Cricket: England aim for NZ series win

Batting coach Thorpe confident of claiming victory in deciding ODI.

England batting coach Graham Thorpe is hopeful about his side emerging as the victors in their deciding One-Day International (ODI) against New Zealand today.

He was optimistic that his team would ensure his first coaching assignment in senior international cricket goes down as a successful one.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with Ashley (Giles), David Saker (bowling coach), the other coaches and the group of players,” said Thorpe, according to Wales Online. “It’s quite an exciting time, and I hope we can finish it off and make it a good three weeks.”

England’s eight-wicket win in the second ODI helped them level the series with the contributions of James Anderson (five wickets) and half-centuries by captain Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott and Joe Root.

“It was good to get back into the series and to see the way they held their composure, chasing the target down,” added Thorpe. “New Zealand would probably like to have got a few more on that pitch, and in the end we made it home pretty comfortably.”

Meanwhile, New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum said he was confident his side is capable of delivering better.

“If we can just be a little bit more urgent inside those first 10 overs, we should be able to give ourselves a better start,” said McCullum. “This is a ‘clutch’ game. These are the sorts of occasions you hope you turn up and play your best game and seize those moments. So it’s a really important day for us.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 23^rd, 2013.