Justice done as England win after freak run out
4 March 2018 5:33 PM GMT
wellington: Justice was done for England with a freakish run out which set up their four-run win over New Zealand in the third one-day international here on Sunday, with the tourists' captain acknowledging the lucky turn.
Mitchell Santner was in a potentially match-winning partnership with Kane Williamson when he was run out after the ball deflected on to the stumps from a dropped caught-and-bowled chance.
England captain Eoin Morgan admitted the wicket was a match-turning fluke, but he was also adamant Santner should have been given out 87 runs earlier when Jason Roy took a ground-level catch with New Zealand already in dire straits at 112 for six in reply to England's 234.
Countless replays proved inconclusive, and Santner was given not out after the television umpire Rod Tucker could not be certain the ball had not brushed the grass.
Santner progressed from two to 41 and New Zealand were 199 for six with victory in sight when Chris Woakes failed to grasp a drive from Williamson.
But the ball deflected off his fingertips into the stumps at the non-striker's end where Santner was out of his crease.
"You earn a little bit of luck along the way," Morgan said Sunday as the teams prepared to move to Dunedin for game four on Wednesday. "Woakesy was trying to catch the ball and it's a really unlucky way to get out. Obviously, a significant moment in the game."
But Morgan was certain Santner had been legitimately caught when he clipped a Moeen Ali ball to Roy at midwicket in an incident similar to a denied catch in a Twenty20 match against Australia in Hobart last month.
"I think it was the exact same," Morgan said. "I had a worse view of this one, but on the TV it's not going to look out."
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