Collingwood points the way

Paul Collingwood employs a characteristic leg-side nudge for more runs © Getty Images

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Paul Collingwood provoked England into a spirited response to their defeats by New Zealand and kept the one-day international series alive with victory at Eden Park.

The England captain led the two-day inquest into the poor displays at Wellington and Hamilton, which put New Zealand in pole position to claim victory in the five-match series.

By his own admission Collingwood talked frankly and harshly to his team and ensured England responded with a defiant display to claim a six-wicket victory with three overs to spare.

No-one in the tourists’ line-up was more belligerent than Collingwood, who hammered 70 off 50 balls to clinch victory just as the momentum seemed to be swinging back in New Zealand’s direction when they dismissed Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen in successive overs.

Collingwood’s innings, which included four fours and two sixes, typified England’s display and gives them hope of building on series wins over India and Sri Lanka in the last six months.

“We’re grown men and you’re going to say some harsh things to each other, but it’s only for the team to become a better team - that’s why we’re honest with each other,” stressed Collingwood.

“It was important we did come out and take those kind of things we’ve been talking about, going onto the field and actually walking the walk instead of talking the talk.

“We’re still a young side and we haven’t got loads of experience in there and it’s been a tough week.

“When you lose like that it can hit you pretty hard, but there’s obviously still confidence in there and we proved that. It was a solid performance and we can get better, but I’ll take that right now.”

England made two changes and recalled Dimitri Mascarenhas and Luke Wright and after winning the toss and deciding to bowl first, they tore through New Zealand’s top order as if determined to make amends for Tuesday when openers Jesse Ryder and Brendon McCullum savagely destroyed their attack.

Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad, whose opening spell was an impressive 7-1-12-2, shared the first four wickets and Collingwood claimed two more to leave New Zealand rocking on 95 for six until all-rounder Jacob Oram teamed up with captain Daniel Vettori.

Collingwood contributed with the bat and the ball

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Riding their luck initially - Vettori was dropped by Anderson at mid-on before he had scored - they shared a vital 74-run stand off 72 balls and became increasingly aggressive as their partnership developed.

Vettori hit four fours and a six in his 42 off 35 balls before holing out to Owais Shah in the deep, but Oram continued to hit 88 off 91 balls, including four fours and four sixes, before mis-timing a drive off a Ryan Sidebottom full toss to deep cover where Bell took a superb diving catch.

Having scored a competitive 234 for nine, New Zealand’s confidence of continuing their winning streak would have been high, particularly after running out Phil Mustard in the third over of the reply - England’s seventh dismissal of this type in the series.

Alastair Cook followed shortly after the rain-break with a pull to mid-on and some further anxious running could have ended Bell’s contribution on 22 and 52 and put England under even more pressure.

But Bell, without a half-century in his previous 11 one-day matches, kept his composure and dominated a 120-run stand with Pietersen which all but laid the foundations for victory.

With the win and his century in sight, Bell was unluckily given lbw off an inside edge facing Vettori having hit 10 fours in his 73 and Pietersen fell more legitimately to New Zealand’s left-arm spinner in his next over.

Collingwood, though, was not about to allow New Zealand back into the game and aggressively ended their challenge in an unbroken 80-run stand with Shah to keep the series alive.

Victory would have been a timely boost for England’s Test specialists, who arrived in New Zealand on Friday to begin preparations for the opening Test in Hamilton on March 5.

Captain Michael Vaughan and Matthew Hoggard touched down in Christchurch but they were without fast bowler Steve Harmison, who has stayed at home to attend the birth of his fourth child which was due last weekend.

Harmison is expected to join up with the others next week, by which time they should have also been joined by Monty Panesar following his spell with the Lions in India and Andrew Strauss, who has been playing club cricket in New Zealand.