SOUTHAMPTON: Liam Livingstone’s unbeaten 95 powered England to a 79-run win over New Zealand in the second one-day international in Southampton on Sunday.
England, who begin the defence of their World Cup title against New Zealand in Ahmedabad on October 5, collapsed to 8-3 in a match reduced by rain to 34 overs per side.
They were still struggling at 55-5 in the 13th over when Livingstone came into bat.
But he took England to 226-7 and New Zealand were then dismissed for 147 as the hosts levelled the four-match series at 1-1
Reece Topley, whose 3-27 ended a wait of over a year for an ODI wicket, and fellow left-arm quick David Willey (3-34) were in the wickets.
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New Zealand great Trent Boult had marked his 100th ODI — and first in nearly a year — by taking the first three England wickets wickets to fall, the veteran left-arm quick removing Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root and Ben Stokes.
But Livingstone’s career-best ODI innings, a tribute to his composure as much as his celebrated hitting power, bolstered the total and enhanced his prospects of selection for England’s final 15-man World Cup squad.
Sam Curran (42) offered fellow all-rounder Livingstone excellent support in a sixth-wicket stand of 112 in 77 balls.
New Zealand, defeated by England in a dramatic 2019 World Cup final at Lord’s that went to a Super Over, lost Finn Allen to the second ball of their chase when the big-hitting batsman was bowled for a second-ball duck by Willey.
Devon Conway, fresh from a hundred in an eight-wicket rout of England in Cardiff on Friday, was then caught behind off fast bowler Gus Atkinson for 14.
Off-spinner Moeen Ali then struck twice in three balls, with Daryl Mitchell — who like Conway made a century in Cardiff — falling for 57 to leave New Zealand on the brink of defeat at 140-8 before Willey polished off the tail.
Earlier, Boult ripped through England’s top order after New Zealand captain Tom Latham won the toss at a then overcast Rose Bowl.
Boult had Bairstow superbly caught one-handed by a leaping Mitchell Santner at cover and, two balls later, dismissed Root for a second-ball nought with an inswinger. It was Root’s fourth duck in his last 10 ODI innings.
England were three down when Stokes (one) miscued Boult. The 34-year-old Boult had taken a remarkable three wickets for no runs in eight balls.
England captain Jos Buttler made a promising 30 before under-edging left-arm spinner Santner into his stumps.
But Livingstone helped Mooen (33) stop the rot during a stand of 48 before Curran added fresh impetus with sixes off spinners Rachin Ravindra and Santner.
Livingstone demonstrated his game awareness on one of England’s larger grounds by not hitting a six until 73 balls into his innings when he pulled paceman Matt Henry.
But come the start of the last over he had lost the strike when in sight of a hundred.
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