Pietersen ton guides England to easy victory over Kiwis
Kevin Pietersen was given the man-of-the-match award ahead of Paul Collingwood for his swashbuckling innings
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Sunday, 15, Jun 2008 10:08
An unbeaten ton from Kevin Pietersen gave England a 114-run win over New Zealand in the one-day international at the Riverside.
Pietersen smashed 110 while skipper Paul Collingwood hit 64 on his home ground as England posted 307-5.
The Kiwis never got close to chasing their target and were skittled out for 193 to go 1-0 down in the five-match series.
After winning the toss, Daniel Vettori put England into bat due to the Kiwis' preference for chasing.
England's opening pair of Ian Bell and Luke Wright followed on from their success in Friday's Twenty20, making 49 off 12 overs.
Wright (11) had little of the strike and let his frustration get the better of him when he lofted a delivery from Michael Mason to Vettori at mid-off.
That brought Pietersen to the crease and he and Bell kept the scoreboard ticking over with regular quick singles.
But the pair got their wires crossed in the 20th over leading to Bell being run out, for 46 off 58 balls, to leave England on 84-2.
Essex's Ravi Bopara failed to take his chance, making just four when he was caught and bowled by Scott Styris.
Pietersen started to chance his luck with a couple of reverse sweeps which just evaded the fielders to reach his half-century off 62 balls.
Eight overs later, skipper Paul Collingwood reached his 50 after running for three runs off the bowling off Mason.
The Durham batsman looked on course for a big score until he played on a low delivery from Vettori to depart for 64, to leave England on 231-4.
At the other end, Pietersen was in full flow and produced two stunning shots where he switched his stance and lofted the ball for six with reverse sweeps off Styris.
The South African reached a deserved ton three overs from the end with a quick single off the bowling of Kyle Mills, his first ODI century since the World Cup in April 2007.
Owais Shah provided brilliant support for Pietersen, reaching 49 off just 25 balls, when he lofted a ball from Tim Southee to Jamie How at mid-wicket, in the last over.
In reply, the tourists' made a blistering start to their chase reaching 48 off eight overs.
But Stuart Broad halted their charge when he dismissed dangerman Brendon McCullum for 36 with his first ball, after Bell took a comfortable catch at extra cover.
The Kiwis then began to lose wickets at regular intervals with James Marshall the next man to depart after being run out for four, after a brilliant throw by Collingwood at backward point.
And that soon became 72-3 when Jamie How sliced a slower delivery from Broad to Luke Wright at extra cover.
The Black Caps' middle order was guilty of failing to capitalise on good starts with Ross Taylor (20), Styris (18), and Gareth Hopkins (25) falling cheaply.
Daniel Flynn reached 34 when he was adjudged to have nicked a delivery from Graeme Swann, with replays showing the ball struck his thigh pad.
The Kiwis' lower order provided little resistance with Collingwood capping off a memorable day by grabbing the last four wickets to finish with 4-15, as England bowled out the Kiwis' inside 43 overs.
New Zealand will need a huge improvement in the second ODI on Wednesday at Edgbaston.