NZ vs ENG: 1st T20I – Visitors clinch easy win in series opener

James Vince’s maiden T20I half-century helped England clinch a comfortable 7 wicket win in the first T20I against New Zealand at Christchurch. With the result, England took a 1-0 lead in the 5-match series.

After a memorable 2019 World Cup final, this was the first time the two teams were facing off. Hosts New Zealand won the toss and opted to bat first. A much-changed England team handed out debuts to three new players – Sam Curran, Lewis Gregory and Patrick Brown.

A disciplined performance from the English bowling unit restricted the Kiwis to an under-par score of 153-5. In reply, England lost only 3 wickets, chasing the score down with 9 deliveries remaining. Vince was the star performer, scoring 59 runs in only 38 deliveries with 7 fours and 2 sixes. Jonny Bairstow (35 off 28) and captain Eoin Morgan (34 off 21) were also key contributors.

Also read: Sachin Tendulkar bats in favour of Day-Night Tests in India

New Zealand off to bad start

Playing in home conditions, the hosts got off to a terrible start. Woefully out-of-form opener Martin Guptill again had a bad outing, perishing for only 2. Guptill’s scalp was debutant Sam Curran’s maiden T20I wicket. Colin Munro also couldn’t contribute much, only managing to score 21.

Tim Seifert (32 off 26) and Ross Taylor (44 off 35) then steadied the innings. Their contributions allowed the Kiwis to post a respectable score on the board. Daryl Mitchell’s cameo knock of 30 off 17 deliveries in the final overs took New Zealand’s total to 153.

Chris Jordan took 2 wickets for England, while Sam Curran, Patrick Brown and Adil Rashid all contributed one wicket each.

The second match of the series will be played on November 3 in Wellington.

Brief scores: England 154 for 3 (Vince 59, Santner 3-23) beat New Zealand 153 for 5 (Taylor 44) by seven wickets