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Cricket

Toothless England suffer one-day series defeat against Kiwis

28/06/2008

Another miserable batting display has seen England lose the final one-dayer against New Zealand by 51 runs and the series 3-1.

New Zealand posted a total of 266 from their 50 overs with Scott Styris smashing 87 not out and all-rounder Jacob Oram chipping in with a quick-fire 52.

An opening stand of 53 from Alastair Cook and Ian Bell gave England a good platform, but another batting collapse saw them all out for 215 with only Owais Shah (69) showing any fight in the England cause.

England's day started well with stand-in skipper Kevin Pietersen winning the toss and deciding to bowl first. They should have had an early wicket as Jamie How miscued an attempted pull straight up in the air, but Tim Ambrose somehow managed to drop a simple catch.

How didn't stick around for long as he sliced a Stuart Broad delivery straight to Ravi Bopara at gully and he was gone for just 10.

The impressive Broad then had Ross Taylor caught behind at slip and when James Anderson had the dangerous Brendon McCullum caught by Graeme Swann at first slip for 23, New Zealand had slumped to 71/3.

Once again England failed to take advantage of a dominant position and Styris and Oram shared in a 77 run partnership. The worst of England's abject bowling came in the last five overs when the Kiwis plundered 61 runs.

England's top-order once again failed to shine as Bell (27), Cook (24), and Bopara (30) all got starts but none could go on and make a substantial core. When skipper Pietersen went for just 6, the writing was on the wall for England.

Shah played nicely for his 69, but in the end he just ran out of partners as New Zealand deservedly beat a poor England one-day side.