NZ v ENG 2018: 4th ODI Review, Dunedin: Ross Taylor powers hosts to a 5-wicket win

With England winning the 3rd ODI at Wellington in a low scoring thriller, the visitors took a 2-1 lead in the 5-match series. As a result, hosts went into the 4th ODI at University Oval, Dunedin, in a semi-final like situation.

It was their seasoned campaigner Ross Taylor who was simply sensational on the given day, taking his team towards victory, keeping the series alive for Kiwis.

Earlier in the day, Kane Williamson won the toss and backed their ability to chase down a total on a visible batsmen’s paradise. The Black Caps had to wait for more than 10 overs to open their account in the wickets column.

Root-Bairstow set up a solid foundation

Jason Roy, who scored a quickfire 42, laid a solid foundation for the rest, with the 77 run opening stand with Jonny Bairstow.

The game then saw a mega-partnership between Bairstow and Root who put forward a 190-run stand, taking the game away from the hosts.

Bairstow scored a brilliant 106-ball 138, filled with a whopping 14 boundaries and 7 sixes, striking at a rate of 130. His knock was equally matched by Joe Root at the other end, who finally got the monkey off his back by reaching a three-figure mark.

Root scored 102 off 101 balls, consisting of 6 boundaries and two maximums. New Zealand came right back into the match as England suffered a collapse in the middle, in order to maximise their start.

The Great English collapse

From 267-1 in 37.3 overs, England was reduced to 305-8 in the 48th over. Ish Sodhi’s spell was instrumental in orchestrating the middle order collapse.

Sodhi finished with figures of 4/58 in his ten overs, Boult and Munro chipped in with a couple of wickets each during this phase. Had it not been for the late flourish from Tom Curran, England would not have reached the 335 run mark.

Taylor and Latham forge yet another defining partnership

Curran scored a 10-ball 22, laced with four crucial boundaries at the death. In spite of his efforts, the Three Lions would have felt at least 40 runs short of the expected total.

The English came back in the field with a bang as they removed openers, Colin Munro and Martin Guptill, almost immediately. With the score on 2-2, in came Ross Taylor to take the guard with a massive responsibility on his shoulders.

Taylor first stitched a vital partnership with captain Williamson who scored 45. The Kiwi then forged a match-winning partnership of 187 with Tom Lathan who scored a priceless 67-ball 71 runs.

Taylor topples records

The two carried on their prolific form in run chases, following their efforts in India last year. However, the star of the show was Taylor.

Ross took his team home with his mammoth knock of 181 off just 147 balls, consisting of 17 boundaries and six massive sixes. No prizes for guessing, Taylor clinched the man of the match award for his unbeaten epic knock.

He struck the ball at a strike rate of 123. He registered the fourth highest score in ODIs during chases following Shane Watson’s 185*, MS Dhoni’s and Virat Kohli’s 183.

Watson scored his mega-knock in against Bangladesh, while Dhoni scored his mammoth 183* against Sri Lanka at Jaipur. Kohli achieved the feat against Pakistan in 2009.

A late onslaught from Colin de Grandhomme and Heney Nicholls meant the Kiwis easily acquired the target with 5 wickets in hand and half an over. Tom Curran’s all-round efforts in the match wasn’t enough to avoid an English defeat. The emerging all-rounder went on pick up a couple of wickets.

With the Kiwi win, both New Zealand and England have everything to play for at Hagley Oval, Christchurch on Saturday, March 10.

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