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No mercy for England, warns New Zealand's Styris

September 18, 2007 00:00:00


DURBAN, South Africa, Sept 17 (Reuters): All-rounder Scott Styris has made it clear England can expect no mercy from New Zealand in their Twenty20 World Cup Super Eights match in Durban Tuesday.
"I don't think it matters what sport it is, everyone likes to see England going home early," Styris told reporters in Durban Monday.
"But we're not thinking about it like that. We're thinking that if we win we're a long way towards qualifying for the semi-finals."
England lost their first Super Eights match to South Africa in Cape Town Sunday, and another loss would almost certainly prevent them from reaching the semi-finals.
Styris said England may have depended too much on players they selected as Twenty20 specialists.
"A lot's been made of the fact that they've brought in a lot of guys who have been successful in their domestic competition," he said.
"They probably haven't done as well as they would have hoped, and if we can put the pressure on those guys I think it puts more pressure on a couple of other guys in their order."
Styris said New Zealand were wary of key England players like Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff.
"I don't think you target anyone, but in any form of the game you are aware that teams have matchwinners and key players," he said. "In England's case they're the Pietersens and the Flintoffs.
"You know that if you get those guys out for a cheap score you've every chance of winning. We know they're their danger players."
New Zealand beat Kenya in their first match of the tournament before losing to Sri Lanka and then beating India.

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