Collingwood, Ambrose stand set up series win - Vaughan |
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Wednesday March 26, 02:21 PM
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By Greg Stutchbury
NAPIER, New Zealand (Reuters) - The century partnership between Paul Collingwood and Tim Ambrose in the second test was crucial to England beating New Zealand in the series, victorious captain Michael Vaughan said on Wednesday.
England won the deciding third test by 121 runs at McLean Park in Napier to clinch the series 2-1.
The visitors lost the first test by 189 runs and were reduced to 136 for five on the first day of the second in Wellington before Ambrose and Collingwood shared a 164-run partnership which wrested momentum away from the hosts. England went on to win the match by 126 runs.
"It has been a real hardfought series, we have had to show an immense character to come back from 1-0 down," Vaughan told reporters.
"A lot of the individual players have had to show strength in character as well. We have got ourselves out of tricky positions in the last two games.
"I think the defining moment of the series was that partnership between Tim Ambrose and Paul Collingwood to get us to 290 for five on the first day. It gave us a huge boost and was the big turning-point of the series."
LOST MOMENTUM
Vaughan, however, admitted his side had almost lost that momentum on the opening morning of the third test in Napier when he won the toss and chose to bat in ideal conditions.
Debutant teenager Tim Southee took two wickets in his first three overs and England slumped to four for three.
Kevin Pietersen scored 129 to lift England to 253 but Vaughan felt the momentum was back with New Zealand when they raced to 103 for one after lunch on the second day.
Ryan Sidebottom then ripped through the New Zealand batting by taking seven for 47 to give his side an 85-run first-innings lead, another example of England winning the crucial moments in the series. "Certainly at lunch on the second day when they were 100 for one it was looking like that," Vaughan added.
"But the defining moment for this match was the spell from Ryan Sidebottom and Stuart Broad on that second afternoon to restrict them.
"For us to have an 85-run lead was a real big lead on that kind of wicket and it set up our second innings.
"We played with confidence and made sure that we killed off the game."
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