England have narrowly escaped with a two-run win over New Zealand in their T20 clash on Sunday.
Final score
England 7/194
New Zealand 4/192
New Zealand will face off against England in the T20I Trans-Tasman tri-series on Sunday afternoon at Seddon Park, Hamilton. Join The Roar for the live scores and blog of the game, starting from 5pm AEDT.
The home side have made big scores in their two games at home so far this series (196 and 243) though they surprisingly lost the second time round.
Martin Guptill is in particularly good form with a hundred against the Aussies and will be looking forward to another hitout against the Englishmen.
Engand have a chance to right their past wrongs with this game, but haven’t won a match all series. They have plenty of capable big hitters in Billings, Buttler, Hales and Roy to name a few, but they just haven’t fully clicked yet in this series, in Australia or New Zealand
Under pressure
Jason Roy. The same man who belted England’s highest ODI score during the recently completed series in Australia hasn’t yet fired in the tri-series.
He is fighting to keep his place as opener as he hasn’t yet reached double-figures in this tri-series. Do they stick with an out-of-form Roy in the deciding game or do they go with someone who hasn’t yet been tried as an opener but is in hot form à la Dawid Malan?
What’s at stake?
Both competing teams can still qualify to make the final against Australia. England have a bit more work to do than New Zealand, as they are not only a game behind New Zealand but also have a lower net run rate. England will need at least 11 runs an over from their innings if they are to stand any chance of qualifying for the final. As well as winning the actual game.
Prediction
While England do have plenty of capable players, they haven’t been capable of playing well as a team, relying too much on individual performances.
New Zealand have performed better in pockets of the series other than that pretty horrendous effort in the first match at Sydney. I expect New Zealand to win this game by 40 runs or4 wickets, not neccessarily a belting but not cutting it too fine either, and therefore qualifying to play the final against Australia on Wednesday.
Join The Roar for live scores and blog, starting from 5pm AEDT.
J Ball
Roar Pro
It would've looked a lot worse if the 174 target wasn't there!
J Ball
Roar Pro
So England have won a tight match by just two runs, but New Zealand will still advance to the final due to having a superior net-run-rate. England will rue not capitalising on good starts, particularly big hitters Alex Hales and Jos Buttler who got out for low scores. They managed 195 in the end but needed to keep New Zealand under 175 to win the game but were too leaky in the end. Eoin Morgan starred with an unbeaten 80 and Malan chipped in with a 50 but the rest of the players didn't last quite long enough to sustain the gargantuan total England required. A quickfire fifty from Colin Munro greatly helped NZ and another fifty from Guptill also held together the innings. Spinners Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson bowled particularly well but in the end it was in vain. Tom Curran managed to do well in conceding just 9 runs from his final over but England relied too much on individual performances and for a team full of big hitters and a relatively small ground they could've easily had a higher total than 194. New Zealand managed to get to 0/70 off just 5 overs and in any other situation they would have been chastised for this however since they got to the final it doesn't matter heaps. It's something worth noting though and keeping in mind for the final, that they don't have many fast hitters other than Munro. When England captain (and man-of-the-match) Eoin Morgan was asked how he felt about winning, he remarked "Not that good to be honest...we created chances but we obviously needed to keep them under 174 and we didn't do that". An Australian team on the verge of a number one t20i ranking will face hosts New Zealand in the final of the inaugural Trans-Tasman T20I Tri-Series at Eden Park on Wednesday 21st February. Thanks for your time, and have a good Sunday evening everyone!
Ouch
Guest
How did the Kiwis lose this? Saw the first few overs and Munro was smashing them to all parts. They were 70 off 5 I suppose once they reached the 174 target it didn't matter
J Ball
Roar Pro
de Grandhomme smashes it down the ground! But it's not enough, it's just a single and England win by two runs!
J Ball
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1 bye! Buttler fumbles it and de Grandhomme is on strike. Need a boundary off the last ball to win, or three to bring up the super over!
J Ball
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Chapman pulls off a square drive and it goes to the square-leg boundary for 4! Low full toss and now New Zealand need 5 off 2 to win!
J Ball
Roar Pro
Another good ball, just a single from de Grandhomme. 9 off 3
J Ball
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Yorker executed this time, can only get another single, 10 off 4 required to win
J Ball
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11 off 5, single off an attempted yorker, Chapman on strike
J Ball
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Curran to bowl last over
J Ball
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A long over has come to an end, NZ need 12 off the last over to win, 4/183
J Ball
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Chapman was bowled but he's been given another chance, Jordan overstepped! Not his night...
J Ball
Roar Pro
And now he's bowled a Steve-Harmison esque wide!
J Ball
Roar Pro
Jordan bowls a waist-high no ball, free hit! 4/181
J Ball
Roar Pro
New Zealand have qualified for the final at Eden Park on Wednesday, the first target is reached!
J Ball
Roar Pro
That's the end of the eighteenth over, just two left. NZ on 4/174 and one run away from the tri-series final, Jordan to bowl the penultimate over..
J Ball
Roar Pro
That's the end of the eighteenth over, just two left. NZ on 4/174 and one run away from the tri-series final, Jordan to bowl the penultimate over...
J Ball
Roar Pro
de Grandhomme the new batsman. Chapman in at the other end on 30
J Ball
Roar Pro
TAYLOR'S OUT, managed just 7 from 6 balls, going for the "winning runs" off a Tom Curran slower ball. It's 4/173, NZ just two runs away...
J Ball
Roar Pro
New Zealand just a boundary away from playing Australia at the postage stamp-sorry Eden Park