Thursday 21st February, 2008 15 Thrilling tie at Napier …and How gets a maiden!

NAPIER, (AP) - and - for 14 runs to "We always thought we had a Jamie How scored a maiden cen- leave the match in a precarious good chance. We've chased bigger tury, a classy 139, but was run out balance. totals than that and it was a good one ball and two runs from the The hosts needed 17 runs to (pitch). end of New Zealand's fourth limit- win from the last 12 balls with "It was a great day but we let ed-overs international four standing. How and ourselves down at the end." against , leaving the Vettori improved the odds of a How had support in his run match to finish in a thrilling tie New Zealand victory by taking 10 chase from McCullum, Ross on Wednesday. runs from the 49th , leaving Taylor (48) and Stryis (20) but the New Zealand Daniel seven needed from the last six innings then fell away. Vettori took one run when two balls. Earlier, and were needed from the last ball of In an inspired stroke of - Phil Mustard made half centuries the match to leave his team 340 for taincy, threw in a 158-run opening partnership seven in reply to England's 340 for the ball to , the to set up England's biggest total in six, the second tie between the Leicestershire medium pacer, who a limited-overs international on teams in one-day internationals. hadn't bowled previously in the foreign shores. The result keeps alive the five- innings. Wright produced a Mustard made 83 from 74 balls match series which concludes in superb over which allowed only with 11 fours and two sixes and Christchurch on Saturday. New six runs, featured the run out of Cook 69 from 88 balls in a partner- Zealand leads 2-1 but England can How, and left the match suspended ship which had Vettori ruing his square the series if it wins the in a high-scoring tie. decision to bowl on winning the last match at Lancaster Park. The New Zealanders took sin- toss. How did everything but win gles from both of the first two After together for 26 the match for New Zealand in his balls then a two to leave three overs, Cook and Mustard were out 19th one-day international. He runs needed for victory from to successive balls in the first over came to the crease at the end of a three balls. bowled by Ryder. Jamie How 70-run opening partnership Vettori took a further single then made 43 from 41 between (39) and but How, in chancing a run from balls, 50 from 47 SCOREBOARD Brendon McCullum (58) and the next ball, was left short of his balls and captain Collingwood England c Mustard b Anderson 48 stayed until the fifth ball of the ground. Vettori faced the final ball smashed 54 from 30 balls with six Alastair Cook b Ryder 69 c Anderson b Sidebottom 20 final over, when he was run out but could only scramble another sixes. Phil Mustard c Oram b Ryder 83 Peter Fulton run out 0 chasing a crucial single. single and the match ended in the The total was England's third Ian Bell c Mills b O'Brien 43 Jacob Oram c Pietersen b Broad 6 New Zealand was cruising first tie between the teams since highest in all one-day internation- Kevin Pietersen b Vettori 50 14 toward victory at 301 for three in 1997. als, well behind its best of 391 Paul Collingwood not out 54 not out 0 the 44th over but lost three crucial "It's worse than a kick in the against Bangladesh at c Fulton b Vettori 5 Extras: (1lb,15w) 16 wickets - Scott Styris, Peter Fulton groin," How said. "It's gutting. Nottingham in 2005. Luke Wright c Fulton b Martin 24 TOTAL: (for seven wickets) 340 Extras: (4b,2lb,6w) 12 Overs: 50. Batting time: 215 minutes TOTAL: (for six wickets) 340 Fall of wickets: 1-70, 2-161, 3-253, 4-301, 5- Overs: 50. Batting time: 211 minutes 304, 6-315, 7-339. Fall of wickets: 1-158, 2-158, 3-232, 4-277, Did not bat: Iain O'Brien, . and England 5-291 Bowling: James Anderson 10-0-86-1 (6w), Did not bat: , Stuart 10-0-45-1 (1w), , Ryan Sidebottom, James Anderson Broad 10-0-75-2 (4w), Paul Collingwood 10- Bowling: Kyle Mills 9-1-52-0 (1w), Chris 0-67-0 (1w), Dimitri Mascarenhas 2-0-14-0, Martin 10-0-70-1 (2w), Jacob Oram 7-0-43-0 Owais Shah 7-0-46-1 (3w), Luke Wright 1-0- starting rookie halves (1w), Iain O'Brien 6-0-59-1 (1w), Daniel 6-0. Vettori 9-0-66-2 (1w), Scott Styris 6-0-30-0, Umpires: Asad Rauf, , Billy Bowden, MARCOUSSIS, France (AP) - Trinh-Duc's first two caps have Cipriani to replace flyhalf Jonny Jesse Ryder 3-0-14-2. New Zealand. France and England will have rookies come in this tournament. Wilkinson or fullback . TV umpire: Evan Watkin, New Zealand. in the halves for their Six Nations Promoting Picamoles forced Lineups: New Zealand Match referee: Alan Hurst, Australia. clash on Saturday. to the blindside flank France: Cedric Heymans, Aurelien Jesse Ryder c Anderson b Broad 39 Result: Match tied. , whose first cap and to the Rougerie, , , Brendon McCullum std Mustard b Shah 58 Series: New Zealand leads the five-match was as a substitute in the 26-21 defeat bench. , Francois Trinh-Duc, Jamie How run out 139 series 2-1 with one tie. of 10 days ago, will start at Romain Millo-Chluski, ; Lionel Faure, Dimitri No. 8, and Morgan Parra and Lievremont's first choice to play Szarzewski, , Francois Trinh-Duc, who have two alongside captain Lionel Nallet in the (captain), Pascal Pape, Julien Bonnaire, Champions League caps each, will be the run-on second row, dropped out on Tuesday , Louis Picamoles. scrumhalf and flyhalf for France. with tendinitis in his right Achilles Replacements: , Jean- World Cup scrumhalf Andy heel. Pascal Pape will replace him, Baptiste Poux, Jerome Thion, Fulgence Kuyt, Gerrard score late to give Gomarsall was dropped to give and Jerome Thion was called up to to Ouedraogo, , David Richard Wigglesworth his debut start the reserves. Skrela, Anthony Floch. as England needs to repeat its World With Elissalde out, center Damien Liverpool 2-0 win over Inter England: Iain Balshaw, , Cup semifinal win at Traille will handle kicking duties. by Rob Harris last October to retain any chance at Sale's Wigglesworth was the only , , Lesley its first Six Nations title since 2003. change among the England backs Vainikolo, , Richard LIVERPOOL, England (AP) - New coach Marc Lievremont's after a disappointingly narrow 23-19 Wigglesworth; , Mark Dirk Kuyt and Steven Gerrard choices of new players have so far win against . Gomarsall didn't Regan, Phil Vickery (captain), Simon scored late goals Tuesday to paid off for France, which is on even make the 22, as Paul Hodgson Shaw, , , give Liverpool a 2-0 win over course for its fourth Six Nations title was called up. Michael Lipman, . 10-man Inter Milan in the first in five years, having beaten The only other two changes by Replacements: , Matt leg of the second round of the 27-6 and Ireland. coach Brian Ashton were in the front Stevens, , , Paul Champions League. "We aren't worried," he said. row, where Andrew Sheridan Hodgson, , . Inter had to play most of "These players already have a little replaced at loosehead prop match a man down because more experience than at the begin- after recovering from an abscess near Marco Materazzi was sent off in ning of the tournament and we are his Achilles tendon, and captain Phil the 30th minute for twice counting on their enthusiasm." Vickery was back after withdrawing attempting to drag Fernando Parra, 19, replaces Jean-Baptiste just before the Italy game with a Torres back on surging runs. Elissalde, who was out with a stomach complaint. But Kuyt finally broke the calf muscle injury. Parra was England has only two deadlock for the five-time cham- Liverpool's Dirk Kuyt, centwe, celebrates with team- favored over the more expe- points from two games so pions in the 85th, latching onto mates after scoring against Inter Milan during their rienced Dimitri Yachvili, far and Ashton resisted substitute Jermaine Pennant's Champion's League round of 16 soccer match at Anfield who was called up after the temptation to make cross, bringing the ball down Stadium, Liverpool, England, Tuesday Feb. 19, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Thomas) Elissalde dropped out on y more changes, such as with his chest and on the swivel Monday. b drafting in Danny slicing over Inter goalkeeper g

u Julio Cesar. upstairs, everyone at the club, it was a big win R

Gerrard ensured the Reds will travel to for everyone," Gerrard said. "We're not going to s

n Milan with a two-goal advantage in three weeks get carried away. They were playing for 0-0 so it o i

t with another goal in the 90th. The Liverpool was important that we were patient." a captain split the Nerazzurri's defense with a low The visitors, topping Serie A by 11 points N

x shot inside the far post after Pennant dragged after two straight league titles, looked a shadow i

S the ball back for him. of its dangerous domestic force. The loss hurts Inter's hopes of marking its After several free kicks yielded nothing for centenary by landing Europe's elite competition Liverpool, Sami Hyypia rose to meet Gerrard's for the first time since 1965. corner in the 10th only for Cesar to knock it For Liverpool, the victory handed embattled over. manager Rafa Benitez a lifeline, with European Materazzi, the only Italian starting for Inter, glory seen as the last salvation amid his tortu- received his first booking in the 12th after clip- ous relationship with the club's American own- ping Torres as he raced onto Gerrard's ball. ers. With his frustration boiling over at being "It is a great win, but we need to play unable to contain the speedy Torres, the 34- another game, so we must be careful," Benitez year-old defender was shown a second yellow said. "We have confidence, but we know Inter card after hauling the Spain striker back by his are a good team." shoulder in the 30th as he raced toward goal. Gerrard, Torres and Jose Reina returned to But Liverpool wasn't able to capitalize on its the starting lineup after being rested for man advantage and seize control with Babel Saturday's FA Cup loss to Barnsley, a result that coming closest after cutting inside from the left sharpened the scrutiny on Benitez's tactics. before skewing wide in the 39th. The Kop roared defiant chants backing the The perennial criticism Benitez has leveled Frenchman Cedric Heymans, passes the ball during a training session at the National Rugby Center in Marcoussis, embattled Spaniard and the support was reflect- at his players is the inability to convert chances south of , Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2008. France are preparing for their upcoming Six Nations tournament match against ed with a high tempo start on the field. into goals, and that cutting edge in the final third England on Saturday at the Stade de France stadium, outside Paris. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) "Rafa, the team, the fans, the people was still lacking after the break.