Luke, Finn and Morgan script English win
Defending champions England outclassed New Zealand by six wickets in a crucial ICC Twenty20 Super Eight encounter played at the Pallekele Stadium yesterday to keep alive their hopes of booking a berth to the semi finals. The two teams came into the game on a must win situation having lost their opening matches with New Zealand to Sri Lanka and England to West Indies.
Englishman Luke Wright in full flight against New Zealand. - Pic by Amila Gamage
Luke Wright did the right job for England when he made a blistering 43 ball knock of 76 and then was associated in a 89 runs partnership for the third wicket with Eoin Morgan in just 60 balls which paved the way for England’s victory enabling them reach the target of 149 runs with seven balls to spare. Wright’s knock comprised five boundaries and five towering sixes.
England in their run chase too found handling the New Zealand bowlers a bit difficult in the early stages of the innings, but the appearance of their hero Wright changed the complexion in their approach as they began chalking up runs with the minimum of fuss with Wright and Morgan having things their own way. Morgan supported his partner with a knock of 30 inclusive of a boundary and a six.
Earlier in the day New Zealand taking first lease of the wicket after skipper Ross Taylor won the toss was propped up by a breezy half ton by James Franklin after being made to struggle for their runs in the early stages of the innings. New Zealand was bogged down by the England bowlers when they lost their first wicket in the third ball of the second over with the score on seven that of Martin Guptil having made a contribution of just five runs.
Though they were making steady progress the runs was not getting into the scoreboard the way they wished to have and to make matters worse they lost the wickets of Brendon McCallum and Ron Nicol was badly placed on 42 for 3 in the seventh over. At the halfway stage of the innings New Zealand had compiled only 58 runs with the top three batsmen back in the pavilion. A brief 25 runs stand for the fourth wicket between Kane Williamson and skipper Ross Taylor came to an end with the dismissal of Williamson which saw them slid to 67 for 4 in the 12th over.
It was from here that Franklin came into action when he joined his skipper began a rescue act and with New Zealand being perilously placed on 80 for 4 in the 14th over. Franklin opened up the floodgates at this stage as he slammed the first six of his sides innings and went on to send the ball to the ropes on a few occasions which saw them accelerate their run rate before the duo was separated with the dismissal of Taylor having put on a valuable 30 runs for the fifth wicket.
But Franklin undeterred continued his scoring spree and in the process slammed his second six of the match and his unfortunate run out in the last over after having made a 33 ball 50 which comprised four boundaries and two sixes helped New Zealand make respectable score of 148 for 6. In fact the final six overs saw them accumulate 68 runs in contrast to the slow scoring in the early stages of the innings.
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