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BRISTOL, July 4: Stephen Fleming scored 99 to send New Zealand into next Saturday's one-day triangular series final with a six-wicket win over England here on Sunday.
New Zealand reached 241 for four chasing 237 with 16 balls to spare, Fleming stroking 99 from 125 balls before he scooped a simple catch to Andrew Strauss off Paul Collingwood.
The side chasing has now won all five completed games so far in the series and New Zealand, who won the toss and bowled, were helped by improving weather conditions as the day wore on.
Hamish Marshall added 55 to his match-winning 75 against West Indies on Saturday before he was run out by Collingwood after a mix-up with Fleming. Nathan Astle was yorked by Steve Harmison for a useful 53 after being dropped by Strauss on 20.
Andrew Flintoff earlier hammered his first one-day century as England recovered from a poor start to post 237 for seven. Flintoff, playing solely as a batsman because of a foot injury, hit 11 fours and two sixes.
He was eventually bowled by Ian Butler for 106 trying an outlandish shot over square leg. Strauss ably assisted him in a partnership of 122, scoring 61 off 86 balls before skying a Butler ball to Astle in the leg side. Butler finished with three for 57.
The hosts have not won a limited overs game batting first in 10 matches since the World Cup in 2003 and had an awful start when opener Marcus Trescothick (1) was run out.
Captain Michael Vaughan's (12) poor one-day form continued when he hit a loose stroke off Jacob Oram straight to Chris Harris, playing in place of the rested Chris Cairns.
England gave a debut to 22-year-old seamer Sajid Mahmood but he struggled going for 56 off seven overs. New Zealand qualify for the Lord's final with 22 points, with West Indies and England both on 10.
Scoreboard
ENGLAND:
M.E. Trescothick run out 1
M.P. Vaughan c Harris b Oram 12
R.W.T. Key c Hopkins b Styris 18
A.J. Strauss c Astle b Butler 61
A. Flintoff b Butler 106
P.D. Collingwood c Hopkins b Oram 20
G.O. Jones not out 1
S.I. Mahmood c Oram b Butler 1
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-2, W-9, NB-5) 17
TOTAL (for seven wkts, 50 overs) 237
FALL OF WKTS: 1-4, 2-35, 3-57, 4-179, 5-229, 6-235, 7-237.
DID NOT BAT: D. Gough, S.J. Harmison, J.M. Anderson.
BOWLING: Oram 10-3-27-2 (1w); Franklin 8-0-53-0 (2nb, 6w); Butler 10-0-57-3 (2nb, 2w); Styris 9-0-34-1; Harris 8-0-37-0 (1nb); Vettori 5-0-26-0.
NEW ZEALAND:
S.P. Fleming b Collingwood 99
N.J. Astle b Harmison 53
H.J.H. Marshall run out 55
S.B. Styris c T'cothick b Collingwood 1
C.D. McMillan not out 3
J.D.P. Oram not out 10
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-4, W-8, NB-7) 20
TOTAL (for four wkts, 47.2 overs) 241
FALL OF WKTS: 1-122, 2-226, 3-227, 4-231.
DID NOT BAT: C.Z. Harris, G.J. Hopkins, D.L. Vettori, J.E.C. Frankin, I.G. Butler.
BOWLING: Gough 9-2-37-0; Harmison 9-2-38-1; Anderson 10-1-29-0; Mahmood 7-0-56-0; Collingwood 7.2-0-47-2; Vaughan 5-0-29-0.
RESULT: New Zealand won by six wickets.
UMPIRES: M.R. Benson (England) and D.J. Harper (Australia).
TV UMPIRE: J.W. Lloyds (England).
MATCH REFEREE: G.R. Viswanath (India).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Stephen Fleming.
NEXT MATCH: England v West Indies at Lord's on Tuesday. -Reuters
