Fleming hoping to
wrap up series

England need another brave fightback to keep alive their hopes in the one-day international series against New Zealand.

The tourists go into the third match in the series of five in Napier on Wednesday 2-0 down after surrendering the advantage in Christchurch to lose by four wickets, then capitulating miserably in Wellington to be beaten by 155 runs.

England's desperation to win is matched by the Kiwis' desire to take the series with a third victory.

New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming said: "We obviously want to win every game we play in our home country. Naturally we expect them to come back stronger. We would be foolish if we didn't.

"We want to win the series and if we can win it tomorrow it will be great and then we can look forward to bigger possibilities, but the series is first and foremost.

"The Napier ground was, for a long time, New Zealand's most successful ODI venue but some recent results have not been so impressive. The side want to rebuild their successful record at the ground."

The McLean Park pitch could provide the key to victory for either side on Wednesday.

PACE TRIO

It is hard and it is fast and if England go into the match with the same pace trio of Darren Gough, Andy Flintoff and Matthew Hoggard, they will get the sort of help they never got in Christchurch or on the pudding of a pitch in Wellington.

England enjoyed the pitches they played on in Hamilton soon after they arrived from India, and Napier should give them more of the same.

New Zealand could give newcomer Ian Butler another chance. He started impressively on his debut match in Christchurch by getting Marcus Trescothick in his first over, but after that was fairly ordinary on the slow pitch.

England have Ben Hollioake fit again and while he admitted on Tuesday he did not expect to play, he is itching to get back on the field.

Hollioake also has a positive attitude to the rest of the series.

"A month ago all eyes were on New Zealand and how brilliant they were in Australia, but then they had a few losses," he said.

"It was the same with us in India. We came from 3-1 down to square the series and I'm sure we can do that again. The boys will pick themselves up again. I reckon we'll win the series 3-2."

To start the fightback, Trescothick needs to fire as he did in India and Nick Knight needs to perform as he did in the first game of the tour, a brilliant 126 against Northern Districts.

If those two get among the runs and Nasser Hussain and Graham Thorpe back them up solidly, the likes of Flintoff and the out-of-form Craig White can flourish without the sort of pressure they were under in the previous two matches.

Mail Cricket Editor