June 07, 2017
CARDIFF: Mark Wood took the key wicket of Kane Williamson as England booked their place in the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy with an 87-run win over New Zealand at Cardiff on Tuesday.
New Zealand, set 311 for victory, finished on 223 all out with 39 balls left.
They were in the hunt while captain Williamson, fresh from a hundred in the Blackcaps' opening rain-marred no result against Australia, was making 87.
But fast bowler Wood made the key breakthrough to dismiss the star batsman.
Then, as happened after Williamson's departure against Australia, the Blackcaps slumped, this time losing their last seven wickets for 55 runs.
Wood's fellow paceman Jake Ball was named man-of-the-match for a return of two for 31 in eight overs up front.
Victory saw England, who beat Bangladesh by eight wickets at the Oval in their Group A opener, into the last four of a tournament featuring the world's top eight one-day international teams regardless of the result of their last pool fixture against arch-rivals Australia at Edgbaston on Saturday.
Two years ago, New Zealand thrashed England by eight wickets on home soil at the 2015 World Cup in Wellington.
But this decisive win was a measure of England's progress in the 50-over format since that chastening defeat.
England were in danger of falling short of 300 after Joe Root (64), Alex Hales (56) and Ben Stokes (48) all got out when well set.
But Jos Buttler's dashing unbeaten 61 off 48 balls, including a couple of extravagant sixes, helped take them to 310 all out.
"We tried to learn from our batting," explained England captain Eoin Morgan at the presentation ceremony.
"All our batsmen thought it (the pitch) was two-paced, so we thought there was no value in bowling full. The new-ball bowlers set the tone."
Morgan added: "Being in the semis is pretty good. We're not satisfied with that, we have a long way to go before we perform to our potential."
Meanwhile Williamson, fined 40 percent of his match fee for New Zealand's slow over-rate, accepted his side had been well-beaten.
"I think in all areas England outplayed us today," he said. "It was very tough out there but credit to the way they went about their business."
For Ball, who had expensive figures of one for 82 against Bangladesh, this was a welcome return to form.
"It was about trying to put it in the right area and hopefully something would happen," the Nottinghamshire paceman explained.
"It was quite blustery out there but everybody did their fair share into it today.
"The rain (before and during the match) juiced up the wicket a little bit."
New Zealand lost their first wicket just four balls into their innings when Luke Ronchi was clean bowled for a golden duck by Ball.
Both Williamson, posting his fifth fifty in as many ODIs against England, and Taylor were hit on the helmet by fast bowler Liam Plunkett, who finished with four for 55.
But Williamson still drove Wood back over his head for four at a Cardiff ground rivalling Wellington as a windswept venue.
Taylor, without being at his fluent best, offered sound support in a stand of 95.
Morgan, shuffling his pack, recalled Wood and the Durham quick duly delivered the wicket his side badly needed when a rising ball took Williamson's glove and diving wicket-keeper Buttler clung on to the catch.
It was the end of Williamson's 98-ball innings featuring eight fours.
And when Taylor (39) holed out off Ball to midwicket, New Zealand were 168 for four in the 34th over.
Leg-spinner Adil Rashid justified his selection in place of the injured Chris Woakes with two for 47 in 10 overs, with Plunkett ending the contest when Tim Southee was caught at deep midwicket.
After just 30 minutes' play, the match was halted at 11:00am local time (1000 GMT) as a national minute's silence in memory of the victims of Saturday's terror attack in London was observed.
Root, fresh from his career-best 133 not out against Bangladesh, twice drove left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner for six.
But he played on to Corey Anderson, while Stokes uppercut Trent Boult to Milne at third man.
