The Thriller of Napier

The current One-Day Series in New Zealand is still undecided. In the fourth match, played at Napier, England hit back with some late wickets to earn a dramatic tie against New Zealand and keep the series alive, going into the final game on Saturday.

Daniel Vettori needed two off the last ball to win the game and the series, but could only manage one off Luke Wright. New Zealand had looked set to reach their target of 341, but Jamie How was run out for 139 in the last over.

New Zealand gave England the opportunity to bat first on a perfect pitch and the tourists responded by rattling up their third highest score in one-day internationals. England's 340-6 was partly due to captain Paul Collingwood, hitting England's fastest one-day fifty off just 24 balls.
The out-of-form Alastair Cook was given a lifeline when New Zealand wicket-keeper Brendon McCullum unbelievably dropped the most straightforward of chances. England capitalised on their good fortune, and while Phil Mustard blazed a trail of runs, Cook began to show his own class with some effective pulls and drives.
Mustard (right) brought up his maiden one-day fifty with a typically risky chip over the vacant slip area for four, and Cook followed soon after with a sumptuous extra-cover drive.

They both looked completely in control - until Vettori turned to the medium pacer Jesse Ryder. Suddenly England had to rebuild and Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen did just that. Bell looked in prime touch before he perished in the deep for 43, leaving Pietersen and Collingwood to continue the assault.
Collingwood stepped across to the offside and lashed anything he could get his bat on into the stands for six - even hammering debutant Iain O'Brien against the roof. Pietersen (50) fell to Vettori, and Shah was caught in the deep, but Collingwood and then Wright continued to score runs as the Kiwis toiled.

The England captain finished with six sixes to his name and the pressure was on New Zealand from the start of their innings to keep up with the massive run rate of 6.82.
Their cause was not helped when James Anderson rapped McCullum on the right hand and the Kiwi opener required treatment. Having looked as though he would have to retire, McCullum proceeded to step up the tempo, hammering Anderson to all parts of the ground and passing fifty soon after. How had joined him and immediately looked at ease on the wicket, reaching his half-century by clubbing Collingwood into the legside crowd for two huge sixes.

How was in great form and he continued on his merry way, capitalising on anything remotely short or wide with stunning efficiency. Ross Taylor joined the party to put on 92 in 13 overs with How, before Anderson caught his outside edge.
How blitzed his way to a maiden one-day hundred, before England cranked up the tempo and got rid of Styris, Fulton and Oram in a quick-fire spell as tension got to the hosts. Wright (left, with Anderson) was bizarrely picked to bowl the last over - his first in the match - and with seven needed for the Kiwis, How was run out and they could only manage six as the game was sensationally tied.

The incredible ending of this true Cricket thriller means that England can still level the five-match series by winning at Christchurch on Saturday. However, it is more likely that New Zealand will win that match and the series.

Fourth One-Day International (Napier)
England: 340-6 (50 overs) <> New Zealand: 340-7 (50 overs)