England and New Zealand want to maintain run-rich form when they clash Tuesday at the Wanderers in the final Group B fixture of the ICC Champions Trophy. Dismissed with the West Indies as tournament no-hopers, England made 323-8 against hosts South Africa Sunday to become the first qualifiers for the semi-finals of the mini-World Cup.
It was the highest tally so far in the one-day extravaganza, eclipsing the 319 made by Sri Lanka in the opening match en route to a surprise victory over South Africa. "That batting performance was the best I can remember from England. Owais (Shah) took control, clearing the boundary so many times, well backed up by Paul (Collingwood) and Eoin (Morgan)," boasted skipper Andrew Strauss. "We can play the shots because of skills practice. The only problem sometimes is our mindset, whether we loosen the shackles and go out there and take the game to the opposition."