The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : Pietersen guides England to big score

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Pietersen guides England to big score

Ted Corbett

— Photo: AP

POWER PLAY: Kevin Pietersen’s unbeaten century took England to a formidable total.

CHESTER-LE-STREET: Kevin Pietersen is a showman and his hundred at the Riverside against New Zealand on Sunday might as easily have fitted into a three-ring circus, even though it was error-free.

His undefeated 110 was his first ODI century in this country and his first anywhere since the World Cup. Spectacularly, it included two sixes hit left-handed off Scott Styris high, wide and wilful over mid-off. Or mid-on if you prefer his second choice of stance. The second time Styris put his hands on his hips and laughed. What other choice had he?

Of course, Pietersen has pulled this stroke before, against Muttiah Muralitharan of all controlling bowlers at Edgbaston, so in a sense he is repeating old tricks. It is still well worth the entrance money.

His fourth-wicket stand of 136 with the England captain Paul Collingwood who made no attempt to disguise the fact he was disgusted to get out for 64 at a run-a-ball on his home ground enabled the side to lay down a formidable target of 308.

Shah on song

Owais Shah followed the big stand with another riotous innings when he made 49, including 16 off the 48th over bowled by Kyle Mills.

Shah will have opened many pairs of eyes with this blitz but he was mainly responsible for the 109 off the last 10 overs, the 47 off the last three and 31 off teenager Tim Southee’s last two.

By that time, the New Zealand side was in tatters and, even though Shah hit his 49 off 25 balls with four fours and three sixes, it was all down to Pietersen.

He dominated proceedings from the moment he went in at 49 for one in the 12th over after the pinch hitter Luke Wright batted 33 balls for 11. Perhaps he was meant to be a pinch blocker for at the other end Ian Bell struck 12 off the first over.

Pietersen’s 12th Test hundred only 10 days ago, his undefeated 40 in the Twenty20 victory 48 hours earlier and his previous five one-day centuries have all shown us what a devastating stroke player he is.

Daunting task

His height, his timing, his strength and his ferocity can daunt a bowler long before he takes his turn to bowl, but even when his arm goes over the bowler cannot imagine what will happen.

It is difficult to believe but England ought to have made more than 307 but New Zealand, as befits a fighting ODI side, plugged the gaps and the scoring rate dropped dramatically so that Collingwood had to show the way with his run-a-ball gallop to 64.

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