England’s first international of a defining winter met a watery end in Christchurch, where spring rains prevented New Zealand from even starting their pursuit of 154.
New Zealand were in the more advantageous position at the change of innings. They would have been pleased to keep their opponents below 180, a tally England had topped in five of their six previous full T20 outings (including a record 304 for two against South Africa in Manchester five weeks ago), but these were not easy conditions.
There was a stiff breeze to contend with — Jos Buttler, Tom Banton and Jordan Cox all perished failing to clear the boundary — and Hagley Park is New Zealand’s lowest-scoring ground in T20s. A slow, early-season pitch proved hard going.
Hagley Park is the lowest-scoring ground in New Zealand
CHRIS SYMES/PHOTOSPORT/AP
Three members of England’s Ashes squad were in action but it was Sam Curran who salvaged a faltering innings with a resourceful unbeaten 49 from 35 balls. He hit three fours and two sixes and three of these boundaries came in a final over from Jacob Duffy that cost 19 and gave England hope that they might still be able to conjure victory.
Curran enjoyed some fortune, being dropped on 14 and 26 (badly so by Tim Robinson in the second instance) as well as overturning an lbw verdict on 30 when it transpired the delivery from Kyle Jamieson had pitched outside leg.
In four T20s since his recall to the side, Curran has now scored 86 runs for once out and taken three wickets.
Jacob Bethell’s continued positioning at No3 added spice to the occasion, but he failed to seize the chance to pile further pressure on Ollie Pope before the Test series in Australia. He found fresh air more often than the ball in his first six deliveries after Phil Salt was well caught at third man in the second over.
Bethell could only muster 15 from 13 balls
CRAIG BUTLAND/MB MEDIA/GETTY IMAGES
He got off the mark seventh ball, then drilled Duffy over long-off for six before pulling him to wide long-on for four. This looked more promising, but two balls later he aimed another pull at Matt Henry, got a high top edge and was caught by the bowler for 15 off 13.
What England’s Ashes squad are up to before first Test
T20s in New Zealand Oct 18-23, departed UK Oct 10
Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Zak CrawleyODIs in New Zealand Oct 26-Nov 1, depart UK Oct 21
Jofra Archer, Bethell, Brook, Carse, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Jamie SmithTraining in New Zealand, arrive between Oct 16 to 23
Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, Mark WoodTraining camp in Perth alongside England Lions arriving Nov 2
Atkinson, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Shoaib Bashir, Ben Stokes, Tongue, WoodFull squad meet in Perth Nov 9 ahead of three-day warm-up v Lions (Nov 13-15) and first Test (Nov 21-25)
Archer, Atkinson. Bethell, Brook, Carse, Crawley, Duckett, Jacks, Pope, Potts, Root, Bashir, Smith, Stokes, Tongue, Wood
In his 50th T20 for England, Brook shaped well, dispatching Jimmy Neesham for sixes over long-off and fine leg, but later in the same over was bowled off his back leg as he made room to drive. By this point, England had lost three wickets in eight overs and, even accounting for their deep batting line-up, were on the back foot.
There was time for Buttler and Banton to fashion a strong response but Banton was caught at long-on in the 11th over and Buttler at long-off in the 12th. This left much resting on Curran and as so often he responded, with some useful help from Cox in a stand of 33.
Given how Brendon McCullum barely distinguishes between white-ball and red-ball form, it would be no surprise if Curran eventually forces his way back into the Test side.
After the game, Brook conceded England could have adapted to the surface better and would take that into the next match, also in Christchurch, on Monday. “[We need to] be quicker to adapt to the surface, everybody included. It was a bit tough out there. It’s knowing your boundary options and using them to your best ability.”
England have successfully defended 154 or fewer only four times in T20s, and three of those occasions were in Asia.
New Zealand v England
Match abandoned due to rain
Christchurch
England
P D Salt c Chapman b Duffy 3 (4 balls)
J C Buttler c Henry b M G Bracewell 29 (25)
J Bethell c and b Henry 15 (13)
H C Brook b Neesham 20 (14)
T Banton c Neesham b Santner 9 (9)
S M Curran not out 49 (35)
J M Cox c Mitchell b Jamieson 16 (18)
B A Carse not out 3 (3)
Extras (1nb, 3w, 5lb) 9
Total (six wickets, 20 overs) 153
L A Dawson, A Rashid and L Wood did not bat.
Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-29, 3-64, 4-75, 5-81, 6-114.
Bowling Henry 4-0-26-1; Duffy 4-0-45-1; Jamieson 4-0-27-1; Santner 4-0-20-1; Neesham 2-0-20-1; M G Bracewell 2-0-10-1.
