In this crucial Group 2 encounter in Colombo, New Zealand posted a competitive but sub par score as they fell away in the back half of the innings and posted 159 where over 170 was possible. England have a deep batting line-up and so New Zealand needed early wickets to make a match out of it. The pacers Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson removed the openers, but England are fighting back through Jacob Bethell and Harry Brook to keep the match in balance.
New Zealand remove the openers but Harry Brook & Jacob Bethell power England forward in powerplay.Â
Chasing 160 for the win, Philip Salt and Jos Buttler came out to bat for England while Matt Henry had ball in hand for New Zealand. Henry broke through early removing Salt for 2 off 4 balls. Henry bowled a short of a good length around the fourth stump that pitched and shaped away. Salt looked to drive it straight and played down the wrong line. He got the outside edge and the keeper Seifert did the rest. 50 T20I wickets for Henry. Harry Brook the captain came out to bat next.
Lockie Ferguson came into the attack next and got rid of Buttler for a silver duck. Ferguson bowled a hard length delivery around the fifth stump line that pitched and shaped away with some extra bounce. Buttler was tentative and poked at it away from the body and got a thick outside edge as Seifert took a regulation catch. Jacob Bethell came out to bat next. Bethell got a streaky boundary away as he hung back to defend and got the inside edge past the fine leg fence for a boundary.
Matt Henry continued as Brook charged down the ground as he stepped out and slapped it over covers for a boundary. Brook then took Henry on as he shuffled across and flicked it away over deep square leg for the maximum. Ferguson continued as Bethell thumped the ball past mid-on for a boundary. Brook then hammered the ball by backing away and belted it through covers for a boundary.
Captain Mitchell Santner came into the attack next. Bethell reverse swept it away by going down on one knee and got it through cover point for a boundary. Cole McConchie came into the attack to bowl the last over of powerplay. Brook backed away for room and went over covers for a boundary. Bethell rocked back and punched it sweetly through the covers for a boundary to end the over.
At the end of the powerplay, England were 47/2 with Brook looking unstoppable on 24 off 19 balls and Bethell unbeaten on 18 off 11 balls. Players also took the Drinks Break at this stage, the first of the innings.
New Zealand strike twice again to push England back to leave the match tantalisingly poised.Â
Mitchell Santner continued after the break and powerplay and bowled a tight over. Glenn Phillips came into the attack and he removed Harry Brook for 26 off 24 balls with 3 fours and one six to his name. Phillips bowled from around the wicket a full and flighted delivery pitching outside the off-stump. Brook stepped away from the leg stump to make room and looked to go big inside out and mistimed the shot over extra cover and found Daryl Mitchell at extra cover and found Mitchell at long-off.
Tom Banton came out to bat next. He got off the mark as well. Banton swiped it across the line and found the gap at deep midwicket for a boundary. Rachin Ravindra came into the attack next. He removed Bethell for 21 off 16 balls with 4 fours to his name. Ravindra bowled from over the wicket short and pitching outside the off-stump that drifted and turned back in. Bethell went back in the crease to pull a flat pull shot and hit it in the air to Phillips at deep square who scurried forward and dived forward to take a great catch low inches from the ground.
Sam Curran came out to bat next. He got off the mark soon. Phillips came to bowl the 10th over as the Kiwis burnt a review on Banton as the ball hit his bat for an LBW appeal. Phillips kept things tight through. England reached 64/4 in 10 overs at the halfway stage of the chase with Banton unbeaten on 9 off 11 balls and Sam Curran unbeaten on 3 off 3 balls. England needed a further 96 off 60 balls.
What Lies Ahead.Â
This match is in the balance as a low scoring encounter looms large for all of us. England are in a spot of bother at 64/4 in 10 overs and need 96 off 60 balls with 6 wickets in hand. England bats deep and the pitch is spinning. How they bat against the spinners will be key to see. Let’s see how this match pans out as all of Pakistan are cheering on England. Every boundary being cheered in team hotel of Pallekele.
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