Pool A Match: New Zealand Vs England Played at Westpac Stadium Wellington, New Zealand.
New Zealand 125/2 in 12.2 overs (B McCullam 77, MJ Guptill 22) beat England 123 All Out (J Root 46, Tim Southee 7/ 33)
Pathetic England got bruised, battered, smashed, trashed and humiliated by determined Kiwis as they succumbed to 8 wickets drubbing within 45.4 overs of the 100 overs allotted for the match.
Southee and McCullum with ball and bat taught England a bitter Kiwi lesson. On a wicket where English batsmen had no clue for playing wonderful swing bowling of Tim Southee, McCullam smashed higher rated Finn, Broad and Anderson all over the park racing to the fastest fifty of world cup history and single handedly destroyed English bowling attack.
With three back to back win in as many matches New Zealand looks set to advance to quarter finals as the first team of the tournament.
Scotland had shaken New Zealand in the earlier match and the Kiwis unleashed all its venom on the English crushing them to total submission. After two huge defeats against two hosts England now have to leak their wounds and play out of their skins to even think of qualifying for the quarter finals.
How one can pen picture the match! It was one way traffic Vettori removed English captain Eoin Morgan with a clever delivery. English batsmen were in a one way pavilion procession against venomous seam and swing bowling of Tim Southee. The poor techniques and diabolic temperament of English batsmen caused England dramatically collapsing from 3/103 to 123 all out in a little more than 7-over.
Southee went on grabbing 7 wickets for 33 runs. Such a brilliant performance could not even be overwhelmed by his flamboyant skipper blasting the English bowlers in gay abundance with a 25-ball 77 and World Cup record of 18-ball fifty. No one even McCullam should have any word against the verdict of Southee winning the man of the match.
We know for over three decades England has not won any ODI against New Zealand in New Zealand but the battering they got at Wellington by Southee and McCullam may take another decade to forget.
England was completely outplayed in a comprehensive manner. This match will create such an impact in the Pool and ultimately in the world cup that teams will have to reshuffle their strategies of playing New Zealand in New Zealand. Kiwis must have been extra cautious from the shakes they received from England next door neighbors Scotland.
England must not have any complains. On the same surface where Southee so nakedly exposed English batsmen techniques of encountering moving deliveries, McCullam toyed with much higher rated English bowlers. S Finn in two overs was smashed for 49 runs, S Broad in 2.2 overs gave away 27 runs. McCullam’s 25 balls 77 included eight 4’s and seven massive 6’s.
England after winning the toss elected to bat in the picturesque Wellington Westpac Stadium.
Southee in his first spell removed Bell and Moeen Ali cleaning them up with lovely in swingers. Much was expected from English Captain E Morgan. But neither he nor Root could stem the rot.
Once Morgan got out, Southee ripped through the heart of English batting with a wonderful exhibition of swing and seam bowling. Six English batsmen could together contribute only nine runs. Only Root score 46. Otherwise English score could be more miserable.
123 on this wicket were no score against home team bubbling with confidence. McCullam came with a license of free hitting and rubbing salt to English wound.
His savage batting butchered English bowling to such an extent that Kiwi won the match in 12.2 overs by eight wickets before some Kiwi fans could even come to the stadium to enjoy home teams batting.
McCullam took 28 from one Finn over striking four 6’s and a four. It was awesome power hitting.
Such a comprehensive defeat can cause huge mental scar. After back to back humiliations by the hosts Australia and New Zealand Englishmen have really now have their back to the wall.
It may require huge character to come back from such battering. With three wins in three matches, Kiwis are well and truly in the most comfortable position. It will be interesting to see how Kiwis play when they have to play quarter final or may be Semifinal in Australia.
But for the moment black caps are cruising and Englishmen are bleeding.
** Southee, McCullum crush England
BDST: 1338 HRS, FEB 20, 2015
