England win at last Down Under

Cricket:   England completed their first win on the tour of Australia thanks to Andrew Flintoff's unbeaten half-century.

Cricket:  England completed their first win on the tour of Australia thanks to Andrew Flintoff's unbeaten half-century.

Former captain Flintoff, who oversaw the Ashes drubbing by Australia, continued his good form since returning to the ranks with 72 not out as England squeezed home by three wickets over New Zealand in Hobart.

Set 206 on a sluggish surface at Bellerive Oval, England laboured to the target and will have concerns over Michael Vaughan's fitness after he tweaked a hamstring in the field.

Flintoff fittingly sealed the first victory for England since beating West Indies in the ICC Champions Trophy when he hit the penultimate delivery of the match down the ground for a single.

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Flintoff walked to the crease with England 94 for four and losing their way.

But Ian Bell, dropped on nine by wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum off pace bowler Mark Gillespie, suddenly found fluency alongside the Lancastrian and a combination of steering into gaps from the former and big blows from the latter earned a 40-run share in half-a-dozen overs.

Bell was pinned in front of his stumps by Jeetan Patel's penultimate delivery, however, to leave the contest in the balance.

Numerous run-out chances littered a frantic liaison between Flintoff and veteran Paul Nixon as both sides felt the pressure.

The decisive moment of the chase came in the 45th over with 39 required when Flintoff took on left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori.

His slog-sweep just cleared the scrambling Ross Taylor on the mid-wicket boundary and bounced inches inside the rope.

From that point England made a dash for the line and the next over, from Craig McMillan, reaped 11 runs.

There was still time for nerves to set in, however, as Flintoff, on 62, was caught off a full toss, deemed to be a no-ball by Australian umpire Steve Davis because it was over waist high.

New Zealand maintained their tigerish enthusiasm, to leave their opponents seven down and managed to take the contest into the final over with Jon Lewis on strike and four required. Crucially he got Flintoff back on strike and the former captain kept his cool off the bowling of Craig McMillan.

Vaughan, meanwhile, spent the latter part of his innings of 17 with a runner after tweaking his hamstring and will undergo a scan.