Cricket
England thump New Zealand
2013-02-15 10:40
Wellington - England's opening batsmen Alex
Hales and Michael Lumb made a mockery of the New Zealand bowling attack
to guide the visitors to a 10-wicket win in their third Twenty20
international and a 2-1 series victory on Friday.
After England's
bowlers restricted New Zealand to 139 for eight, Hales blasted 80 off
42 balls while Lumb scored 53, including a six to win the match and
bring up his half century, as the pair pushed England to victory in just
12.4 overs.
Much of England's damage was done in the fifth over
when Ian Butler lost his composure and sprayed the ball all over the
wicket, yielding five wides, four leg byes and three further boundaries
by Hales.
Hales then took to Mitchell McClenaghan in the 11th
over, blasting four successive deliveries for six, four and two more
sixes, to race to the victory target on the drop-in pitch at Wellington
Regional Stadium.
Martin Guptill had anchored New Zealand's
innings, scoring 59 runs off 55 balls, but was forced to work the ball
around rather than attack as wickets kept falling at the other end.
Guptill tried to force the pace at the end of New Zealand's innings but
was dismissed in the penultimate over to end any chance of the hosts
posting a score in excess of 150.
England's frontline pace
bowlers were much more aggressive than in the second match in Hamilton
and bowled short of a length, hurrying the New Zealand batsmen into
mistimed pull and hook shots with the ball skying into the outfield.
Captain Stuart Broad finished with three for 15 from four overs, while
Jade Dernbach also took three for 36, while Steve Finn was bristling
aggression as he conceded just 18 runs from four overs.
England
won the series after taking the first match in Auckland by 40 runs,
while New Zealand won the second in Hamilton by 55 runs.
The first game of the three-match one day series will be in Hamilton on Sunday.