**Fleming sets the winning platform **](http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/CRICKET_NEWS/2004/JUL/008914_NWS2004_04JUL2004.html)
New Zealand 241 for 4 (Fleming 99, Marshall 55, Astle 53) beat England 237 for 7 (Flintoff 106, Strauss 61) by six wickets
An impressive 99 from Stephen Fleming guided New Zealand to a six-wicket win against England in the seventh NatWest Series game against England at Bristol.
A century opening stand between Nathan Astle and Stephen Fleming put New Zealand in an excellent position from which to chase England’s total of 237. The batsmen put on 115 in 25 overs, and though the required run-rate is almost five an over, New Zealand have all ten wickets in hand, and a good platform to attack from.
Darren Gough opened the bowling with a maiden, but after that Fleming and Astle got the New Zealand innings off to a good start. Both Steve Harmison and Gough were hit to the boundary in the first five overs, though they did beat the bat on the odd occasion.
James Anderson replaced Gough, who had just been laced for two fours by Astle in only the eighth over, and he provided England’s only chances so far. Fleming, unsure whether to leave or play at a ball outside off stump, bottom-edged the ball just short of Geraint Jones, the wicketkeeper. Two overs later, Astle, then on 20, smashed Harmison in the air straight to Andrew Strauss at cover, but he put the catch down and England missed a chance for a vital early breakthrough.
Sajid Mahmood, on his debut, came on for Harmison in the 12th over and was dispatched for two fours, through fine leg and long on, by Fleming to bring up the 50. Without ever really bowling badly, he went for 20 runs in the first three-over spell given to him by Michael Vaughan, as the batsmen targeted him.
Anderson was the pick of England’s bowlers, going for just 11 runs in his first six-over spell. Apart from keeping the run rate down, he beat the bats of Astle and Fleming on several occasions, and managed to squeeze some life out of a pitch that was getting better for batting.
After laying the foundation, Fleming started to accelerate, though the plan almost backfired. Twice he mistimed attempted lofted drives over cover, though the second effort, off Paul Collingwood, did go for four.
After giving him a few overs rest to calm his nerves, Vaughan brought Mahmood back into the attack in the 21st over. Astle greeted him by dancing down the wicket and lofting him over his head for four, as New Zealand were determined not to let Mahmood settle. Fleming brought up his half century, and New Zealand’s hundred, in the 23rd over with an upper cut off Mahmood. Astle followed that up with another four, as Mahmood’s second over after coming back went for 14, and New Zealand continued to dominate. England desperately need a wicket if they are to have any chance of saving this game. Just before the halfway mark Vaughan brought Harmison back on, hoping he would do just that.
50 overs England 237 for 7 (Flintoff 106, Strauss 61) v New Zealand
A magnificent hundred from Andrew Flintoff, his first in one-day cricket, lifted England to 237 for 7 in the seventh NatWest Series game against New Zealand at Bristol. After England made a shaky start, Flintoff starred in a well-paced and recovering partnership of 122 with Andrew Strauss. England had been in trouble when the two came together at 57 for 3, but they paced their partnership perfectly, batting watchfully at first and focusing on picking up ones and twos, before accelerating as the final overs approached. New Zealand were left to rue their missed chances, as both batsmen were dropped, Flintoff when on 0. Although Strauss fell just as England were really starting to get going, the platform had already been set.
After Flintoff and Strauss came together with the fall of Robert Key’s wicket, both had tricky moments. Ian Butler bowled with plenty of pace and found some movement off a pitch that had a fair covering of grass on it. He had the better of Flintoff early on, beating his bat with an unplayable delivery, and then landing a nasty blow to the side of Flintoff’s helmet with a short, fast ball that angled in sharply. Butler got better and better as his spell progressed, and picked up the wickets of Flintoff and Strauss, as well as that of the debutant Sajid Mahmood in the final over.
Chris Harris also troubled both Strauss and Flintoff at first. They were unsure whether to play him as a seamer or a spinner, and several attempted dabs to third man didn’t connect with the ball. Harris, and the rest of New Zealand, thought Flintoff edged a catch to the wicketkeeper in the 25th over, but Daryl Harper was unmoved, and replays showed nothing conclusive.
England went into the last 15 overs at 131 for 3, and though the batsmen were well set, the run-rate was still under four. Harris and Daniel Vettori had been as frugal as ever, until Flintoff decided he had had enough and heaved Vettori over midwicket for six, and England started to accelerate. In the next over, Flintoff brought up his half-century off 83 balls, and never looked back.
Strauss brought up his fifty, off 80 balls, with a leg-side clip off Butler. That boundary also brought up the hundred partnership, off 141 balls. England went into the last 10 overs at 163 for 3, with both batsmen well set and accelerating in every over. Butler and Franklin replaced Vettori and Harris, but Flintoff was well into his stride, and crashed Franklin to the boundary twice, over mid-off and through midwicket, in his first over back.
However, New Zealand struck back in the next over, as Strauss, attempting to work Butler to fine leg, top-edged a steepling catch to Nathan Astle, running back from square leg (179 for 4). Paul Collingwood, after two failures in the series, improvised from the start of his innings. He slog-swept Franklin for four through square leg, then, just as the fielder was moved, reverse-swept him for four more to third man.
A raucous crowd cheered Flintoff on as he neared his hundred, and he responded well, moving to 96 with a huge heave over square leg off Butler. Flintoff finally reached his milestone, scampering through for a single after playing the ball into the covers, but Collingwood fell soon after. His improvisation got the better of him, as he edged a reverse-pull off Jacob Oram to Gareth Hopkins behind the stumps. In the previous over, bowled by Butler, another attempted reverse-pull had almost seen Collingwood hit in the head. After crashing a four and a two off the first two balls of the final over, Flintoff’s entertaining innings came to an awkward end, when he was bowled moving across his stumps by Butler. Flintoff scored an impressive 106, including 11 fours and two sixes.
But Flintoff had rescued England from what was a sticky start which threatened to blow them off course. After New Zealand won the toss and decided, unsurprisingly, to put England in to bat, both Michael Vaughan and Marcus Trescothick started cautiously, scarcely playing a shot in anger, before Trescothick was run out. He had been dropped off the edge by Hopkins, the wicketkeeper, but was then run out trying to get back for a second run. The ball had gone down to Ian Butler at third man, and Trescothick took on Butler’s arm, but the throw came in right over the stumps and he was run out for 1 (4 for 1).
Key, batting at No. 3, desperately needed to get runs, both for his own confidence, and for England’s cause. He crawled to 4 off his first 16 balls, but gradually found his feet, clipping Franklin off his toes for four through square leg, and in his next over slapping Franklin straight back over his head. At the other end, a watchful Vaughan was also starting to look good, until he drove Oram straight into the chest of Harris at cover point to depart for 12 (35 for 2).
Strauss joined Key at the crease, and was dropped on 1 in the 12th over, cutting Oram hard, but in the air, to Marshall at backward point, who couldn’t hold on. Oram was unlucky not to have Strauss in his next over as well, with an inside edge off a streaky drive just missing the stumps.
After making such a promising start, Key then edged Scott Styris’s first ball to Hopkins, and was out for 19. Trying to run the ball down to third man, Key didn’t move his feet, and after yet another soft dismissal, England were 57 for 3. In the same over, Flintoff was dropped on 0, but made full use of the life he was given, and England set a more than competitive total.
