New Zealand v England: first Twenty20 international – live! | Sport

12th over: England 85-2 (Vince 35, Morgan 3) Target 154 Just a Sodhi is edging towards another frustrating over for England, James Vince plays a couple of lovely strokes on the trot. He’s down the track to the leggie, driving him through the air into the gap at cover for four – shot. Next ball he waits, goes back and forces another four with perfect timing. 11 off it, leaving England 69 in eight overs.

11th over: England 74-2 (Vince 25, Morgan 2) Target 154 Southee returns to Kuggeleijn, who is far more effective this time around, going for just four singles as Morgan opens his account.

Clever from Santner! The spinner spotted Bairstow making room and pushed it through a touch quicker. The opener went through with his premeditated shot anyway, picking out the hosts’ best fielder at deep midwicket. Not quite level pegging yet but not far off it.

10th over: England 70-2 (Vince 23, Morgan 1) Target 154

9th over: England 63-1 (Bairstow 32, Vince 19) Target 154 Yep, those kind of overs. Vince smashes Sodhi straight down the ground and Bairstow sweeps him with ease. Ten off it. Your move, Tim Southee.

8th over: England 53-1 (Bairstow 27, Vince 14) Target 154 Santner is bang up for this, vocal throughout his set, which goes for just the four singles and ends with three accurate dots. England are still only a couple of hefty overs away from breaking the back of this, but the Kiwis will be well in it themselves if they can get Bairstow asap.

“There are teams and leagues here,” adds Julian Menz of cricket in Sweden. “Met an Aussie who had played for the national team. I used to turn out for the local team a few years back, but the oppostion consisted mainly of Indian ex-pats, and I am useless facing twirlies. I met my Swedish wife in London, and she scored points (runs?) early by pretending to be interested in cricket when I interupted a Hampstead Heath-to-Camden walk with a long stop at the Bull and Gate in Kentish Town to watch the cricket (2001, forget which series). Her parents still get confused between cricket and croquet.” That’s a great pub for a Sunday roast/session.

7th over: England 49-1 (Bairstow 26, Vince 11) Target 154 Some players can look the part the moment they walk into any game, and Vince is one of those. His second boundary is just as attractive as his first, this time timing Sodhi through cover off the back foot. Three further singles makes seven from it. But New Zealand need wickets.

6th over: England 42-1 (Bairstow 25, Vince 5) Target 154 Vince plays a beautiful shot off the back foot to immediately open his account All told, ten runs and a wicket from Santner’s first over. England have gone at seven an over through the power play and now require exactly eight an over from here to win. I like those even numbers.

Spin does the trick, Malan dancing but slicing to backward point.

5th over: England 32-0 (Bairstow 20, Malan 11) Target 154 So close to another of those ridiculous Guptill diving catches, unable to drag down a one-handed effort at backward square. Malan gets four for it. Otherwise, it’s another very good set from the veteran seamer.

“You’re right, Adam.” begins Gavin Twedily. I like that opening. Please go on. “There is something special about an overnight OBO. Admittedly, it’s only 11 pm here in a very wet Montreal, but I’ll be seeing this game out before turning in. I mention it’s raining in Montreal because it was deemed by the city of Montreal to be too wet for the traditional trick or treat. Yes, they cancelled Halloween! It will now take place tomorrow night when hopefully the costumed weans won’t melt. And unlike Julian in Sweden, I’m drinking cheap red Aussie wine and can say cheers! to you and all of the cricket loving night owls.”

Cheers to you. I realised something last night. Given my girlfriend is having an actual baby in February, my dedicated opposition to all things Halloween is going to have to end in about four years, isn’t it?

4th over: England 26-0 (Bairstow 19, Malan 6) Target 154 Malan’s turn, lifting Ferguson over mid-on for a boundary of his own to start the new over. Oh, and I did Bairstow a disservice in the previous set: one of his boundaries, the second, actually went for six not four. Bairstow isn’t far away from adding another boundary, driving hard out of the slot but straight to mid-off. Good fightback from Ferguson.

3rd over: England 21-0 (Bairstow 19, Malan 1) Target 154 Kuggeleijn is more appealing to Bairstow, the opener breaking the shackles with a controlled drive down the ground for four before clipping over square leg for another. He makes it three for the over when pulling a slower ball into the gap at midwicket – easy peasy; stand and deliver. Oh, make it four – crunching a square drive past point. 18 off it.

2nd over: England 3-0 (Bairstow 1, Malan 1) Target 154 Lockie Ferguson, everyone’s favourite player from the World Cup (now that Shakib has been sullied), is sharing the new ball. Malan gives the strike back to Bairstow, who finally gets a run from his eighth delivery, cutting a single to the sweeper at point. He’s too quick for Malan with a full ball; they appeal for lbw but it has pitched outside leg. He’s immediately up at 90mph, two singles the lot for England’s openers. The start the hosts needed defending this middling total.

1st over: England 1-0 (Bairstow 0, Malan 0) Target 154 As Southee begins, the camera pans to Ben Stokes, who is watching the game from the hospitality tent with his family. Fair enough, too. Good start, getting to movement away then finding Bairstow’s inside edge with consecutive deliveries. Five dots now, followed by a legside wide, denying him a maiden. But the skipper closes it out with another delivery demanding defence from Bairstow. Fine work.

The players are back on the field. Jonny Bairstow is opening with Dawid Malan. The captain Southee has the ball in his hand. PLAY!

That shouldn’t be enough. Granted, the track did hold up a bit, which didn’t help the Blackcap bats, but England did plenty right with the ball from the very start. We’ll find out in 15 minutes.

“Greetings from Sweden,” writes Julian Menz, “where I am currently up late trying to translate an academic paper from Swenglish to English. After the joys of summer, I had completely forgotten about the NZ jaunt. Sweden is not the greatest place for live cricket coverage, Summer consisted of TMS and the wife’s family wondering why I was screaming ”STOKES!! YES!!” when I was supposed to be grilling and not throwing my beer in the air infront of our impressionable 4-year old daughter. Was following the baseball last night (under-rated sport in my opinion) but glad to have the cricket back. Adam, thanks for being there for us cricket-loving night owls. If I had a beer I’d say Skål. It doesn’t work with lemon mineral water, but it’s the thought that counts.”

Great to have you with us, Julian. There is definitely something special about an overnight OBO. Plenty to come in November.

20th over: New Zealand 153-5 (Mitchell 30, Santner 1) Pat Brown would have won a lot of new fans for that performance, getting out of the 20th over on debut giving six runs away and no boundaries. Really well done. England need to go at 7.7 an over in their chase.

Brown earns his first international wicket, Bairstow taking the very same catch that Vince put down in the previous over. Added style points too, completing the take with an athletic dive.

19th over: New Zealand 147-4 (Taylor 43, Mitchell 26) Vince drops Taylor at deep midwicket. It was hit hard and low but the Hampshire stylist usually has a dependable pair of hands. “Paul Collingwood will not be amused,” says Nasser Hussain of the fielding coach on tour. Taylor responds to the let off the only way he knows how: hammering Jordan over midwicket for six to being up the 50 partnership between this pair. Jordan responds well though, a dot and a single to cover. 2/28 from his four with Brown to bowl over 20.

18th over: New Zealand 138-4 (Taylor 35, Mitchell 25) Tom Curran’s stock delivery at this stage of an innings is that back-of-the-hand number, which he lands so consistently. With pace off, well wide of the off-stump, neither man can beat deep point early on. But when he goes full and straight, Mitchell responds with a conventional, and blistering, straight drive for four. He’s really looked the part since coming to the middle. Curran goes back to Plan A with his final two balls and gets out of the over giving up nine runs – he’d take that. These two have put on 45 in 29. Jordan and Brown to finish it off.

17th over: New Zealand 129-4 (Taylor 32, Mitchell 19) Jordan does as you would expect, landing his full balls in a shoe box, so Taylor gets resourceful in the crease before delivery to make some room, slapping firmly past the bowler for four. It’s the sort of stop Jordan often makes off his own bowling but his hand doesn’t get down in time. A very bad delivery follows, a full toss on the pads of Mitchell, clipped with ease for six. 170 is still in range if these two see it out.

NOT OUT! After about 25 replays, the TV ump is satisfied Taylor hit the ground rather than the ball. Dot ball; play on.

IS TAYLOR CAUGHT BEHIND? Jordan thinks he found and edge with a quick, wide yorker. It was given not out so they have sent it upstairs. It looked like the clock expired but they’re taking a look.

16th over: New Zealand 116-4 (Taylor 26, Mitchell 12) This is what Brown is mostly here for: his mad skillz at the death. It works a treat, neither batsmen able to really free their arms in response to deliveries that are typically dying as they reach the crease. But Mitchell gets out of the over with a bang, lofting a checked-drive over long-off for six. “That’s perfection,” says Nasser on telly, noting that he was able to back his timing, hitting with the wind. 11 off it.

15th over: New Zealand 105-4 (Taylor 23, Mitchell 4) Taylor brings up the New Zealand 100 with a very fine leg glance, beating the man on the 45. There is no doubt that the 35-year-old will be required in next year’s World T20, one of the early IPL superstars. Determined running from Mitchell keeps the board ticking in the right direction for the locals, with a couple to midwicket. Can be finish the Tom Curran over with a bang? Nup. Instead, Taylor is nearly run out with an athletic dive-and-throw from the bowler. He’s been very good.

“Not 19-7?” asks Simon Clark. “I thought England only won 19-7?
Oh, wrong sport.” Being a Melburnian, I’m not qualified to comment on the sport you are referring to. Indeed, it’s against the law.

14th over: New Zealand 96-4 (Taylor 17, Mitchell 1) Daryl Mitchell is the new man and has to find a way to go hard from the get-go. That’s not easy against a bowler of Jordan’s skill though, England’s most experienced operator allowing just three singles after the wicket.

He’s unlucky there, right? Seifert miscues Jordan’s full toss to Bairstow at midwicket and immediately signals to the umpire that they should check it and they do. The TV ump takes a couple of views of the replay and sticks with the original call. Felt high to me.

13th over: New Zealand 93-3 (Seifert 32, Taylor 15) Taylor’s experience is on show when capitalising on a Rashid delivery that’s only slightly off the mark, sweeping expertly for four. With that boundary banked early in the over, they’re happy picking out the sweepers for the rest, adding ten risk-free runs from it. 160? 170?

12th over: New Zealand 83-3 (Seifert 30, Taylor 7) Slammin’ Sammy Curran is back for his final over, and gets through it giving up just seven runs in ones and twos, operating exclusively in slower balls.

11th over: New Zealand 76-3 (Seifert 29, Taylor 2) The veteran Taylor in at No5, off the mark to long-on after missing Rashid’s wrong’un first up. Just four runs from the successful over.

Just when de Grandhomme looked well placed to shift gears, he’s miscued Rashid down the throat of Vince at deep midwicket.

10th over: New Zealand 72-2 (Seifert 27, de Grandhomme 19) Brown again, who is taking the pace off each ball until he slams a bouncer in at full tilt. A lot to like. But de Grandhomme’s patience has run out, electing to climb into the next shorter slower ball, waiting so long for it to reach him that he only had one hand on the handle when contact was made, still strong enough to clear the square leg rope.

9th over: New Zealand 61-2 (Seifert 26, de Grandhomme 9) Better from Adil Rashid, the wrong’uns biting harder than in his first over. Granted, it all comes after Seifert lifts him around the corner for four to start the set, but it looked better. And we all know that wrist spin is all about how it appears. Why else would you do it?

8th over: New Zealand 53-2 (Seifert 20, de Grandhomme 7) Pat Brown is let down from his first ball in international cricket, Gregory turning one into three with a misfield. He’s straight back on it though, beating de Grandhomme with a clever little legcutter. We see a knuckle ball later in the over, very nearly pushed to Morgan at extra cover by Seifert. Nasser is a huge fan. Five from it. Nice start.

“Hi Adam.” G’day, Steve Richards. “Lovely to see NZ cricket again on live TV – they have nice “stadia” – better than the half-empty “enormo-domes” when Aus are/will monster Sri Lanka.”

Couldn’t agree more. They will do decent numbers here tonight because of the massive Sri Lankan community in Melbourne, but as a rule, I wonder whether some of the smaller venues should be looked at for T20Is at this time of year? Food for thought.

7th over: New Zealand 48-2 (Seifert 16, de Grandhomme 6) Adil Rashid is back for his first bowl for England since the World Cup Final. He gives de Grandhomme a chance to free his arms early in the over with a short wrong’un, put away with easy to square leg for four. Five singles around the sweepers makes nine from it.

Just when Munro looked to have got it together, he’s given Morgan an easy catch at midwicket, clipping a low full toss to the England skipper. The perfect way to end the power play for the visitors.

6th over: New Zealand 39-2 (Seifert 13)

5th over: New Zealand 36-1 (Munro 20, Seifert 11) Shot! Tim Seifert has a big opportunity here at No3 with Williamson resting and he’s into his work here, slamming Sam Curran’s short ball, off the front foot, well into the stand. It inspires Munro, who dances at a slower ball later in the over, clobbering it over long-on for a second six in the over. Make it three, the best of them, Munro getting down on one knee to lift Curran over the fine leg boundary. 21 off it. [Superintendent Hastings] Now we’re cooking with gas. [/Superintendant Hastings]

The TV wideshots of Hagley Oval are a real treat. One of my favourite grounds on the circuit, that’s for sure. Of course, Lancaster Park was the international venue in Christchurch before the 2011 earthquake.

4th over: New Zealand 15-1 (Munro 7, Seifert 3) Sam Billings is on the TV mic, England’s wicketkeeper and vice-captain in this tour. Thrilled to see him back in business after a tough 2019 where he missed most of the season with a bad shoulder injury. He makes a handy diving stop down the legside, Tom Curran missing his mark for the first time so far today. Munro tucks into the next offering, finally middling a swipe, nailing the off-cutter over square leg for New Zealand’s first boundary of the match. Curran bounces back with expert Ian Harvey back-of-the-hand slower ball. Short-form cricket might be about big bats most of the time, but the skills these fast bowlers now bring to the crease really is something to behold.

3rd over: New Zealand 7-1 (Munro 3, Seifert 1) The new man Seifert is off the mark first ball with a well-timed push to point. Munro is battling hard out there, his three runs coming from ten balls.

Chopped on! The result of pressure built up by the Currans at both ends. A wonderful start from the visitors.

2nd over: New Zealand 4-0 (Guptill 1, Munro 2) Tom Curran is opening the bowling with his brother – isn’t that nice? He’s right on it too, Munro unable to get anything away. The southpaw is driving and flicking and charging but none of it works, an excellent maiden the result. Top pace and variety from the older Curran.

From our man at the ground, Ali Martin, he confirms the new ICC regs mean that there will be no boundary countback in the event of a tie into the future. We’ll Super Over and Super Over until we have ourselves a winner. RIP boundary countback – we hardly knew you.

1st over: New Zealand 4-0 (Guptill 1, Munro 2) Tidy start, Guptill beaten by a Curran delivery that shaped away nicely with his second ball. He’s off strike via his thigh pad, Munro getting the first run from the bat to backward square, Guptill off the mark in the same direction. Munro has a big dip at the final ball but doesn’t get much of it, hacking away to midwicket to keep the strike. Well bowled.

Anthems for a T20I? Unorthodox. But if it means getting five renditions of God Defend New Zealand over the next week, I’m all for it. I doubt we’ll get them at the MCG tonight, mind you.

I’m actually reporting from the MCG at the moment. Yes, since OBOing the 2nd Australia v Sri Lanka T20 on Wednesday, I’ve flown here. Bottle of wine, couple of rom coms, cry – I’m good to go.

THE PLAYERS ARE WALKING ONTO THE FIELD TO ZOMBIE NATION! Wonderful areas from the Cricket Ground DJ. Sam Curran has the ball in his hand, bowling the first over in T20I debut. PLAY!

National anthems shortly. But first, a moment of silence to remember the 51 people murdered in Christchurch eight months ago in the mosque attacks. Today’s ticket sales are being donated to a fund encouraging the participation of minorities in sport. “We are all beautifully the same and wonderfully different.” Nicely done.

“Guptill is the one in this XI who will be hurting the most,” suggests Abhijato Sensarma in an email to me. You can write me too. Or tweet. “Those few missed inches in the last moments of the World Cup final must be playing on his mind. These things can become distractions (as Maxwell rightly said in an interview recently), but with enough clarity of thought they can motivate better than anything else too. Time to start regaining form and show the world his worth again? No better place to begin than here, and I don’t see why he won’t be up to the task!”

Having watched Marty G make bulk runs against Australia last year in this format, I don’t think there’s much to worry about.

Hard to believe this is Sam Curran’s debut. I’m sure you all know plenty about him. Pat Brown, perhaps less so unless you’ve been watching him dominate for Worcs in the Blast. He’s earned this chance. Lewis Gregory too, probably in at number six, the finisher role Morgan has said he’s looking for ahead of the T20 World Cup.

“He looks about 11 years of age,” David Lloyd, on TV, says of Brown. “But he has all the slower balls and can also bowl at 90mph too.”

Both captains agree the track is a belter. Different format, of course, but this is where Brendon McCullum slapped a 54-ball Test ton to finish his amazing international journey in 2016. Eoin Morgan said at the toss there is a short boundary one side. This should be fun.

Debuts everywhere for England. Three of them to be precise: Lewis Gregory, Sam Curran and Pat Brown. This should be fun.

New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Tim Seifert (w), Ross Taylor, Colin de Grandhomme, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner, Scott Kuggeleijn, Tim Southee (c), Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson

England: Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, James Vince, Eoin Morgan (c), Sam Billings (w), Sam Curran, Lewis Gregory, Tom Curran, Chris Jordan, Adil Rashid, Pat Brown

They are having a bowl. Teams in a tick.

Take a look Ali Martin’s preview from Christchurch, which went more in the direction of rugby than cricket. Understandbly!