Cricket betting: one-day decider
February 20, 2008 - Simon Carrick
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Following their thrilling tie in Napier, England have been installed as 4/6 favourites to beat New Zealand in Saturday's final one-day international and secure a series draw.
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Wednesday's fourth match produced an epic encounter with New Zealand backing second and matching England's total of 340 on a perfect one-day pitch in Napier. The result repeated a tie on the same ground, between the same teams 11 years ago.
Opening batsman Phil Mustard scored his first one-day international fifty and top-scored with 83 while captain Paul Collingwood smashed six leg-side sixes in his 30-ball 54 not out as further fifties from Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen as England made their third highest one-day score in their history.
Needing 6.8 runs per over New Zealand were on top of the run chase throughout as No 3 Jamie How produced what his captain Daniel Vettori called "one of the best one-day innings ever." How came to the crease with the score at 70/1 and was run out in the last over after scoring 139 from 116 balls.
When How left the scene, New Zealand needed two runs for victory from the last ball of Luke Wright's first over of the game, but they could manage just one leg bye as Collingwood came close to winning the game with a run out.
"We were dead and buried going into the last six overs," said Collingwood. "Jamie How played fantastically for his 139 but our character was great, we got our yorkers right and put them under pressure. There were lots of nerves."
Vettori admitted his side regarded the tie as like a defeat after they came so close to wrapping up with the series: "It probably feels like a loss because it was a game we should have comfortably won from the positions we put ourselves in, but you've got to give England some credit for the way they bowled in the last six overs," he said.
England still trail 2-1 in the five-match series heading into Saturday's decider in Christchurch. At 2-0 up, New Zealand were 1/6 to win the series but now they are 11/10 to do so with Bet Direct and Stan James. England are 4/6 with both firms. The tie is 33/1 to happen again with Paddy Power and the Irish bookmakers make Collingwood and Pietersen 7/2 joint favourties to score the England side's quickest fifty.
