Strauss, Panesar seal English win by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Scorecard:	England v New Zealand
Player:	MS Panesar, JM How, LRPL Taylor, AJ Strauss, JM Anderson, DL Vettori, KP Pietersen
Event:	New Zealand in England 2008

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DateLine: 27th May 2008

 

The second Test of New Zealand’s tour of England was played at Old Trafford, Manchester, after the first one at Lord’s had ended in rain-affected draw. Daniel Vettori won the toss for New Zealand and decided to bat first.

 

Ryan Sidebottom held a noose like grip on the Kiwi batsmen, after the openers had got off to a good solid start, adding eighty runs. However, they lost four wickets for 43 runs, and when Daniel Flynn was stuck by an Anderson bouncer and had to retire hurt, the Kiwis were staring at a very low first innings total. Ross Taylor had other ideas as he counter attacked, and in process brought up his 150, and that combined with some late order resistance by Kyle Mills (57), helped the Kiwis to 381. In reply, Andrew Strauss did score a 60, but the rest of the batsmen could not come to grips with the turn and bounce that Daniel Vettori extracted out of the wicket. He got a fifer (5/66), as the English collapsed to 202 all out at the stroke of lunch on day three.

 

New Zealand had a lead of 179 runs behind them, and they built up on it through a reasonable start to their innings. However, at 85/2, Monty Panesar came on to bowl and wove a web around the Kiwi batsmen, who had no clue to anything he bowled. He scalped six priceless wickets, and Sidebottom came back to dispose of the lower order, as the last eight wickets fell for 29 runs only, New Zealand all out for 114 runs only, yet, the target for England a difficult 294. Second time around, England was more clinical in their approach. Vettori, the danger man was played with a mix of caution and aggression, and Strauss brought up a century – after his fifty in the first innings – as Vaughan and Pietersen chipped in with a couple of forties each. In the end, England did lose four wickets, but Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood saw England through to a six wicket win – their fifth largest successful run chase.

 

Monty Panesar won the Man-of-the-Match for his match figures of 7/138. The third Test begins from 5th June at Nottingham.