One day fans are in for a treat if this match is half as good as the 4rd ODI which produced nearly 700 runs in 100 overs and resulted in a tie.

True - but lets not forget that New Zealand made the same amount of runs as England in the ODI also, so they are not underdogs by any means.

LINK: BBC SPORT | Cricket | England | England look to complete comeback

I don't suppose many (if any) New Zealand supporters would agree that an England win to draw the series 2-2 would be rather a fitting end to this series after the display by both sides in the 4th ODI.

Anyways it's game on - please post your match and pre match comments on this thread.

Thank's.

New Zealand v England
Fifth one-day international
Date: Saturday, 23 February
Start: 0100 GMT

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Ern

So, off we go again.

NZ won the toss and made the same decision as the last game - they'll bowl first. England made no changes and NZ two, Flynn for Fulton and Patel for O'Brien.

In more ways than one - Mustard out slogging.

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Ern

Yep, the Kiwi's have bowled well first up, kept it tight, just back of a length and with very little width. Mustard decided it was time to force the pace and perished with a top edged pull.

The Kiwi's must like this slow and low two paced pitch and they're chasing too, so I'll leave you to work out the result, particularly as England haven't strengthened their bowling attack

Looks like it could be an early night for me !

England 53-1 in the 14th over.
Looks hard going for Cook and Bell.

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Ern

Bell gone - England 57-2, poor shot.

Looks like the England bowlers are in for a hard session again.

Bell and Cook together just does not work in one day cricket.

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Ern

I'm not sure you can describe that shot as poor. If you criticise them for scoring slowly (which they are) you can hardly criticise them for trying to up the run rate. Bell went over the top, back over the bowlers head, but didn't quite get enough of it and was caught on the boundary. You can't criticise him for trying to up the run rate.

Yep and with no spinners they are in for a tough time on this slow pitch.

Don't agree. Bell was playing beautifully, accumulating runs with proper cricket strokes - the way the Kiwi's are bowling on this pitch, scoring is proving to be very difficult.

It's another crap slow, low, no paced pitch that does NOT suit Englands batting, who like the ball coming on to the bat with a bit of pace. The kiwi's know how to play on these pitches - they're taking the pace off, shoving the keeper up and strangling any ones and two's in the circle, forcing England to either play over the top or to take risks.

So either they take risks and risk losing wickets to push the scoring rate up to a defendable total or they bat conservatively, protect wickets but end up with a below par score. It's heads you lose, tails you lose.

Cook gone now for 43, LBW Vettori, caught on the crease trying to work him away on the leg side to a ball that straightened.

Sorry Scott I can criticise it as a poor shot especially when trying to up the run rate in the wrong way!!

My views on Bell are well documented but assuming you are an advocate of his can you give me please the number of games he's played compared to the number of games he's made a match winning contribution?

The bottom line with our ODI situation is we keep making the same mistakes. I have written at length on this and fully concede there may be something I'm missing but no one has explained to me why we don't pick our best 11 cricketers!!

We just had a TV shot of Vaughan, Strauss and Panesar none of whom are playing and it's my assertion they all should be. (at the risk of hobby horsing the omission of Monty is frankly bewildering and I defy any one to give me a decent argument why he's not in)

We are not the best side in the world but really while we continue to keep picking Cook and the hopeless Bell we will continue to fail in this form of the game. Also while we omit the best English spinner of a generation we get exactly what we deserve.

The problem I had with the shot Bell played holing out at 'long off' - was that Bell has only ever scored I think 7 or 8 sixes in ODIs, so taking on long off was really not his shot and I think he should have realized that.

Cook has I don't think ever scored a 6 in this format, so I think Pietersen or Collinwood would be better coming in with one wicket down, rather than Bell.
Compare Bell and Cook with Pietersen and Collinwood who have both plundered over 40+ 6's.
Anyway with Cook now gone - England could struggle with their bizarre bowling line up - Wright bowling the last over in the 4th ODI was as bizarre as it gets.

122 -3.

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Ern