angle, keep Mustard tucked up and try to unsettle Pietersen with tight deliveries.

“Cook has struggled with left-armers around the world. It’s the angle he has struggled with,” Martin said.

“As far as Mustard goes, you have to cramp him and make sure he doesn’t have too many areas to hit to.

“If you tie him (Pietersen) down for a few balls he does have a knack of putting his partner under pressure because he likes to run a quick single.

“Most of the guys in the circle are aware their running has been pretty bad this series so if we can put pressure on him and make sure he doesn’t hit boundaries then he might run other people out.”—AFP