And that is that
NZ did more to win the match than England did to lose it. On Sunday, it will be fascinating to see if they can win their first white-ball trophy. The second semi-final is tomorrow, with Australia taking on Pakistan – the only unbeaten team in the tournament. England matched them over the first four games, but then lost the next two, so our old friend Mo Mentum played his part.
Thanks for your company and your correspondence (sorry not to get through it all). Do join Rob Smyth tomorrow, and I’ll be back on Sunday. I’ll leave you with Simon Burnton’s report of New Zealand’s superb win …
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“Thanks for the good coverage,” says Nicholas Butler. My pleasure! “Morgan is always praised for the wins so he can own the defeat. It may not have been decisive, but it’s England’s own fault for refusing to have Alex Hales as cover for Roy – stupid.”
Chuffed with the heart we showed, says Williamson
And here’s the winning captain. “Knew it was going to be a great game of cricket and it certainly was,” says Kane Williamson. “I’m really chuffed with the heart that was shown throughout that whole performance. I thought England had a pretty competitive total on the board but [we were] staying there, building those little partnerships, and obviously it was an outstanding knock from Daryl Mitchell.”
Asked if it was an experiment to send Mitchell up the order, he says, tellingly, “Not in terms of his character. There’s a real quality there and he’s come in and batted beautifully in a high-pressure situation.” Amen to that, and Mitchell, sure enough, is the player of the match.
They outplayed us, says Morgan
Eoin Morgan is talking to Mike Atherton, calm as ever. “Coming into the game, we knew both sides were very close in skill. Full credit to Kane’s team, they outplayed us. I can’t fault anything we’ve done tonight, I thought we represented ourselves well, I’m extremely proud of the guys – they’ve given absolutely everything.”
Asked what were the key moments, he says “hard to say... their game plan came off. We were right in the game up until the 17th over [of the NZ innings]... We’re a six-hitting side and we struggled to hit sixes. We hung in there, changed the gameplay, and posted probably a par score. Then the start we had, taking early wickets, couldn’t have been any better.”
Asked if he’ll be there for the next T20 World Cup, in Australia this time next year, he says “I hope so, I think I’m still offering enough within the side”. And as he leaves the stage, he gives Kane Williamson a “well done” and a hug.
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Why England lost
Because they were a touch slow in the first ten overs, making only 67. Because their big hitters – Buttler, Bairstow and Livingstone – faced only 51 balls between them. Because Chris Woakes, who started so well, finished poorly, and Chris Jordan was off his game at the death too. Because they were missing three of their stars, in Roy, Stokes and Archer – arguably four, with Tymal Mills. But mainly it was because New Zealand managed that run chase magnificently. They are such a good team: there’s no shame at all in losing to them.
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The man of the match ...
... could be Jimmy Neesham, who changed the game with his big-hitting 27. It could be Devon Conway, who was quietly excellent in the great NZ tradition. But it surely will be Daryl Mitchell, who sat in the passenger seat watching them, then grabbed the wheel and drove his team into the final. Plus, he sportingly turned down a run (off Rashid) because he had got in the bowler’s way.
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NEW ZEALAND WIN WITH AN OVER TO SPARE!
19th over: New Zealand 167-5 (Mitchell 72, Santner 1) Mitchell tries to win it with a third successive six, but has to settle for a single as a skyer lands safely. Santner pulls – another single. The cameras find Steve Bruce, who may be wishing he was still in Newcastle. And then Woakes bowls a full toss and Mitchell flicks it for four. It’s all over! Daryl Mitchell, what a performance.
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Mid-19th over: New Zealand 161-5 (Mitchell 67, Santner 0) Mitchell is now the first violin, and he knows it. As Woakes returns, he whacks a two down the ground, then swings for six! And another!! Mitchell is bossing this, and England have to get rid of him. Six to win, off nine balls.
WICKET!! Neesham c Morgan b Rashid 27 (NZ 147-5)
18th over: New Zealand 147-5 (Mitchell 54, Santner 0) There’s only one message here – get Neesham – and they do! Rashid tempts him with a wide-ish googly and a toe-end cut gives Morgan an easy catch in the covers. Neesham, though, has delivered the heroics NZ needed – 27 off only 11 balls. They need 20 off two overs.
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Fifty to Mitchell!
Mitchell comes to the party, lofting Rashid for six, and reaches a hard-won fifty – 53 off 42 balls. Not bad for a second fiddle.
Mid-18th over: New Zealand 140-4 (Mitchell 46, Neesham 27) A dot from Rashid, as Mitchell refuses to run following a collision. Sportsmanship is alive and well and living in New Zealand. Then Neesham swings for six! NZ need 27 off 15 balls.
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17th over: New Zealand 133-4 (Mitchell 46, Neesham 20) Chris Jordan is back, so this must be the death. Neesham knows he’s got to go big, and swings the first ball for six. Then extras chip in: two leg byes, well run as Buttler fields, followed by a wide. Neesham goes for it again, with a straight thwack for four. Fourteen off three! And another wide. Then a catch on the boundary – or is it? Bairstow does the flick-back to Livingstone, but Bairstpw’s knee has flicked the Toblerone! The barest. Bairstow did so well, but not well enough. Another swing – Bairstow and Livingstone could both catch it, but they leave it to each other! Jordan throws up his hands in frustration. He recovers with a yorker, but that’s 23 off the over. NZ now need 34 off 18 balls and the force is with them.
“OK,” says John Starbuck, “Wood is to be known as Mr Speed Bump.” Nice one.
16th over: New Zealand 110-4 (Mitchell 45, Neesham 1) Dots are almost as good as wickets now and Livingstone is offering both: wicket, dot, dot, dot, single (which he fields himself). Then there’s a wide, just to remind us that he’s a part-timer, and another single, but as Nasser says, “what an over, what a spell”. Livingstone finishes with 2-22, and NZ need 57 off four overs.
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Wicket! Phillips c Billings b Livingstone 1 (NZ 106-4)
Another one! Phillips, the world’s leading six-hitter this year, knows what he has to do and he can’t do, holing out to long-off, where Billings holds his nerve and the ball. England on top, but for how long?
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15th over: New Zealand 106-3 (Mitchell 45, Phillips 1) Wood returns, still bowling fast and short – though his final ball is his first attempt at a yorker. Mitchell top-edges, over Buttler’s head, for four. That’s only his third four, and fourth boundary. Sweat is pouring off his helmet. Ten off the over: NZ need 60 off the last five. The tie is on.
14th over: New Zealand 97-3 (Mitchell 37, Phillips 0) Well bowled Livingstone, who keeps the runs down to five as well as grabbing the wicket. The partnership between Conway and Mitchell was 82 off 11 overs. NZ need nearly two a ball now – 70 off 36.
Wicket! Conway st Buttler b Livingstone 46 (NZ 95-3)
Just when a nation was wondering why he was bowling and not Moeen, Livingstone delivers the wicket England badly needed. The ball is a slider, and it slides on past Conway’s dance steps, giving Jos Buttler a stumping that his two-year-old daughter could probably manage.
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13th over: New Zealand 92-2 (Mitchell 35, Conway 44) Rashid replaces Wood and Mitchell, who hasn’t had much of the strike lately, is dropped by Jordan at long-off – though it looks more like a case of an inspired save, as Jordan flicks the ball back over the Toblerone. No, hang on, the ball clipped the Toblerone, so it’s a six. The barest of margins. NZ need 75 off 42 balls.
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12th over: New Zealand 79-2 (Mitchell 28, Conway 39) Livingstone continues, to Conway, and repays Morgan’s faith with three dots, but Conway fights back with a cover drive, struck from down on one knee. Jason Daye spots that I was one over behind – so sorry. The third over, you see, took place twice. NZ need 87 from the last eight overs.
11th over: New Zealand 72-2 (Mitchell 28, Conway 32) First ball after the break, Mitchell shows some intent by blasting a forehand back past Wood. And then something happens that hasn’t happened once in the whole tournament: England bowl a no-ball. Wood stares reproachfully at the crease, Mr Baffled. Mitchell can’t cash in on the free hit, but Conway makes up for it with a flash for six – the first of the innings and only the fifth of the day. Wood manages a dot to finish, by following Mitchell with a bouncer, but that’s the big over NZ were gasping for: 15 off it. They need 94 off 54 balls.
10th over: New Zealand 58-2 (Mitchell 22, Conway 26) Morgan springs a surprise, turning to Liam Livingstone ahead of Moeen, possibly prompted by Nathan Leamon, the England analyst, who was holding up one of his coded signs a few minutes ago. Conway gives Livingstone’s off-breaks the charge, goes aerial and picks up a two and a four. At the halfway stage, NZ still need another 109, so the rate is just under 11. England should be able to defend that, shouldn’t they?
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9th over: New Zealand 50-2 (Mitchell 21, Conway 19) Wood continues, not falling over, and not giving much away either. NZ bring up their fifty with an overthrow, which will please Bill Hargreaves. At this stage England were 60-2, so the gulf is not a wide one.
“Even among this fine bunch of fielders,” says Ewan Glenton, “surely someone’s going to drop a catch and be Mr Sitter.”
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8th over: New Zealand 45-2 (Mitchell 18, Conway 17) Rashid, who conceded ten off his first over, finds the plug and goes for only four singles off this one. The required rate goes above 10 for the first time. England are on top, but they’d like another wicket now.
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7th over: New Zealand 41-2 (Mitchell 16, Conway 14) Morgan saves a bit of Woakes for later and brings on Mark Wood. He digs it in, touches 93mph and persuades Mitchell to hook a bouncer that’s too high, but the top edge, not for the first time today, lands safely. Only five off the over, but this partnership (28 off 28 so far) is promising.
More on the Mr Men, from Timothy Sanders. “Given how often he falls over in his follow-through from the sheer effort,” he reckons, “Mark Wood could be Mr Bump.”
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6th over: New Zealand 36-2 (Mitchell 12, Conway 14) Eoin Morgan is feeling confident enough to bring on Adil Rashid in the powerplay. Conway greets him less than warmly, with a cut for four. Rashid retorts with an lbw shout as a googly thuds into the pad, but England don’t review and then Conway drives, handsomely, for four more, so NZ win that over.
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5th over: New Zealand 26-2 (Mitchell 11, Conway 5) Woakes threatens to turn into Mr Normal, going fornix off the first two balls as Daryl Mitchell chips him back over his head, then whips for four. Eight off the over, which is what the asking rate was from the start. It has already climbed to 9.40 – the merciless maths of crash-bang cricket.
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4th over: New Zealand 18-2 (Mitchell 4, Conway 4) More dots from Chris Jordan, bowling to Devon Conway, who finally breaks the shackles with a Malan-style lofted cover drive for four. Meanwhile, over on Cricinfo, England’s chances of a win have shot up from 54 per cent between innings to 78 now.
Here’s John Starbuck, picking up on my mention of Mr Immaculate. “According to TMS, Woakes is Mr Reliable. What are the Mister names of the others? Morgan as Mr Indomitable, Buttler as Mr Smiter, Moeen as Mr Unexpectedly Successful, Wood as Mr Speed?” Unexpectedly?!
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3rd over: New Zealand 13-2 (Mitchell 4, Conway 0) And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a wicket-maiden. It seems a long time ago that Woakes bowled that long hop.
Wicket!! WILLIAMSON c Rashid b Woakes 4 (NZ 13-2)
Oooohhhh! Woakes ties Williamson down with three dots and even this great batter gets rattled, resorting the scoop and failing to clear short fine leg. Woakes has two-for, and England are on top.
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2nd over: New Zealand 13-1 (Mitchell 4, Williamson 5) Morgan opens not with Moeen, but with Chris Jordan. And he almost nabs the big wicket, as Williamson gets an under-edge. If even Williamson struggles to time the ball, 166 could soon look like a hefty total.
“Given the well-demonstrated advantage of winning the toss in T20 cricket these days,” says Tim Kett, “is it not time for some imagination (not to mention fairness!) in allocating choice of batting/fielding either more equally (over a tournament) or more deservingly, e.g. to the group winners rather than the runners-up in the case of the current competition? If NZ and Australia both win the toss, field first and win narrowly, I won’t be the only one to feel the competition finale has been unnecessarily distorted by fortune.” A finale distorted by fortune... unthinkable.
1st over: New Zealand 8-1 (Mitchell 1, Williamson 3) So Chris Woakes started with a long hop, then remembered which Mr Men character he is: Mr Immaculate.
Wicket!! Guptill c Moeen b Woakes 4 (NZ 4-1)
Martin Guptill slaps the first ball of the innings for four, but plays and misses at the second, then gets a leading edge off the third. The ball pops up into the darkness and gives Moeen the simplest of catches at mid-on.
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England finish on 166!
20th over: England 166-4 (Moeen 51, Morgan 4) Eoin Morgan comes out, picks up two from a mishit pull and a misfield, which Daren Sammy, on commentary, thinks may be deliberate, to deny Moeen the strike. Spicy! Morgan tries to finish with a six, slices it, and is dropped at deep cover, which allows him to pick up two.
So that’s 11 off the last over, and I suspect both sides will be happy – England because they managed 99 off the last ten overs, and NZ because England never got out of sight. See you in a few minutes.
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Fifty to Moeen!
Mo chips the next ball over the covers for four and reaches his first World Cup fifty. The forgotten man in 2019 is a central figure now.
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Wicket! Livingstone c Santner b Neesham 17 (England 156-4)
Jimmy Neesham has the dubious honour of bowling the last over at these two, but he does the trick! Persuading Livingstone to belt a drive to long-off, where Santner holds on with no fuss. No fuss could be this NZ team’s motto.
19th over: England 155-3 (Moeen 45, Livingstone 17) Back comes Boult, the only seamer to be expensive today. And he’s up against Livingstone, who drives a full toss for two, then slices a length ball for four. Boult recovers well, finishing with one-dot-one. The partnership is 39 off 22 balls, and there’s one over to go.
Here’s Bill Hargreaves. “Can’t help feeling that if I were a Kiwi,” he says, “I’d be looking for some overthrows justice this afternoon. But my belly says an England win.”
18th over: England 146-3 (Moeen 43, Livingstone 10) Milne returns and thinks he’ll start with a slow bouncer. Mo sees it coming, bides his time and flicks it for six, like a guy in a restaurant swatting a fly with his knife. Milne shows some bottle, restricting England to singles, but then the last ball is in the slot, just asking Livingstone to launch one of his aerial missiles. Six! That’s his 86th six in T20 matches this year, according to a caption. The only man with more is on the other side today – Glenn Phillips.
17th over: England 130-3 (Moeen 35, Livingstone 3) Mo is going for it now. He dances down the track to Sodhi and caresses him over midwicket for six. But Sodhi keeps calm and carries on varying his pace and flight. Dot, dot, two, single. Eleven off the over: noted, but not quite what Mo had in mind.
“Hello, joining in from Pakistan,” says Shoaib. “I don’t know if it’s a case of England being low-key or New Zealand gearing up at the right moment. In any case, what do you guys think would be a defensible total in this match?” My guess is 170, but as Rob Smyth likes to say, nobody knows anything.
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16th over: England 119-3 (Moeen 26, Livingstone 2) So the first ball of Southee’s spell goes for six, the second takes a wicket, and the rest of the over is immaculate, just dots and ones. Liam Livingstone, sent in ahead of Eoin Morgan, gets away with a top-edged pull. England need some fireworks.
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Wicket! Malan c Conway b Southee 41 (England 116-3)
Malan hits the first six of the day – and then gets a nick next ball. England won’t mind that too much.
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15th over: England 110-2 (Malan 35, Moeen 24) As Trent Boult returns, Moeen sends two top edges into the night sky, and both land safely. Then he plays a much better shot, a whip off the toes for four, whereupon Malan tries a ramp, which is rather like your mum trying a rap.
“England not scoring enough boundaries here,” says Chris Drew. “The countback could be important later on.” Ha.
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14th over: England 100-2 (Malan 34, Moeen 17) Milne continues and technically drops Malan as a lofted drive comes back hard at him. Only six off the over: England need a big one.
“To balance things out a bit (13.42).” says Michael Chilcott, “here’s an email from an Englishman in Sweden. I think England will squeak it, but I’d be happy with a tense nailbiter to keep me comfortably distracted from work for a few hours. Probably shouldn’t have sent this from my work email, mind you.”
13th over: England 94-2 (Malan 30, Moeen 15) Back comes Sodhi, the man of the moment after removing Buttler, but his line is awry. He gets away with a full toss outside leg as Malan sweeps it for a single rather than taking the wide. And then, at last, Moeen finds the rope – with a cut, possibly mistimed by his high standards, but effective.
“Hello Tim, a Kiwi in France here,” says Alistair Connor. “NZ’s run has been stereotypically, irritatingly low-key. Just look at the net run rate: unlike all the other semi-finalists, they didn’t smash anybody. This had the salutary effect of giving Scotland its finest hour in cricket: heroic defeat in a surprisingly competitive game (stereotypically Scottish!). Time to change gear.”
12th over: England 85-2 (Malan 28, Moeen 9) Milne returns for his second over, and Moeen’s getting them in singles – maybe he’s Malan in disguise. There’s another nice drive from Malan, into the deep but sensationally saved by Phillips, throwing himself at the Toblerone like a guilty dad at the airport.
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11th over: England 78-2 (Malan 24, Moeen 6) Kane Williamson turns to his third spinner, Glenn Phillips – even though his off-breaks should suit these two left-handers. Malan says thank you very much and plays two chips over the offside ring, both for four.
Here’s Rob Lewis in Istanbul. “In my English lesson just now,” he says, “this sentence came up: ‘Mr Billings is at the front door’. Is it a sign?” Ha. Mr Billings will be lucky if he gets a bat, but he might make a crucial catch or run-out later on. Rob adds: “I just dismissed the class early.”
10th over: England 67-2 (Malan 15, Moeen 4) Santner gives way to Jimmy Neesham, who looks, with his blond moustache, as if he’s come straight from rehearsals for his school production of Journey’s End. Straightaway he has Malan dropped behind the stumps by Devon Conway – such a fine cricketer, but only a makeshift wicketkeeper. Then there’s another good shot from Malan, stroking a square drive. Is he Moeen in disguise?
And at the halfway stage of the innings, NZ are still in charge, but England are hanging in there.
9th over: England 60-2 (Malan 10, Moeen 2) A few singles and then Malan finds the boundary at last, with that lofted drive of his, over extra-cover. This feels like a big moment for him.
Wicket! Buttler lbw b Sodhi 29 (England 53-2)
Yes, hitting off. And that is the big one – Buttler had just returned to the top of the pile as the leading run-scorer in this World Cup. I suspect NZ would have settled for him making 29.
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Wicket!? Buttler given lbw b Sodhi 29 (England 53-2)
Missing a reverse sweep! It looks out, hitting off, but worth a try...
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8th over: England 53-1 (Buttler 29, Malan 5) It’s spin at both ends as Mitch Santner comes on with his thoughtful slow left-arm. Malan tries a big shot but doesn’t time it. Buttler pulls out the reverse sweep and gets it through for four - the first boundary for 19 balls, and it brings up the fifty. What comes after the reverse sweep? The orthodox sweep, of course – Buttler plays it and picks up two.
7th over: England 45-1 (Buttler 22, Malan 4) With the field now able to scatter, Williamson brings on his leg-spinner, Ish Sodhi. Buttler gives him the charge but doesn’t get to the pitch and has to switch to plan B, pushing for a single. Malan continues calmly practising for the Ashes. Apart from one over, this has all been NZ - but England do have wickets in hand.
6th over: England 40-1 (Buttler 20, Malan 1) In comes Dawid Malan, whose role in this England charabanc is to be the designated driver. He starts, true to form, with a tuck for a single. After a delay caused by movement behind the bowler’s arm, Buttler pulls Milne, hard, but straight to the fielder at deep square. So Milne starts majestically – 1-0-2-1 – and the powerplay ends with NZ narrowly on top.
Wicket! Bairstow c Williamson b Milne 13 (England 37-1)
This is fabulous from Kane Williamson, swooping to his left at mid-off to hold a rasping drive - and also getting the credit as captain for bringing on Adam Milne, whose first ball this is.
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5th over: England 37-0 (Buttler 19, Bairstow 13) Bairstow, feeling the need to come to the party, puts on his Bermuda shirt and clonks Southee back over his head for four. Williamson responds by sending mid-on back, so Bairstow helps himself to an easy single. Buttler hooks, also for a single, keeping it down but not middling it. Bairstow adds a third single. He has 13 off 16 balls, Buttler 19 off 14.
4th over: England 29-0 (Buttler 17, Bairstow 7) England need a big over: cometh the hour, cometh the Buttler. He drives Boult’s first ball for four, just past the diving Williamson at mid-off, then waits for some width and cuts for four more. Boult retorts with a bouncer, but it’s too big and goes for five wides. Buttler drives again, doesn’t beat Williamson, but takes a quick single and steals an overthrow too. England are up and running.
3rd over: England 13-0 (Buttler 6, Bairstow 7) Great stuff from Southee: dot, dot, single to Buttler, dot, dot, dot to Bairstow, who can’t find his timing. NZ on top!
“Greeting you from a cool and sunny Bulgaria,” says Derek Stocker, “where my wife Anita has just rescued a fire salamander stuck in our wire fence.” Wow. “Are these the nicest skippers in world cricket?” Charming as they seem, I have no more idea about that than the salamander.
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2nd over: England 12-0 (Buttler 5, Bairstow 7) At the other end it’s Trent Boult with his classy left-arm swing. He starts with two dots to Bairstow, then beats him outside off with one that actually swung back. Bairstow put in some extra practice yesterday, facing David Willey to rehearse for Boult. He picks up two with a comfortable cut to extra-cover, then gets lucky with an inside edge for four. England not finding it easy – yet still going at a run a ball.
1st over: England 6-0 (Buttler 5, Bairstow 1) Tim Southee takes the new ball and starts with a short one, which Jos Buttler pulls for a single. Jonny Bairstow middles his first two deliveries, finding the ring with the first and a quick single to mid-on with the second. Buttler is then beaten by some late swing and perhaps a lack of pace, before missing one angled into his pads. He needs a boundary already – and gets it with a wristy flick. Honours even!
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Both teams take the knee. And the umpires too – Erasmus and Dharmasena.
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It’s time for the anthems, a chance to see which players are way taller than their team-mates. Kyle Jamieson, who’s not even in the NZ team, is so toweringly tall, he could be a shot by Liam Livingstone.
“England may not be in tip-top shape with the loss of Roy, Stokes and more,” says Luciano Howard. Something tells me there’s a “but” coming. “But, importantly, in T20 it’s all about the hitting. And here England have the firepower – lots of it – just as you said. England mastered the chase in 50-over cricket. Here’s where they will master setting the target. Then it’s all about pressure, and whilst NZ are the definition of calm, England have proven their ability there, too.” Sounds like we’re heading for a tie.
The first email of the day comes, superbly, from a Kiwi in Sweden. “Speaking from an NZ perspective,” says Ben Bernards, “and fully appreciating that only a miserable collapse should entail the use of all 11 batsmen, any time Southee has two or more players lower down the order than himself makes me uncomfortable. Raining sixes on Test debut be damned, he’s a no. 11!” Ha. If that’s your biggest worry, aren’t you secretly being quite optimistic?
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England team: yes, it's Billings for Roy
England 1 Jonny Bairstow, 2 Jos Buttler (wkt), 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Moeen Ali, 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Eoin Morgan (capt), 7 Sam Billings, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Mark Wood.
So Bairstow opens, England bat deep, their fielding gets even better, but the bowling could be a touch light – and they have to deal with the dew. Morgan is honest enough to tell Nasser Hussain that he would have bowled first too.
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NZ team: no change
New Zealand 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Daryl Mitchell, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Devon Conway (wkt), 5 Glenn Phillips, 6 Jimmy Neesham, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Adam Milne, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Ish Sodhi, 11 Trent Boult.
Toss: NZ win and bowl
The first sign of karma.
Billings is in (probably)
Simon Burnton is at the ground and keeping his eye on the England pre-match huddle. “Sam Billings getting the back-slaps,” he reports. “Looks like he’s got the nod to replace Jason Roy.” And that, in turn, probably means that Bairstow moves up to open with Buttler.
Preamble
Afternoon everyone, and welcome to the most mouthwatering match so far in this World Cup. England v New Zealand, it has to be said, wasn’t always a contest to get the juices flowing. For decades it was tediously one-sided, then tight but taciturn. You would have got long odds on these two nations ever meeting in a World Cup final, let alone concocting the greatest cliffhanger in cricket history. And now here they are in Abu Dhabi, the 50-over World Cup holders taking on the world champions of Test cricket.
If there’s any justice, New Zealand will win by the widest of margins. But the gods of sport reserve the right to be fickle at all times, and on paper this looks too close to call. Kane Williamson has the stronger seam attack, led by Adam Milne, the understudy who has become a star. Eoin Morgan has the edge on spin, thanks to the reliable Adil Rashid and the resurgent Moeen Ali. England have more injuries, and may badly miss Jason Roy, but they also have the greater firepower. Even when one masterblaster drops out, there are still three left – Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow and Liam Livingstone. And then there’s Moeen, who’s more of a mastercaresser.
England have Morgan, an all-time great captain, even if he did borrow half his ideas from the nation he faces today. NZ have Williamson, a man so cool and calm that he can claim his team look back “fondly” on the 2019 World Cup final. Either side would make a worthy finalist this time, and NZ have more momentum, after getting their one bad day out of the way early on.
It should be a treat. Play starts at 2pm UK time – do join me around 1.35 for news of the toss and the teams.
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