England seeking glorious end to one of the greatest series ever

One of the greatest of all one-day series will reach its climax on Saturday. It is a disease of modern times to suggest that this, that and the other in the sporting field is the best there has ever been, when the more objective truth is that what we have just witnessed may be slightly superior to what we saw last week.

This is different. Each of the four matches between England and New Zealand in the early summer of 2015 has been a riveting spectacle. Each, too, has had the capacity to make bowling seem slightly less alluring as a career prospect than swimming with sharks.

But the swashbuckling batting by both sides, fearless and skilful in equal measure, has been off the scale. There have been seven individual hundreds already, only one of which has been scored at (slightly) less than a run a ball. In only one of the eight innings, New Zealand’s 198 in the first match at Edgbaston when they were attempting to track down a target of 409, has a team failed to score more than 300.

It has brought the feel-good factor back to the game in this country in a way that was beyond the imagination a month ago. The Emirates Durham ICG ground will be full today for the deciding game and, while the pitch promises again to be a batsman’s delight, none in the country is more equipped to provide the bowler with some cause for optimism. Last year, England were bowled out for 99 in an ODI against Sri Lanka.

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After their exploits at Trent Bridge on Wednesday when they successfully chased a target of 350 to bring the series level at 2-2, England may feel they are capable of anything. They will probably have to do whatever is asked of them without their thrilling wicketkeeper batsman, Jos Buttler, who split the webbing of his left hand during fielding practice yesterday.

Buttler needed stitches in an injury he has suffered before, and beautifully poised though things are, England may feel that he should not be risked with the Ashes beginning on 8 July. Jonny Bairstow has been called up as cover, bringing back to three the number of Yorkshiremen in the squad. He will keep wicket if Buttler is missing, leaving Sam Billings, who occupies the position for Kent, to concentrate on his batting.

Bairstow is a perfectly adequate replacement, who is averaging 80.4 in the Championship First Division this season. He may not quite have the spectacular qualities of Buttler, whose blistering 129 in Birmingham was the fastest century for England in one-day internationals. But then who does?

Both teams seem resigned – or perhaps enthused – by the idea that they will concede runs at around seven an over. With the flat pitches, a non-swinging ball and the present fielding restrictions limiting to four the number of players outside the circle, the surest way of restricting free scoring is the taking of wickets.

That has always been true in every form of the game but teams have not necessarily adhered to the dictum, preferring damage limitation. With that no longer an option, dismissals have assumed a whole new significance.

Mark Wood, England’s perky fast bowler who will play his maiden international match on his home ground, said yesterday: “I think wickets are important – and under 10 an over is obviously good as well! If you can go at under six an over then you’ve done pretty well. We have to try to take wickets. If you take wickets, that’s the best way to stop the scoring.”

Wood is the least expensive bowler on either side after playing two matches in the series. The whole experience has been an eye-opener for a player who seemed as far away from the England team a year ago as his home town of Ashington is from London.

“I’ve had loads of fun,” he said. “I’ve just tried to be myself, and I think that brings the best out of me. If I was to not do so well and wasn’t myself, then I would regret it. I’ve just given it a good crack and thought, ‘Let’s enjoy it’. That brings the best out of me.”

Fun, enjoyment, pleasure: what fun, what enjoyment, what pleasure to hear an England cricketer talking so winningly of such sentiments. They would like victory today, though they do not see it as essential in the rebuilding process of the side, and New Zealand are masterful operators who will again come at them hard. But the tourists may miss Trent Boult, their ace left-arm swing bowler, more than England miss Buttler.

The whole thing has been wonderful so far. It deserves a fitting culmination and a more or less equal division of 700 runs today would do handsomely.

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Probable teams

England E J G Morgan (capt), A D Hales, J J Roy, J E Root, B A Stokes, J M Bairstow (wkt), S W Billings, A U Rashid, D J Willey, M A Wood, S T Finn.

New Zealand B B McCullum (capt), M J Guptill, K S Williamson, L R P L Taylor, M Santner, G D Elliott, L Ronchi (wkt), B M Wheeler, T G Southee, M J Henry, M J McClenaghan.

Umpires B N J Oxenford (Aus) & M A Gough (Eng).

Weather Early showers likely to clear but remaining cloudy.

Maximum temperature: 17C

TV Sky Sports 2, 10am-7pm

Series so far:

1st ODI Eng won by 210 runs

2nd NZ by 13 runs (D/L)

3rd NZ by three wkts

4th Eng by seven wkts