New Zealand thrashed England by 189 runs in the first cricket Test here on Sunday when the latter’s second innings disintegrated after Kyle Mills ripped through the top order.
Kiwis defeat the visitors by 189 runs to record their eighth Test win against them HAMILTON: New Zealand thrashed England by 189 runs in the first cricket Test here on Sunday when the latter’s second innings disintegrated after Kyle Mills ripped through the top order.
Set a tempting target of 300 to win in 81 overs, England were all out for 110 with 26 overs and a full session of play remaining. Ian Bell top scored with an unbeaten 54, one of only two batsmen to reach double figures on a slow wicket.
Mills finished with the remarkable figures of four for 16 off 13 overs while Chris Martin took three for 33 as New Zealand pulled off just their eighth victory over England in 88 Tests.
It was a performance engineered by New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori, the man of the match, who dictated the terms from the time he won the toss and elected to bat. He produced innings of 88 and 35 with the bat, and, bowling in tandem with
Jeetan Patel, he reduced England’s scoring to a crawl in the first innings.
He then lured England into chasing a result with a timely second innings declaration, which he said was made against the wishes of coach John Bracewell. “Braces (Bracewell) wanted to keep batting but I just yanked them in. It was a good feeling. It sent a nice message that we wanted to be out there and we thought we were on top and by declaring you send that message,” Vettori said.
“When Kyle stepped up with four wickets, their top four, taking them out of play meant the game was ours.”
New Zealand added 30 runs to their overnight 147 before Vettori threw down the gauntlet at 177 for nine. It was a challenge readily accepted as Alastair Cook reeled off three quick boundaries and England raced to 18 off the first three overs, well ahead of the required 3.7 run rate.
But four wickets in four overs from Mills put New Zealand firmly in command and the inevitable end for England came just before the tea break. “The batting from our side was obviously not acceptable but New Zealand put us under a lot of pressure and bowled excellently,” said England captain Michael Vaughan who believed the declaration had given England a chance.
“We felt 300, if we’d got a good start, if we’d got to 100 for one, then the overs weren’t going to have much relevance because if we kept wickets in hand we could possibly have had a go at that.
“But when you lose four quick wickets to an outstanding new ball spell by Kyle Mills it was always going to be difficult.”
Brief scores
New Zealand 470 & 177-9 in 55 overs (S Fleming 66; R Sidebottom 6-49) beat England 348 & 110 all out in 55 overs (CS Martin 3-33) by 189 runs
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}