England seek to replicate 50-over success against NZ

CHRISTCHURCH: England lifted the ICC Men’s World Cup for the first time this year. Now, they will begin their work towards becoming world champions in both limited-overs formats, starting with a five-match series against the same side they beat in the CWC19 final.

Having won the 50-over World Cup after a thrilling finish in the final at Lord’s on July 14, England’s focus now shifts to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020, which is less than a year away.

In their pursuit of a second successive limited-overs world title, England are committing themselves to trying out youngsters and have already announced two debutants, Pat Brown and Sam Curran, for the series opener, with four more uncapped players in the 15-member squad.

Their batting looks strong still, having piled up runs in the two practice games, and is further bolstered by Jonny Bairstow’s return to form, as he scored an unbeaten 78 in his team’s six-wicket win in the first practice game in Lincoln. It won’t be as easy for the bowlers, though, especially with the small ground dimensions.

New Zealand, despite the absence of regular skipper Kane Williamson and premium fast bowler Trent Boult, and their lower positioning in the ICC T20I Team Rankings, begin as favourites at home, with ample match-winners in their ranks.

Colin Munro, who already has three T20I hundreds, seems to be in good touch, having scored an unbeaten 107 in the second practice game on Tuesday.

While Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor bring a lot of experience in the batting department, the bowling, too, seems well-covered, with skipper Tim Southee leading the pack, alongside Lockie Ferguson. The X-factor, though, could be the spin duo of Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner, both of whom are among the top ten bowlers in the ICC T20I Bowling Rankings.

Their last international meeting was one to remember, and ended up being one of the greatest matches of all time, played on the greatest occasion, at the most iconic venue of them all.

While it seems virtually impossible to beat that, the previous T20I played between the two teams, the last league game of the trans-Tasman tri-series in February 2018, was no less than a thriller.

Morgan led from the front with an unbeaten 80, while Dawid Malan scored 53 to power England to 194-7 after being put in to bat.

Openers Guptill and Munro gave a strong start to the chase, scoring fifties. With 31 needed off 22 balls, with six wickets in hand, the home team seemed well-positioned for a comfortable win. But Tom Curran and Chris Jordan showcased their brilliance at the death to seal a two-run win in a nail-biting last-ball finish.