CWC 2019 Flashback – England thrash New Zealand to reach semis
England started the 2019 World Cup as favourites but lost their way in the middle. They stormed back to secure their semi-final spot in the World Cup. It was Jonny Bairstow’s swashbuckling hundred along with a sharp bowling performance helped the hosts hand a 119-run thrashing to New Zealand at Chester-le-Street.
This was New Zealand’s third loss in a row. They closed the league stage with 11 points in 9 games and a fourth place on the points table. Their place in the semi-final was still hanging since Pakistan had an outside chance to surpass New Zealand’s positive run-rate.
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Bairstow-Roy magic continues
The England batsmen once again put on a stunning show. Skipper Eoin Morgan had no second thoughts on opting to bat after winning the toss on a flat deck. Jonny Bairstow (106) and Jason Roy (60) continued to torment the opposition, stitching another 100-run partnership at the top. The New Zealand bowlers, handicapped by the absence of their gun bowler Lockie Ferguson, couldn’t go past the openers until the 19th over. Roy scored his second consecutive fifty but fell shortly after to Jimmy Neesham’s medium pace. Bairstow continued his red-hot form, notching up his second successive hundred in the World Cup. But he chopped on to give Matt Henry his first wicket.
Following an explosive start, England looked on course for a 350-plus total but their run-fest was arrested soon after the openers’ dismissal. Joe Root edged one to the keeper, while Jos Buttler’s promotion to No.4 didn’t reap benefits thanks to Trent Boult’s fiery returning spell. Morgan (42) held himself back and consolidated well in the middle overs to keep the run rate in control. Ben Stokes’s scratchy 27-ball 11 was ended by Mitchell Santner and the hosts were dragging on to a poor finish. The slowness of the pitch also helped the Kiwi pacers, who fought back hard to restrict the onslaught. England finished with 305/8 in 50 overs.
Kiwis self-destruct
The New Zealand openers once again failed to get going. Henry Nicholls was trapped in front by Chris Woakes on the first ball of the chase, and Martin Guptill followed suit in the 6th over. For the umpteenth time, it was down to the experience of Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor to get the job done. England’s quicks were coming hard and fast at the duo who had begun rebuilding the innings. But as luck would have it, both batsmen fell to a mode of dismissal they’re not too often associated with. Williamson (27) was run-out at the non-striker’s end, while Taylor (28) paid the price of a suicidal second run in his partnership with Tom Latham.
From thereon, it was only a matter of time before the innings folded. Latham held the fort at one end while he kept running out of partners at the other. But even his gritty 57 wasn’t enough to take his team over the line as the England bowlers continued to feast. A horrible start to their chase deflated the Kiwis, who then never seemed to recover and didn’t show any stomach to win. They were bundled out for 186 in 45 overs. Mark Wood finished with figures of 3/34 and a game-changing run-out of Williamson.
