NEW ZEALAND INNINGS
New Zealand have started well here with both openers still at the crease after the first half of the innings and they will be eyeing a big score for themselves and the team. However can they get a big enough score?
26th Over - Bowled by Mascarenhas:
0,0,1,0,0,0
BM: 47 (85)
LV: 46 (71)
99/0
27th Over ? Bowled by Panesar:
0,0,0,0,1,4
BM: 48 (90)
LV: 50 (72)
104/0
Panesar has had a bad spell thus far and he is hit for another boundary by Vincent who picks the length magnificently and cuts powerfully for four to bring up the century partnership between himself and wicket keeper McCullum. They have really batted well and put New Zealand in a great position. Not only this but Lou Vincent also brings up his own half century off 72 balls which isn?t bad at all but he will want to be their at the end.
28th Over ? Bowled by Mascarenhas:
0,0,0,0,0,0
BM: 48 (96)
LV: 50 (72)
104/0
29th Over ? Bowled by Panesar:
1,0,0,0,1,1
BM: 49 (100)
LV: 52 (74)
107/0
30th Over ? Bowled by Mascarenhas:
4,0,0,0,2,1
BM: 49 (100)
LV: 59 (80)
114/0
Vincent scores the first boundary off of Mascarenhas and it is a brutal pull off of a ball which was only marginally short. Vincent is really not missing anything though and he is murdering the ball to all parts out hear at the moment.
31st Over ? Bowled by Collingwood:
0,0,4,4,0,0
BM: 49 (100)
LV: 67 (86)
122/0
Vincent is on fire and as Colly introduces himself to the action he gets slaughtered by Vincent who is able to hit two brilliant boundaries consecutively. The first is a great dab which showed fine technique and the second was just as a majestic cover drive which raced away. Vincent is unstoppable!
32nd Over ? Bowled by Panesar:
1,0,4,0,0,0
BM: 50 (101)
LV: 71 (91)
127/0
McCullum has the strike for the first time in an age and gets a single off the first ball faced to move him to 50 to join his opening partner at the milestone. Vincent then carries on his explosion with another boundary through point with another powerful cut which would have probably broken the fielders hand if it was anywhere near.
33rd Over ? Bowled by Collingwood:
0,0,0,0,0,0
BM: 50 (107)
LV: 71 (91)
127/0
34th Over ? Bowled by Panesar:
1lb,0,0,0,0,1
BM: 51 (112)
LV: 71 (92)
129/0
35th Over ? Bowled by Collingwood:
0,0,0,1,1,0
BM: 52 (117)
LV: 72 (93)
131/0
36th Over ? Bowled by Panesar:
4,1lb,1,1,0,1
BM: 54 (120)
LV: 77 (96)
139/0
Vincent gets another boundary with another late dab off Panesar which trickles down to the third man boundary making Colly look more and more frustrated out there on the field. At the minute he seems hopeless at trying to contain this I?m afraid.
37th Over ? Bowled by Collingwood:
1,0,0,1,0,0
BM: 55 (123)
LV: 78 (99)
141/0
38th Over ? Bowled by Harmison:
0,1,0,0,0,1
BM: 56 (127)
LV: 79 (101)
143/0
39th Over ? Bowled by Collingwood:
1,0,1,0,0,4
BM: 61 (131)
LV: 80 (103)
149/0
Collingwood bowls a yorker at McCullum but he is able to pick it up early and whips it away with a wristy shot fine down to the long leg boundary for McCullum?s first boundary in a long while. He seems to be struggling a bit out there and his strike rate has lowered quite significantly.
40th Over ? Bowled by Harmison:
4,1,0,0,0,1
BM: 62 (135)
LV: 85 (105)
155/0
Vincent goes massive down the ground and it just bounces inside the rope preventing him from getting his first and his team?s first maximum of the innings but it does bring up an unbelievable achievement in a 150 partnership between Brendan McCullum and Lou Vincent. They have played superbly and deserve the position they are in and their team are in.
41st Over ? Bowled by Collingwood:
0,0wd,4,1,0,W,0
BM: 67 (138)
SF: 0 (1)
161/1
Finally England get a breakthrough and Collingwood has got Vincent caught on the boundary by James Anderson. McCullum had just hit a boundary over the covers but Colly was determined to get his man and got Vincent the key man for the Kiwis. However it had been a fine knock and there was still plenty of batting to come starting with Fleming the ex-Kiwi captain.
Lou Vincent struck 15 fours in his 85 all around the park. You can see this in the wagon wheel below. His favourite area was the off side and in front of square. He played some great shots here.
42nd Over ? Bowled by Flintoff:
0,1,1,4,0,1
BM: 73 (143)
SF: 1 (2)
168/1
McCullum now has to take the lead role and he does exactly that by getting a boundary off of a full one on his legs which he whips away. New Zealand is increasing the rate of scoring here with seven off the over.
43rd Over ? Bowled by Collingwood:
0,1,4,1,1,1
BM: 75 (146)
SF: 7 (5)
176/1
Stephen Fleming now gets in on the action and gets his first boundary with a technical dab down to third man which beats the man on the boundary. Eight off that over and New Zealand will want a lot more in the last seven overs. Fleming has the capabilities to hurt England they need his wicket and quickly!
44th Over ? Bowled by Flintoff:
0,6,4,0,0,0
BM: 75 (146)
SF: 17 (11)
186/1
Just as I was saying Fleming can hurt England and he hits a maximum and a boundary consecutively off Flintoff to add ten to the total. The boundary is aerial over mid wicket for one bounce for and he hooks Flintoff out of the ground with a strong shot. Fleming looks dangerous here.
45th Over ? Bowled by Anderson:
0,4,0,0,0,1+W
BM: 80 (152)
RT: 0 (0)
191/2
Anderson is into the attack replacing the captain and he is hit for four by McCullum through the covers off a slower ball but good thinking by the Lancashire fast bowler. In the last ball of the over the two get a single and then take on a risky second but Fleming can?t make it back. England have another wicket and danger man Fleming is out for seventeen. However Ross Taylor caused England problems in the Twenty20 series and he is next out.
46th Over ? Bowled by Flintoff:
0,6,1,0,0,1
BM: 81 (155)
RT: 7 (3)
199/2
Ross Taylor immediately shows his intentions and off the second ball he faces he smacks Freddie Flintoff out of the ground down the ground and nearly knocks out the fans watching in the crowd it was hit that powerfully. A couple of singles are also picked up off the over.
47th Over ? Bowled by Anderson:
0,0,0,0,1,0
BM: 82 (160)
RT: 7 (4)
200/2
48th Over ? Bowled by Flintoff:
1,4,1,0,0,1
BM: 84 (164)
RT: 12 (6)
207/2
As we reach the last few overs of this innings New Zealand seem to be swinging at every ball but Flintoff limits the Kiwis to seven which is a good effort. The boundary in the over comes from Taylor who cuts behind square with immense power and it races away. What can New Zealand reach as a total here?
49th Over ? Bowled by Anderson:
1,6,1,1,0,0
BM: 86 (166)
RT: 19 (10)
216/2
Another expensive over and Anderson is finished for today. Taylor whacks Anderson over cow corner for six more and he looks unstoppable and carrying on from the last Twenty20 game. England need to stop him somehow because he could cause serious destruction in the last over.
50th Over ? Bowled by Flintoff:
4,1,6,0,0,4
BM: 91 (168)
RT: 29 (14)
231/2
New Zealand finish with a real flurry and get fifteen off the final over to set England a total of 232 to win. McCullum chips over cow corner for a boundary off the first ball and then gets a single getting Taylor on strike. He immediately disposes of Flintoff over the covers for his third six and then the last ball of the innings hooks for four ending Flintoff?s poor day so far. Taylor was exciting in them last few overs but McCullum was there for the whole fifty overs and played a solid knock.
New Zealand will be very happy with their innings and the four batsman played well that were required. Particularly, McCullum and Vincent who had a massive opening partnership and then Ross Taylor caused some havoc in the last overs of the innings. Brendan McCullum may be slightly annoyed at his low strike rate however.
As for the England bowlers none of them were particularly great. In fact the only wicket taken was by captain Paul Collingwood. However James Anderson and Dimi Mascarenhas deserve a special mention as they restricted the batsmen as much as possible and had very good economy rates.
So England require 232 runs to win at 4.64 runs per over but can they get this ODI series off to a flyer or have the Kiwis got enough runs on the board to take the first match? Find out soon!
Inspite of slow start, the main thing is the wickets column looking great 
Anyways, some good overs in the end makes it to look like a defendable target. 
