Key occasions
WICKET! Allen b Wood 16 (NZ 22-1)
The breakthrough! Just when Allen was threatening to do a Bairstow, Luke Wood rearranges his stumps.
1st over: New Zealand 11-0 (Allen 7, Seifert 4) Sam Curran has the brand new ball, however it’s the New Zealanders who’ve the bit between their enamel. Finn Allen lofts the primary ball over mid-off, then will get away with a squirt for 3 that nearly produces a catch within the covers. Tim Seifert provides a slog over mid-on for 4 extra.
Bairstow injured, Buttler again!
Jonny Barstow damage himself whereas making that scintillating 73, so his place behind the stumps goes to … Jos Buttler! Does that imply Moeen fingers the captaincy again? It appears not, although little doubt they are going to have a number of conferences.
England end on 175
twentieth over: England 175-8 (Livingstone c Southee b Henry 26, Carse 0) Matt Henry produces a wily remaining over, going for less than 4 runs and getting Liam Livingstone caught as a rocket of a cover-drive goes straight to Southee at extra-cover.
England’s innings was a sport of two halves. Jonny Bairstow was immense, making 73 off 41 balls with 5 fours and 6 sixes. That’s extra boundaries than all the opposite batters managed between them – seven fours, solely three sixes, and a definite feeling, on a flat pitch, that New Zealand have their noses in entrance. Back in a number of minutes to see if that’s nonsense.
Wicket! Rehan Ahmed run out Henry 11 (England 172-7)
Ah, disgrace. Ahmed digs out a yorker however can’t get it previous the bowler and has to lay down his life for Livingstone, who has already set off. Still, he confirmed his class.
nineteenth over: England 171-6 (Livingstone 24, Rehan 11) Livingstone, out of contact recently, digs deep and finds a beautiful shot – a lower for six over extra-cover off Southee. His reward is to be ticked off by Simon Doull for hitting an excessive amount of to leg, which can be true on the whole however will not be fairly the purpose proper now. Rehan provides a pull for 3, so he has 11 off 5 balls, exhibiting his top-class temperament once more. And the run fee is again above 9.
18th over: England 158-6 (Livingstone 15, Rehan 8) Here’s Rehan Ahmed, and he’s not going to muck about. He slogs Ravindra for six, then mis-hits him for 2 extra. He has eight off his first 4 balls. He is 17 years youthful than Dawid Malan.
WICKET! Curran c Allen b Ravindra 4 (England 150-6)
Curran goes! Facing spin for the primary time, he lofts an on-drive to the boundary, solely to see Finn Allen executing a textbook model of that catch that includes throwing the ball up, stepping over the Toblerone, and coming again onto the sector to obtain your individual move.
seventeenth over: England 148-5 (Livingstone 13, Curran 5) Sam Curran performs very like Moeen: he’ll both offer you a fast 20 or a fast nothing. He opens his account with a good-looking higher lower for 4 off Matt Henry. But, thanks to that left-and-right by Santner, England’s run fee has dipped under 9, and NZ can scent that drawn sequence.
sixteenth over: England 140-5 (Livingstone 10, Curran 0) Santner finishes with three for 30 from an professional spell. And Moeen exhibits which you could give him the captaincy if you’d like, however he’ll nonetheless play as if he’s on the seashore with the children.
WICKET!! Moeen c Phillips b Santner 1 (England 140-5)
And one other! Santner once more, tempting Moeen – who can resist something besides temptation – to chip a slog-sweep straight to deep sq..
WICKET! Malan c Jamieson b Santner 26 (England 138-4)
Santner is a grasp of this sport. He yells at Jamieson, “KJ! KJ”, and strikes him spherical a bit at deep sq., whereupon Malan sweeps the ball straight at him and Jamieson simply has to fall forwards to take the catch.
Photograph: Tim Goode/PA
fifteenth over: England 137-3 (Malan 26, Livingstone 8) Southee takes off the toiling Jamieson and brings himself on, which additionally works a deal with – till Liam Livingstone says “Sod this” and step exterior off to swing to leg, Bairstow model. He will get about 90 per cent of it, which is sufficient to raise the ball over a despairing leap at deep sq..
14th over: England 128-3 (Malan 25, Livingstone 1) It was a ropey outdated over from Sodhi, however it labored: three undeserved dots, the wicket, after which two singles. Maybe he’s discovered the key of how to bowl on a flat observe at Trent Bridge.
Brian Withington is again for extra. “In answer to Mark Hooper,” he says, “I entirely agree that Malan’s trying not to get out, but I dispute the ‘or’ in relation to self-absorption.” This could also be peak OBO. “Just look at the number of times that a well-set batter at the other end gets themselves out trying to make up for the runs he’s not scoring whilst he settles in. Of course he can be effective later on, but then so can many others in the side.”
WICKET! Brook c Chapman b Sodhi 4 (England 126-3)
Brook blinks first! He noticed a nasty ball – a half-tracker from Sodhi – and went too exhausting at it, so his pull went into the stratosphere. When it got here down, it nestled within the protected fingers of Mark Chapman at deep sq.. Malan manages not to have a good time.
thirteenth over: England 126-2 (Malan 24, Brook 4) Southee goes again to tempo, which can effectively go well with Malan. Kyle Jamieson comes again and Malan pulls him for 4, seeing the ball so early that he hits it straight. Jamieson, nonetheless rusty after a spell out injured, bowls a large, then one other. And a 3rd! This over could go on for some weeks. When the ball is lastly inside attain, Malan slashes for 4. And then there’s one other full toss, which, identical to the sooner one, is put away. That’s a giant over for England and Malan now has 24 off 18 balls, which is okay.
twelfth over: England 108-2 (Malan 11, Brook 2) Bairstow had simply hit his fifth six, though it wasn’t middled. If T20 cricket has a fault, it’s that mis-hits can go for six. Anyway, Santner bought his revenge from Bairstow’s subsequent huge hit, caught at long-on.
And now Malan is joined by Harry Brook. Shoot-out on the Selection Corral.
WICKET!! Bairstow c Mitchell b Santner 73 (England 105-2)
Noooo! The man who’s offered all of the leisure up to now will get caught within the deep. Another huge wicket for Santner.
eleventh over: England 99-1 (Bairstow 67, Malan 10) Malan on the assault! He will get a full toss from Sodhi and gratefully clonks it to midwicket, the place poor Daryl Mitchell not solely fails to lower it off however will get the ball within the face off the Toblerone. “Right in the front railings!” says Eoin Morgan, with barely an excessive amount of relish. Malan provides two into the off aspect after which misses a reverse sweep.
tenth over: England 92-1 (Bairstow 66, Malan 4) On comes NZ’s third spinner, Rachin Ravindra. Bairstow says “good evening” with one other swing for six. At the midway mark, England are nonetheless on prime, however their run fee has slipped from a princely 10 to a paltry 9.
“Self-absorption,” says Mark Hooper, “or trying not to get out? Funny old game.” Point taken, however attempting not to get out hasn’t been England’s one-day coverage since 2015, and now it’s not wished in Tests both.
ninth over: England 84-1 (Bairstow 58, Malan 4) Sodhi continues and there’s one other single to Malan, who, to be honest, has a wonderful report in each white-ball codecs – he simply takes some time to get going, which have to be maddening for the blasters ready within the dug-out. Bairstow exhibits him the best way with a flat-bat 4 previous extra-cover.
eighth over: England 76-1 (Bairstow 53, Malan 2) Santner returns to make it spin from each ends. He finds some flip however it’s down the leg aspect, in order that’s 5 wides. Malan picks up one other single to go to two off 4 balls, one of his racier begins.
We have an electronic mail! From an outdated buddy. “Regarding the ‘stodgy starts of Dawid Malan,” says Brian Withington, “what is really disappointing is the self-absorption that sees him consume a succession of early dots without the slightest interest in rotating the strike. Will be interesting to see if it’s any totally different tonight.”
Fifty to Bairstow!
seventh over: England 67-1 (Bairstow 50, Malan 1) So the tip of the Powerplay does the trick as Sodhi goes 1-1-dot-wicket. And now he has Dawid Malan to bowl at, which ought to imply extra thrift … however Malan manages a single off his first ball. Bairstow will get one too to go to a glowing fifty off solely 26 balls, with 4 fours and 4 sixes. He’s been so fluent that he could also be underneath the impression it’s a Test match.
WICKET! Jacks c Seifert b Sodhi 16 (England 65-1)
The breakthrough! Ish Sodhi begins strongly together with his leg-breaks and Jacks will get a giant nick on a lower. Seifert spills it, however upwards, and he grabs it on the second try.
sixth over: England 63-0 (Bairstow 48, Jacks 15) Jacks, dealing with Henry, decides it’s time for his first huge yahoo and is fortunate to get away with it as a prime edge lands safely between deep third and sweeper. A extra classical shot carry Jacks 4 off his pads. All the boundaries up to now – 4 sixes and 6 fours – have come on the leg aspect. The Powerplay ends with England on prime and the run fee in double figures already (10.5 an over).
fifth over: England 56-0 (Bairstow 47, Jacks 9) Another over, one other bowling change. Santner provides means to Southee, bringing himself again to stem the move. It doesn’t fairly go to plan: Bairstow belts the primary ball again previous the bowler for six. He’s bought 4 of them already! Jacks, pressured to play fifth fiddle, manages to look for 2, helped by a misfield, and that’s England’s fifty up from solely 27 balls. Bairstow, additionally glancing, throws in a 4 for a change.
4th over: England 42-0 (Bairstow 36, Jacks 6) Another bowling change as Henry provides means to Kyle Jamieson. No change of batting as Bairstow flicks him for six too. A swing and a success. Jamieson responds with a lifter that Bairstow can solely waft at. But he has a retort too, a bottom-handed bunt via mid-on for 4. And a pull for six! Hint of a tope edge, however he bought simply sufficient of it. Barstow rounds off a triumphant over with a cute dab for a single. He’s already going at two runs a ball. Giving him the gloves appears to have labored a deal with.
third over: England 25-0 (Bairstow 19, Jacks 6) Southee provides himself his marching orders and turns to spin, fearlessly. Mitchell Santner deceives Bairstow instantly, luring him right into a top-edged sweep, however getting no reward for it because the ball pops over quick positive leg and runs away for 4. Will Jacks, after enduring a pair of dots, heads in the identical route, extra intentionally, getting proper throughout to off to ramp-paddle for 4 extra.
2nd over: England 16-0 (Bairstow 14, Jacks 2) At the opposite finish it’s Matt Henry, bearing further tempo. That’s positive by Jonny B, who clips him for 4 over midwicket, then for six over sq. leg, with two measured strokes. We could also be seeing a number of sixes tonight.
1st over: England 4-0 (Bairstow 3, Jacks 1) Southee pitches it up, in search of some swing, not discovering a lot, and each openers get bat on ball with out disturbing the Toblerone. Trent Bridge is a high-scoring floor, so England will want to begin quite a bit higher than they did at Edgbaston.
The gamers are on the market within the mellow sunshine, and Tim Southee has thrown the brand new white ball to himself.
NZ crew: Conway changed by Ravindra
Devon Conway, who has had a nightmare, has been overlooked, so Tim Seifert steps up to open. His eye will probably be in after retaining wicket. NZ too add a spinner, Rachin Ravindra, who slots into the center order and offers Tim Southee a second sluggish left-armer to go along with the formidable Mitch Santner.
1 Allen, 2 Seifert (wkt), 3 Mitchell, 4 Phillips, 5 Chapman, 6 Ravindra, 7 Santner, 8 Jamieson, 9 Sodhi, 10 Southee (capt), 11 Henry.
England XI: Rehan Ahmed is available in
Buttler’s place goes not to a battery s you may count on, however to the precocious leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed (although he can bat). England have eight bowlers, 5 of them spinners – not simply Adil Rashid and Moeen, however Liam Livingstone, Will Jacks and Rehan too. It’s a crew that wants to keep away from one other top-order collapse.
1 Bairstow (wkt), 2 Jacks, 3 Malan, 4 Brook, 5 Livingstone, 6 Moeen (capt), 7 S Curran, 8 Rehan, 9 Carse, 10 Rashid, 11 L Wood.
Toss: England bat first, no Buttler
England’s captain wins the toss and opts to bat … and it’s not Jos Buttler. Moeen Ali takes over, as he did for the entire sequence in Pakistan final autumn. The phrase is that Buttler is resting himself. Bold transfer!
Preamble
Evening everybody and welcome to the ultimate act of this mini-series. As within the 2023 Ashes, it’s not a full-throttle decider, as a result of just one crew can win the trophy – England, for a change. But New Zealand have the possibility to emerge with a 2-2 draw, and, as they started with two heavy defeats, that will be fairly a feather within the Black Caps. After their thumping win on Sunday, the momentum is with them.
Other choices can be found. When these two groups meet, you’ll be able to by no means rule out a tie, and the sequence does owe us a cliffhanger. The one end result that may absolutely be dominated out is not any end result, because the British summer season, which went lacking on the finish of June, has all of the sudden reappeared.
As ever, there are lots of micro-dramas unfolding. Can Harry Brook pressure his means into the World Cup squad? Can Dawid Malan carry greater than a stodgy begin? Can Finn Allen hit the ball into the Trent? Can the Kiwis bowl even sooner than Gus Atkinson?
Play begins at 6pm BST, so I’ll be again 25 minutes earlier than that with information of the toss and groups.
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