New Zealand won a dramatic last-ball victory to beat England by one wicket in the fourth one-day international (ODI) at The Oval on Wednesday to take an unbeatable 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
With two needed off the final ball, last man Mark Gillespie hit Luke Wright to extra-cover.
But Graeme Swann’s fierce throw to the bowler’s end wasn’t backed up by several England fielders — had he lobbed it in, Gillespie might have been run out by a distance — and this allowed New Zealand the winning second on the over-throw as they reached their target of 246.
PHOTO: AFP
Kyle Mills was 25 not out off just 27 balls.
The match threatened to be overshadowed by controversy when New Zealand, closing in on victory, saw Grant Elliott run out after what appeared an accidental shoulder charge by England quick bowler Ryan Sidebottom, who had veered off a straight course in an attempt to regather the ball.
With Elliott flat out, Ian Bell threw to Kevin Pietersen at the bowler’s end and Elliott was dismissed with New Zealand 220 for eight in the 44th over.
Although England captain Paul Collingwood could have withdrawn the appeal and there is also provision within the laws for the umpires to call dead ball in the event of a serious injury, Elliott was ruled run out.
Afterwards, Collingwood apologized for not withdrawing his appeal.
“You have to make a split decision at the time and maybe it was not the correct one,” he told Sky Sports.
“The umpire asked me if I was upholding the decision and I said ‘yes.’ Obviously the apologies go out to the New Zealand team over the decision — I made a split-second decision on the issue and that was the wrong one,” he said.
New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori, who shouted some angry words at the England dressing room when the appeal was upheld and again at the conclusion of the match, added: “I think we were a little bit contrite ourselves with the raw emotion so I apologize to Paul and his team.
“We hope we can move on — we can appreciate Paul words and we want to move on,” Vettori said ahead of tomorrow’s finale at Lord’s.
It was the second flashpoint of this series following last week’s washout at Edgbaston, which saw the match finish one over short of a result being declared with New Zealand in sight of victory.
That match saw England take 83 minutes to bowl 19 overs but escape any action at all over a slow over-rate.
However, after this fixture a spokesman for match referee Javagal Srinath said he’d held a hearing attended by Collingwood dealing with the issue of England’s over-rate. No mention was made of the Elliott incident.
Elliott’s exit was followed by the run out of Tim Southee and New Zealand needed 12 runs off the last 12 balls.
Mills hoisted Collingwood for six to make the target six off nine and that became three off the last over.
Mills took a single off the first ball. Gillespie couldn’t do anything with the next four before making decisive contact with the last.
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