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Johannesburg: New Zealand defeated England by four wickets in their crucial last Group B match to enter the semifinals of the ICC Champions Trophy in style at the New Wanderers on Tuesday.
New Zealand not only won, in what can be regarded as a must-win match for them, but also ensured that they top their group and throw Sri Lanka out of the tournament. With two wins out of three games, England also progressed to the last four stage from Group B.
Brendon McCullum (40 off 39 balls) and Martin Guptill (53 off 58) starred with the bat to seal the match for New Zealand with 22.5 overs to spare after Grant Elliot (4/31) and Shane Bond (3/21) ran havoc in overcast conditions to skittle out England for a paltry 146 in 43.1 overs.
For England Paul Collingwood (40 off 58 balls) and Ravi Bopara (30 off 51) were the notable run-getters while Stuart Broad shone with the ball with figures of 4/39.
Chasing a modest 147 for victory, McCullum and Guptill started the proceedings on a breezy note pilling up 66 runs in the first 10 overs.
McCullum was in a hurry to finish off the match and was the severe among the two Kiwi batsmen, hitting James Anderson for two boundaries in the fifth over.
Ryan Sidebottom was the next bowler to face McCullum's brunt. The flamboyant right-hander sliced one miles over the deep point boundary and then smashed the ball through point three balls later.
With McCullum's pyrotechnics in full flow, it seemed there was no devil in the pitch as England encountered during their innings. Not a single English bowler was at the Kiwi wicket-keeper's mercy as he upper cut Anderson for a six and then pulled Broad for four in the next over.
McCullum finally prey to Broad, caught by Bopara at point but not before making quickfire 48 off 39 balls with four fours and three sixes.
With New Zealand needing 59 runs off 37 overs, victory was just a formality and Guptill, in Neil Broom's company, took up the onus on his own shoulder to see the Kiwis home.
But a flurry of wickets at the end gave some late jittery to New Zealand as Broad leading from the front with the ball.
Guptill saw a tame end to his classy innings in the 19th over, edging one to Graeme Swann at the first slip off Anderson. He struck seven fours and a six during his stay.
But it was Broad's three wickets at later stages that made life little difficult for the Kiwis.
He picked up Ross Taylor in the 20th over, caught at second slip by Swann, who dived full length to his right to take that with one hand inches from the ground and then followed it up with the wickets of Elliot and Gareth Hopkins, both edging to wicketkeeper Morgan.
Sidebottom too registered a wicket against his name scalping Broom (17 off 36) caught by Morgan in the 27th over with New Zealand needing just seven runs for victory.
Earlier, Elliot utilized the bouncy conditions to great effect, running through the England middle order while Bond supported him ably with three wickets to bowl out the Englishmen cheaply.
Put into bat under overcast conditions, England started on a disastrous note, losing their skipper Andrew Strauss for naught in the second ball of the innings sneaking a Kyle Mills (1/19) rising delivery to wicket-keeper McCullum.
To the disappointment of England fans, ICL returnee Bond struck in back-to-back overs to see the Strauss-led side tottering at 13/3 after six overs.
Opener Joe Denly was Bond's first casualty, clean bowled off a delivery that came in after pitching and then last match hero Owais Shah, in search of a big hit over square leg, gave away a simple catch to McCullum.
Collingwood and Morgan tried their level best to stabilise the England innings, adding 37 runs in 13.1 overs before the latter's struggling 40-ball nine run innings was cut short by Ian Butler. Morgan was caught by Ross Taylor in the first slip after McCullum fumbled it.
With wickets tumbling from the other end, Collingwood preferred to counter-attack and hit James Franklin for a six over long-on before he fell to a blinder by out-stretched Taylor off Elliot's in the 24th over with England scoreboard reading 80/5.
As if these was not enough Elliott struck double blow, first scalping Luke Wright and then new man Broad in back-to-back overs to take New Zealand to a commendable position in their must-win match.
Wright edged one to McCullum and Broad gave away a simple return catch to the right-arm pacer to see England in deep trouble.
Elliott's ploy to bang the ball short paid rich dividends as he struck again to claim his fourth wicket of the day.
Swann goes for the pull, again a little late into the shot, gets the top edge and McCullum waits endlessly for the law of gravity to take effect and watches it into his palms to register his fourth victim of the day.
Bopara was the next to go, caught plumb in front of the wicket by Bond. He hit two boundaries in his fighting innings.
But Sidebottom (20 off 41) and Anderson were in no mood to give up without a fight, sharing 29 run for the last wicket to take the England to 146 before Sidebottom chipped it straight to Taylor at midwicket off Kiwi captain Vettori.
Brief score
England: 146 (Collingwood 40, Elliott 4-31, Bond 3-21)
New Zealand: 147 for 6 (Guptill 53, Broad 4-39)
Result: New Zealand beat England by four wickets
Man of the match: Grant Elliot
Points: New Zealand 2, England 0
Status: Kiwis reache semis
