Cricket: Fleming sees Black Caps to tri-series final

7.30am - By MARK GEENTY

Captain Stephen Fleming ushered in New Zealand's best one-day cricket winning streak as the tourists booked a tri-series final at Lord's with a six-wicket win over a struggling England here today.

Despite falling for 99 just seven runs short of victory, the captain led the chase for 238 as he and Nathan Astle's opening stand of 122 made the win a formality with 16 balls to spare.

It was the eighth consecutive win for the well-oiled New Zealand one-day machine under coach John Bracewell, excepting their washout against West Indies in Birmingham last month.

The previous best was seven straight, set in the 1982-83 season and in the 1992 World Cup on home soil.

Having bemoaned the scheduling of a double-header, it gave man of the match Fleming extra reason to smile after they put away West Indies in equally impressive style in Cardiff yesterday.

The result put England in danger of missing their own tri-series final, and needing to beat West Indies on Tuesday and hope New Zealand do the same in Southampton on Thursday.

New Zealand got there today without their top allrounder Chris Cairns, who was rested with a minor ankle injury after his three for 29 inspired their five-wicket win in Cardiff.

Fleming won his fourth successive toss of the series and sent England in. As with every other match it led to a win despite Andrew Flintoff's career-best 106 off 121 balls.

Before a packed house of 15,000 at Bracewell's former Gloucestershire home turf, the run chase was highlighted by a return to form for Astle who had scored 13, 15 and 19 in the series to date.

He scored 53 off 85 balls and saw off the early threat of Stephen Harmison before the England speedster yorked him.

Fleming took command from the start, reaching 50 off 66 balls and hammering debutante Sajid Mahmood who went for 56 off seven overs. The New Zealand skipper faced 126 balls and hit 10 fours and a six, before narrowly missing out on what would have been his seventh one-day century.

Hamish Marshall's 55, to go with his man of the match 75 not out against West Indies yesterday, helped Fleming add 104 off 97 balls before he was run out by a Paul Collingwood direct hit trying to scamper his captain's 100th run.

Fleming remained anchored on 99 as Scott Styris departed cheaply, then Fleming chipped a catch to mid-wicket as New Zealand finally lurched home in the 48th over.

It could have been even easier for New Zealand who were ruing their let-offs of Flintoff and Andrew Strauss in England's innings.

The Black Caps' best fielder Marshall was the villain both times, both at backward point, dropping Strauss on one off Jacob Oram then an easier chance from Flintoff off Styris on nought with the total 57 for three.

The pair added 122 for the fourth wicket to set up an England charge at the death when they added 74 off the last 10.

Oram again kept a grip on the England batsman after his three for 23 in Durham, taking two for 27 off 10 overs including nine off his last two when Flintoff was flaying away at the end.

Ian Butler's dangerous pace was again an asset in the middle stages, taking three for 57 to give him six wickets for the weekend in his comeback matches.

There was also more frustration for Chris Harris who replaced Cairns and ended with none for 37 off eight overs.

It was his sixth match poised on 199 wickets, and he had a huge caught behind appeal against Flintoff on 23 turned down by Australian umpire Daryl Harper when gloveman Gareth Hopkins appeared adamant.

England

M Trescothick run out 1

M Vaughan c Harris b Oram 12

R Key c Hopkins b Styris 18

A Strauss c Astle b Butler 61

A Flintoff b Butler 106

P Collingwood c Hopkins b Oram 20

G Jones not out 1

S Mahmood c Oram b Butler 1

Extras (1b, 2lb, 9w, 5nb) 17

Total (for 7 wkts, 50 overs) 237

Fall: 4 (Trescothick), 35 (Vaughan), 57 (Key), 179 (Strauss), 229 (Collingwood), 235 (Flintoff), 237 (Mahmood).

Bowling: J Oram 10-3-27-2 (1w), J Franklin 8-0-53-0 (6w, 2nb), I Butler 10-0-57-3 (2w, 2nb), S Styris 9-0-34-1, C Harris 8-0-37-0 (1nb), D Vettori 5-0-26-0

New Zealand

S Fleming c Strauss b Collingwood 99

N Astle b Harmison 53

H Marshall run out 55

S Styris c Trescothick b Collingwood 1

C McMillan not out 3

J Oram not out 10

Extras (1b, 4lb, 8w, 7nb) 20

Total (for 4 wkts, 47.2 overs) 241

Fall: 122 (Astle), 226 (Marshall), 227 (Styris), 231 (Fleming).

Bowling: D Gough 9-2-37-0 (1nb), S Harmison 9-2-38-1 (3w), J Anderson 10-1-29-0 (1w), S Mahmood 7-0-56-0 (2w, 6nb), P Collingwood 7.2-0-47-2, M Vaughan 5-0-29-0 (2w)

Result: New Zealand won by six wickets.

Man of the match: Stephen Fleming

- NZPA