Tons of fun as Morgan and Root run riot
JUST when you thought this series had no batting record left to break, england surpassed themselves by treating a target of 350 like a stroll along the river Trent.
Their best-ever run chase — well clear of 306 for five against pakistan at Karachi in october 2000 — featured a scintillating 113 from 82 balls by captain eoin Morgan and an impish, unbeaten 106 by Joe root.
victory came with seven wickets and six overs to spare and only three teams have ever chased more to win a one-day international. right now, the sky seems to be the limit.
Morgan’s team now head to Durham with a chance of claiming this series, tied at 2-2, in Saturday’s decider. As a Nottingham crowd of over 16,500 roared its approval, it was tempting to imagine that the memories of the World Cup had disappeared for ever.
‘it was outstanding,’ said Morgan. ‘We keep putting in outstanding performances with the bat and that has surprised me.
‘There’s a completely different atmosphere: you can feel it at every ground. The crowd respond to fours and sixes and to the attitude of the team. We’ve absolutely loved it.’
england’s record-breaking pursuit was given a flying start by Alex Hales, who batted at his home ground as if it was his back garden. When he dragged on a pull off Matt Henry, he had made 67 off 38 balls and put on 100 for the first wicket with Jason roy in 10.4 overs.
New Zealand were back in it when roy’s lacerating drive in Henry’s next over flew straight to Kane Williamson at short extra cover.
But for the tourists that was as good as it got, as root and Morgan set about their attack — significantly weakened without the injured Trent Boult — with a ferocity equal to anything we have seen in this extraordinary series. on another blissfully true surface, these two very different talents did more or less as they pleased.
root’s half century took 45 balls, Morgan’s 39 and the captain then raced ahead, moving to a sparkling, 73-ball century with two sixes in a Henry over.
By the time Morgan — who has now hit 16 sixes in this series, nine clear of the next best — pulled Tim Southee to fine leg, he and root had added 198 from 158 balls.
england were 309 for three in the 40th over; New Zealand were on their knees.
‘We just decided to forget the scoreboard,’ said Morgan. ‘it was more important how much pressure we put the bowlers under. We just had to try not to let them bowl and that’s what we did.’
New Zealand’s own innings had followed a well-trodden path in a series during which the bowlers have been little more than lambs to the slaughter. Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum began with 88 in 13 overs, before Williamson and ross Taylor combined for their third successive century stand.
Williamson was in sublime touch, proof that the modern batsman does not need to belt the cover off the ball to dominate a one-day innings.
His 90 off 70 deliveries took his series tally to 346 runs in four games with a strike-rate of 110. And he has done it all hitting only three sixes. While other New Zealanders have taken to england with a bludgeon, Williamson has applied the rapier.
By the time the impressive Steven Finn trapped Taylor in front for a curiously subdued 42 off 55 balls, New Zealand’s two middle- order rocks had put on 101 to go with their stands of 121 at The oval and 206 in Southampton.
But, not for the first time, england seemed determined to make hard work of it in the field. Dropped catches probably cost them the third match on Sunday and they missed a string of half-chances here.
They were hardly ‘gimmes’, but when Trevor Bayliss arrives later this month to take over as coach from paul Farbrace, england’s fielding will be near the top of his agenda.
Their one moment of brilliance made the mishaps all the more infuriating. When Guptill tried to deposit Ben Stokes over midwicket, Finn ran 20 yards to his right to cling on brilliantly.
Finn and the lively Mark Wood returned to keep New Zealand quiet during the powerplay and england had restored some control as the death overs approached.
But Grant elliott got stuck into David Willey and Morgan — having bowled out Finn and Wood — handed the 48th over to Adil rashid. Mitchell Santner proceeded to thrash 28 off it, including four leg- side sixes.
So it was an act of supreme faith when Morgan gave rashid the 50th over, too: five runs and the wicket of Tim Southee proving a gutsy recovery in the circumstances.
But the gutsiest performances were yet to come.