England win fourth ODI
to level series

England had to withstand some powerful hitting by New Zealand's lower order before securing a rain-affected fourth one-day international by 33 runs on Saturday to square the five-match series at 2-2.

England had scored 193 for six in a rain-interrupted innings, with Graham Thorpe hitting an unbeaten 59 and Michael Vaughan run out for the same score.

Aggressive bowling from Darren Gough, Matthew Hoggard and Andy Flintoff reduced New Zealand to 81 for five at the halfway stage of their 40-over chase for a Duckworth-Lewis adjusted target of 223.

But a 67-run partnership off 65 balls between all-rounders Chris Cairns (58) and Chris Harris (23) started to steer an unlikely victory New Zealand's way.

Harris was then caught by Flintoff at midwicket off Craig White in the 34th over and Cairns fell soon after, bowled by Collingwood.

Andre Adams hit 26 not out to no avail as the chase ended at 189 in 38 overs when Flintoff knocked back Daryl Tuffey's off-stump.

Flintoff finished with figures of four for 17 in seven overs, his best return in one-day internationals.

BATTED MAGNIFICENTLY

England had won the toss and Vaughan batted magnificently for his 59 after being brought in for his first match of the series in place of Owais Shah.

But, having hit eight fours and a six in only 53 balls, the Yorkshire player was unluckily run out when he dropped his bat inside the crease and Daniel Vettori threw the stumps down.

Thorpe, however, underlined his one-day experience with a well-paced 59 not out in 67 balls during three rain stoppages.

The left-hander had shared with Vaughan in a fourth-wicket stand of 89 which allowed England to post a testing target for New Zealand to chase.

Cairns and Harris then came close to turning the match round for the home side with their seventh-wicket stand of 67 in only 11 overs.

Cairns blasted 58 off 56 balls with four fours and two sixes while Harris smashed 23 off just 28 deliveries with a four and a six.

England refused to bow, though, and the departure of Harris after he tried to pull a White delivery through mid-wicket sparked the New Zealand collapse.

Mail Cricket Editor