England ambushed by New Zealand in one-day game

By DAVID CLOUGH
Published on 18/02/2013 00:00

England were ambushed by injured Martin Guptill as New Zealand won the first one-day international by three wickets.

England were ambushed by injured Martin Guptill as New Zealand won the first one-day international by three wickets.

Alastair Cook’s tourists appeared to be on course for an opening victory at several stages, but, in the end, Guptill and New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum (69no) were and jubilant at Seddon Park.

England failed to capitalise as they had hoped, put in to bat first, on three individual half-centuries from Ian Bell (64), Jonathan Trott (68) and Joe Root (56). Instead, Mitchell McClenaghan – who was unable to complete his final over because of a series-ending side strain – finished with four for 56 as England ran out of steam on 258 all out. Then Kane Williamson (74) gave the run chase early substance before McCullum upped the ante down at number six.

But it was Guptill, after initially retiring hurt on three with a hamstring strain, who returned to remarkable effect at number nine to hit 24 runs from just ten balls as he and McCullum sealed victory with seven balls to spare.

There were four fours and a six in his unbeaten 27 and Cook said: “When you get seven wickets, the normal next man in is a bowler. But it was an opening batter who hits it as well as that, and he played very well.”

McCullum did even more damage, hitting six fours and three sixes from 61 balls. “He’s obviously a very dangerous player,” added Cook. “Whether he bats at the top of the order or coming in there at six, he’s very hard to bowl to. The trick is to try to get him out early. We got ourselves in position to win, but they got themselves over the line.

“We kept losing wickets at crucial times and never really got the partnership towards the end of the innings which could have got us up to 280 or 290.”

McClenaghan will have a scan on his side today, while Guptill will miss Wednesday’s second match. He will be assessed again today when New Zealand are planning to call up at least one replacement player.