New Zealand is in ascendancy after opting to bat first. The Black Caps managed to score 123-3 at the end of 14 overs and drinks were at the field. Finn Allen & Tim Seifert laid the foundation for the batters as the stage is set for a frenetic finish of New Zealand’s innings. Mark Chapman and Glenn Phillips have accelerated the innings quite well.
New Zealand starts the innings in a grand fashion
Tim Seifert and Finn Allen were quite chary at the start of the innings. Jofra Archer was bowling lethal thunderbolts. Tim Seifert almost was caught behind by wicket-keeper but DRS saved him. Finn Allen looked in complete control as his calculative approach was quite commendable for Kiwis.
New Zealand then unleashed attack on bowlers and whacked them around the park. The decision to give Liam Dawson ball in 2nd over its;ef didn’t yield good results. New Zealand managed to score 54 runs for the loss of no wickets as the platform was setup for the middle of the batters.
England make a staggering comeback in middle overs
The introduction of Adil Rashid in 7th over brought back joy for England. Rashid got rid of dangerous looking Tim Seifert who was dismissed on 35 runs in 25 balls. Will Jacks later then dismissed Finn Allen in 8th over as all of a sudden Black Caps, lost both of their openers and the score was 66-2 in 7.4 overs.
Rachin Ravindra was using his feet and playing sweep shots quite easily which negated the threat of sharp turn. It was a used surface which made life harder for batters as the ball was stopping and turning. England took wickets in regular intervals but Kiwis made sure that the run rate was above 7.5.
What lies ahead for England & New Zealand
The onus is on Glenn Phillips & Mark Chapman to take score past 180+ as dew can come into play in 2nd innings. The climate is not that a big threat. England have the advantage of having a long batting line up. All eyes will be on Sam Curran whose 3 overs in death overs would be very crucial. New Zealand as of now are in driver’s seat but need to end on a high note.