Cricket round-up: New Zealand beat Pakistan by 52 runs

Andrew Strauss

It was too little and too late but New Zealand at least managed to salvage some pride from their one-day international series.

The Black Caps won the fifth match, in Auckland, by 57 runs but it was rather academic and merely meant that they lost the series by the slightly more respectable-looking margin of 3-2.

New Zealand posted an impressive 311-7 in their 50 overs with two century partnerships led by Jesse Ryder's 107, off 93 balls, and backed up by half-centuries from Scott Styris (58 not out) and Nathan McCullum (65).

In reply Kamran Akmal hit 89, off 84 deliveries, but Pakistan were all out for 254.

As England prepare for the seventh ODI of what has now become an almost interminable series in Australia, Andrew Strauss, the England captain, believes that one-day series should be played before Test matches in future.

The ODI series is already wrapped up, with Australia leading 5-1, interest has been dwindling in recent games ahead of the last match in Perth and Strauss believes that a switch with the Test matches would be beneficial. “Wherever possible I think that's a better way of doing it,” he said to ecb.co.uk. “I've been involved in a lot of tours where the one-dayers at the end have been hard work.

“Not just for us but the other teams as well. In some ways it's quite a good way to whet the appetite for the five-day matches coming up. That's something the administrators can look at and I think it makes for better cricket personally.”

Another question, with the World Cup coming up and a lengthening injury list to contend with which was added to when Eoin Morgan was ruled out with a finger injury, is whether there really was a need for a seven-match series in the first place? “I personally think that five one-dayers is enough, but there are a lot of other considerations to take into account,” Strauss said.

“The administrators have to think about the future of the game and funding the various initiatives that they have. It’s always a difficult one to answer.

“The crowds have been pretty healthy and apparently it will be a full house here [at Perth] tomorrow so that’s a good thing.”

Paul Wheeler

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