England face NZ in crunch ODI today

Published February 23, 2008

CHRISTCHURCH (New Zealand), Feb 22: England have their tails up going into the One-day International showdown against New Zealand here on Saturday as they look to square the series in what promises to be a high-scoring spectacle.

Salvaging an unlikely tie in the fourth match has given the tourists the impetus they need to believe they can level the five-ODI series, according to match hero Luke Wright.

Bowling his first over of the game and final over of the fourth match in Napier on Wednesday, Wright’s six yorkers pinned down Jamie How and Daniel Vettori in a frantic finish.

Wright, who conceded just six runs when New Zealand needed seven to win the match and the series, said achieving a tie against improbable odds was as good as a win.

“From six or seven overs out the series was gone so to get a tie, we hopefully take a bit of momentum now, win the last game, and drawing the series will be a good result after the first two games,” he said.

New Zealand are in an unbeatable position, having won the first two matches and leading the series 2-1, but England believe the hosts were wounded psychologically by the way they stumbled in Napier.

“If we’d got in that position and got a tie it would have been pretty devastating,” said the 22-year-old Wright.—AFP

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