It's about backing himself, Curran says

England seamer Tom Curran warms up for a training session with a game of football at the University Oval yesterday. Photo: Peter McIntosh
England seamer Tom Curran warms up for a training session with a game of football at the University Oval yesterday. Photo: Peter McIntosh
No-one remembers who bowled the penultimate over - but they should.

While it is still fresh in everyone's mind how well Chris Woakes bowled to Kane Williamson during the final over of game three of the Black Caps series against England, it was the over before which really sealed the home side's fate.

Fledgling international Tom Curran tied up one of the best batsmen in world cricket with a cracking over to set up England's four-run win.

The Black Caps required 22 to win from 12 balls and the 22-year-old had Kane Williamson waiting at the other end.

The batsman pounced first, lifting the ball for a boundary to bring up his hundred.

But Curran replied with a series of slower balls and yorkers to restrict New Zealand to just seven runs. It was a wonderful display of death bowling from the rookie, who certainly passed the test of nerves.

''Obviously getting over the line with a win was very satisfying,'' he said.

''I've done it a lot of times in training and I've had the time to implement it in games at Surrey and in a few games for England, so it is just about going out there and backing myself,'' he replied when asked about the variations he employed during the clutch over.

Curran's father, Kevin Curran, played 11 one-day internationals for Zimbabwe and forged an impressive first-class career during the 1980s and 1990s.

His grandfather, also named Kevin Curran, played seven first-class games, while his younger brothers Sam (34 first-class games for Surrey) and Ben Curran are also very talented cricketers.

While he may have honed his skills in the backyard against his brothers, he credits Surrey team-mate Jade Dernbach with helping him develop the confidence to use his arsenal of slower balls in a game situation.

''We've closed out a lot of games at Surrey together. He is a really good friend of mind and someone, who as a youngster, helped me a lot growing up.

''You could say in the early years of my career he did help me.''

Curran will get an opportunity to enhanced his reputation in game four of the series which gets under way at the University Oval this morning.

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