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BSP-07
CRICKET-NZL-ENG
Tight New Zealand bowling restricts England to 234
WELLINGTON, March 3, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Tight bowling by part-timer Colin de
Grandhomme saw New Zealand restrict England to 234 in the third one-day
international in Wellington on Saturday.
On a wicket that did not appear to hold many demons, De Grandhomme
finished with one for 24 off 10 overs with his medium pacers.
With the series level at one-all after the first two games, New Zealand
elected to bowl after winning the toss and took immediate control.
Most of the England batsmen reached double figures but they were unable to
dominate with captain Eoin Morgan top scoring with 48.
Jos Buttler managed to attack the bowling until Ish Sodhi, the most
successful of the New Zealand bowlers with three wickets, had him caught
behind for 29 off 23 deliveries.
At the top of the order, openers Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy struggled
from the start and when Trent Boult claimed Roy’s wicket for 15 at the end of
the eighth over, England were 25 for one.
New Zealand introduced the spin of Mitch Santner in the 11th over, with
England 36 for one, and on his fifth ball Joe Root had a life when he drove a
long hop to midwicket where Williamson dropped a one-handed catch attempt.
But Root was to add just 11 more runs before he charged at de Grandhomme
and only managed to loft the ball to Sodhi at mid-off.
Sodhi came into his own when he bowled Bairstow for 19 just as the England
opener was starting to look comfortable after spending 16 overs patiently
settling in.
The tourists were then three for 68 in the 17th over and the run rate
slowed when Ben Stokes joined Eoin Morgan. They managed only five runs in
their first three overs together.
Stokes, the England hero when they won the second ODI three days ago, was
sadly out of sorts with nine runs off the first 24 deliveries he faced, while
Morgan picked up ones, twos and the occasional boundary at the other end.
But on 48, after facing 71 deliveries, the England captain was bowled by a
Tim Southee delivery that did not deviate off its line.
As England moved to 166 for four with 10 overs to face, Stokes’ patience
ran out and when he tried to pick up the pace, he lifted Sodhi to long off
and was gone for 38 off 73 balls.
Jos Buttler refused to be confined but could only manage 29, while Moeen
Ali cracked 23 before he was the first of three tailenders to be run out in a
late search for runs.
BSS/AFP/MR/1044 hrs