New Zealand pulled off an exciting five-run victory over England in a Super Eights match at the Twenty20 cricket World Cup in Durban last night (NZ time).
New Zealand had scored 164 for nine after being sent in and then restricted England to 159 for eight with somefine fielding.
A victory looked unlikely for the Black Caps for three-quarters of the match until English captain Andrew Flintoff was stranded midwicket after a horrible mixup to give New Zealand their fifth wicket.
England then suffered a slide, with Owais Shah and Dimitri Mascarenhas dismissed with consecutive balls.
Craig McMillan hit three fours and four sixes, adding 60 runs for the fifth wicket with Scott Styris (42), after the Blacks Caps had slumped to 31 for four in the sixth over.
Darren Maddy, who took two wickets for six with his medium pace, broke the partnership in the 13th over with a direct hit from mid-wicket at the non-striker's end to run out Styris.
Maddy's productive over helped England in its fight back at the end of the innings with three wickets falling for 11 runs in eight balls.
Batsman Vikram Solanki kept wicket for England after Matt Prior, who broke his thumb in practice on Monday, was ruled out for last night's match.
Maddy and Solanki (25) returned to open England's innings with a bustling stand of 62 but the rest of the order failed in the face of some superb bowling and fielding by the Black Caps led by Daniel Vettori, who took two wickets for 20. Shane Bond also took two wickets.
It was the three wickets New Zealand's took in the 19th over, including two fine catches near the boundary by Jeetan Patel, that assured them victory.
Jacob Oram went off with an injured left hand after he attempted a catch.
