Simon Burnton’s report:
Summing up
So, once again, England lose in New Zealand before most of their fans back home have even woken up, skittled cheaply for a second game in a row against a New Zealand who remain a serious ODI force, particularly at home, and for whom Blair Tickner was excellent on his return to the side.
Not a serious ODI force, at present, are England, who for all their occasional record-breaking fireworks are struggling to pace an innings with the bat and to excel consistently. Probably because they don’t play 50-over cricket consistently. To think that a decade ago this was the form of the game English men’s cricket prioritised.
Anyway, Simon Burnton’s report from Hamilton will be up shortly and then English women’s cricket is in the spotlight next, with the big World Cup semi-final against South Africa. So take a quick power nap and rejoin the site then. Thanks for your company. Bye.
Updated
Less chuffed is Harry Brook: “It’s disappoing to say the least,” says the England captain. We’ve got to come back stonger and better on Sunday, dig in and get a win against these boys who are second in the rankings and played well. The wickets here are like England’s but we need to start getting through 15-20 balls and cash in from there.
“We want to get out there and entertain the world and the crowds and it’s just not been coming off in the last couple of games. It was only a few games ago that we got a record score against South Africa so we’re not far off. We’ll continue to try to entertain and be aggressive but dig deeper and hope it comes off.”
The captain adds a bit of praise for Archer, England’s best performer today. “He’s an awesome bowler, everyone loves watching him, for him to take 3 for 23 is amazing and it’s great to have him back.
Brooks’s counterpart, Mitchell Santner, meanwhile hails a “great game, which started up front wth the ball – the boys were exceptional, first thing, and credit to [Tickner], he’s a world class bowler, and then with the bat I thought Kane and Rach did a hell of a job toget us through that powerplay. And [Daryl] Mitchell loves playing in these situations.”
The player of the match is Blair Tickner, whose four-wicket haul defined the match. “I just thought I’d come to run some drinks,” he says at the post-match presentation. “Last night I was just having a barbecue at Josh Clarke’s house when I got the call but it’s awesome to play. Taking early wickets always helps and I just continued the job off.”
Simon Burnton had more on Tickner yesterday:
Updated
So, England’s 50-over travails continue and New Zealand take the series after another substandard batting display from England, who bowled decently – especially Archer – but just didn’t have enough runs in the bank. The in-form Mitchell and Santner guided the Black Caps home in style.
Meanwhile, Danny B mails in with more Bracewell chat: “I cannot believe that no one has raised the wonderful Melanie Bracewell! She is a great Kiwi comedian who is obviously closely related to the Bracewell clan and demonstrated some cricket skills on Taskmaster NZ but unless that counts as an internationally televised sporting content then surely she is the first non-sporting Bracewell.”
New Zealand beat England by five wickets
33.1 overs: New Zealand 177-5 (Mitchell 56, Santner 34). Target 176. And we’re done. Mitchell slashes hard at the first ball of Carse’s over, and the thick outside edge races away to the third man boundary for four. The match and series are theirs.
England had a glimmer of hope 20 minutes ago, but this pair have made short work of snuffing that out.
33rd over: New Zealand 173-5 (Mitchell 51, Santner 34). Target 176. Overton replaces Rashid, to no avail, as Santner sends his first, short, ball high through the offside for four. He then flatbats an inelegant hack high over extra cover for two, and concludes the over with another controlled slog over long off for SIX Santner has 34 from 17,
32nd over: New Zealand 158-5 (Mitchell 51, Santner 21). Target 176. With a required run rate of well below two an over, the hosts don’t need to do anything daft but if there are SIXes to be had, why not take them, as Santner does when simply helping a short ball from Carse high round the corner and onto the grass banks. Santner is playing brilliantly, and then essays a controlled, placed pull for four, turning Carse’s pace against him. The rattled bowler then sends down a no-ball, and Santner cracks the free hit away for one. Only 18 more needed.
31st over: New Zealand 146-5 (Mitchell 51, Santner 10). Target 176. An over of carnage that might just have taken the game away from England. Santner, new to the crease, isn’t messing about and smacks the best SIX of the innings high down the ground off Rashid. The captain adds another single before Mitchell joins the party with a similarly emphatic SIX off Rashid’s carrom ball – hammered over long-off, before a reverse-swept four brings up another timely 50 for Mitchell.
All of which means New Zealand go to drinks with their tails back up.
30th over: New Zealand 129-5 (Mitchell 41, Santner 3). Target 176. Carse returns to the attack, some singles are taken, but there’s still a decent amount in this pitch for pace bowlers
Some more famous-Bracewell discourse, from Ewan Glenton: “You’ve apparently forgotten Paul Bracewell, who played football for England. The question perhaps is are there any famous Bracewells who haven’t played international sport?”
Good spot – that Everton mid-80s team were magnnificent.
29th over: New Zealand 125-5 (Mitchell 39, Santner 1). Target 176. With Archer bowled through, and Rashid in his seventh, will England run out of key bowlers if they can make this go deep? Anyway, Mitchell seeks to render such questions irrelevant with a controlled sweep for four, and NZ can enjoy their best over for a bit.
Wicket! Bracewell c Buttler b Archer 5, NZ 118-5
28th over: New Zealand 118-5 (Mitchell 33). Target 176. Archer begins his final over by getting away with a full beamer that looks an above-waist no-ball but it’s not called. Bracewell then eases some of the pressure by punting a low attempted yorker down the ground for four but Archer follows with three dots and then ends a superb spell by snaring Bracewell, gloving down leg. He ends with 3 for 23 from his 10 and he’s kept England in the game.
27th over: New Zealand 114-4 (Mitchell 33, Bracewell 1). Target 176. England have their box office bowlers on at both ends, pace and spin, and it’s halted the runs. Rashid bamboozles Bracewell with a ripper low outside off that the batter plays and misses at. The first run in 20 deliveries arrives when Bracewell hacks down the ground for one, but this is excellent bowling now, albeit probably in a losing cause.
26th over: New Zealand 112-4 (Mitchell 33, Bracewell 0.) Target 176. Archer continues to look threatening, finding lift and movement, and Mitchell opts for caution, granting the bowler his third maiden.
25th over: New Zealand 112-4 (Mitchell 33, Bracewell 0.) Target 176. Rashid cleverly dismisses Latham with a looping full ball that the batter makes a hash of, bringing out another left-hander in Bracewell. It’s a wicket maiden and England have a small slither of hope. Rashid is now joint second on England’s ODI wicket takers list.
Here’s a thing: have there been any famous Bracewells who haven’t played cricket for New Zealand.
Wicket! Latham lbw b Rashid 2, NZ 112-4
Ooh. A misjudgment from Latham, who tries to reverse sweep a teasing looping full one from Rashid, misses and is hit low on the pad bang in front. No appeal considered.
24th over: New Zealand 112-3 (Mitchell 33, Latham 2) Target 176. Latham scurries through for a quick single, almost as if he wanted to get off strike against Archer. Mitchell is cool with that prospect though, and directs an edge through the vacant slip cordon for four.
23rd over: New Zealand 107-3 (Mitchell 29, Latham 1) Target 176. Mitchell is equal to a dart fired down leg by Rashid and advances to turn it away for a single. Latham doesn’t look entirely comfortable against the spinner but does manage to get off the mark with a glided single. Two from the over, so England have stemmed the flow, for now
22nd over: New Zealand 105-3 (Mitchell 28, Latham 0) Target 176. Archer, bowling from the opposite end to that from which he begun the innings, sends down three dots then strikes when Ravindra picks out Rashid in the deep. And Archer has his second wicket maiden of the innings. An effortless leader of the attack pack.
Wicket! Ravindra c Rashid b Archer 54, NZ 105-3
From nowhere, Ravindra holes out with a pull to deep square leg where Rashid just has to watch it into his hands.
21st over: New Zealand 105-2 (Ravindra 54, Mitchell 28) Target 176. Ravindra sweeps Rashid for four, then thumps him down the ground for another that brings up a composed 50. The hundred comes up too for NZ and England’s need for wickets is now in the desperation zone. Rashid hasn’t quite been at it on this tour.
20th over: New Zealand 94-2 (Ravindra 44, Mitchell 27) Target 176. Dire necessity prompts the return of Archer to the attack. Ravindra is unfazed, cracking a too-full delivery to the long off boundary for four.
“I’m currently going around the Hanoke open air museum in Japan (think Yorkshire sculpture park - but in Japan),” writes Paul O’Neill, “so my grasp of cricket start times is confused to say the least. Should we be concerned about the form of England’s top order batters, given that most of them will be facing Starc, Lyon et al in Perth in a few weeks’ time?”
We should, up to a point, but it is a different form of cricket and, in general, England are paying the price here for the complete trashing of domestic 50-over cricket.
18th over: New Zealand 88-2 (Ravindra 39, Mitchell 26) Target 176. Ravindra mis-hits an attempted slog off Rashid but still grubs a single, as the steady accumulation continues. The hosts are Bon Jovi-ing it now (halfway there) and this’ll be done before anyone else in my household is up.
17th over: New Zealand 83-2 (Ravindra 37, Mitchell 23) Target 176. Mitchell has looked confident from the off, as he usually does, but Overton’s still getting the odd one to do something, and he beats Ravindra with a seaming beauty outside off but then undoes his good work with an overpitched delivery that’s creamed back past him for four.
“Did you notice this?” write M Varadarajan from Aluva in India. “Curious figures after Archer’s wide to begin second over were 1.1.1.1.!!! First over was a maiden with 1 wicket then it was 1.1.0.1. After bowling a wide to begin second over it became 1.1.1.1. Has it ever happened before, I wonder”
Almost certainly you’d think, but the beauty of cricket stats is it’s perfectly plausible that it hasn’t.
17th over: New Zealand 75-2 (Ravindra 31, Mitchell 21) Target 176. Spin now, with Rashid, and England needing some of his wizardry desperately, but the batters continue to work the gaps for respectful singles.
16th over: New Zealand 71-2 (Ravindra 29, Mitchell 19) Target 176. New Zealand only need to go at a little more than three an over so why Mitchell opted for a dab and run single is a bit of a mystery, but Overton’s rolled run-out attempt is off target. Ravindra then suddenly injects some aggression, with a brutal pull for SIX that threatens people and picnics on the grass banks.
15th over: New Zealand 63-2 (Ravindra 22, Mitchell 18) Target 176. The field is more scattered now as we near the end of the powerplay, and we could be in for some old-school middle-overs meandering. Two singles are followed by an edge from Mitchell high through the now-vacated slip area. If Mitchell didn’t mean that, he certainly meant the next – a high, pose-holding lofted straight drive for SIX. Low risk but aggressive. Perfect.
So they take drinks with New Zealand fairly in control of this chase after a tricky start.
14th over: New Zealand 51-2 (Ravindra 21, Mitchell 7) Target 176. The new ball may be starting to soften but Overton’s managing to find a bit of vim here and there, sharply beating Ravindra with a lifter outside off, as the hosts bring up their 50.
12th over: New Zealand 43-2 (Ravindra 19, Mitchell 1) Target 176. Overton replaces Carse and is appealing for a caught behind straight away, a possible strangle down leg, but Williamson’s not nicked it, and never looked like he had to my mind. But England burn a review on it, possibly on Joe Root’s advice.These batters are beginning to work their ones and twos but then, suddenly, Williamson is castled, and England are back in the game.
Updated
Wicket! Williamson b Overton 20, New Zealand 42-2
Just as they were getting on top, New Zealand lose Williamson beaten by an in-jagging cutter.
11th over: New Zealand 40-1 (Ravindra 18, Williamson 20) Target 176. A change of bowling, as Curran replaces Archer. His second ball is cracked through extra cover for four by Ravindra but Curran comes back brilliantly with a scrambled-seam inswinger that Ravindra plays all around, but another productive NZ over concludes with a textbook straight drive for four.
10th over: New Zealand 32-1 (Ravindra 10, Williamson 20) Target 176. Behold! An actual white-ball cricket shot – Ravindra hoiks a short Carse delivery high over midwicket for four. Williamson is later denied another boundary from a delicate late cut by a sprawling Archer, though how many England fans would really want Jofra to throw himself at that too vigorously? Williamson then does find the boundary with an exquisite cover drive, and suddenly NZ look in a healthy position – 11 from the over
9th over: New Zealand 21-1 (Ravindra 5, Williamson 14) Target 176. The first really driveable, overpitched ball Archer has sent down is skimmed to the long-off boundary for four, as the cat tries to walk across my keyboard. He’s evidently irked at England’s batting necessitating my early waking too. Five dots follow that boundary to keep the hosts on their toes
8th over: New Zealand 17-1 (Ravindra 5, Williamson 10) Target 176. Ravindra, who’s been inactive in recent overs, flicks for two on the legside off Carse, who responds with two back of a length beauties that beat the left-hander outside off. A leg bye then a single complete the over.
7th over: New Zealand 13-1 (Ravindra 3, Williamson 9) Target 176. New Zealand don’t need to take risks here, can just ease themselves into this chase with Proper Cricket shot selections, including the judicious leaves you need against an on-song Archer, who beats Williamson with a gorgeous full in-swinger. And when he produces another one, the batter appears to inside edge it to the keeper, diving low. Archer fancies it, and the umpires opt to review it, ultra-edge confirms bat involvement but has Buttler grasped it before it’s grounded? He hasn’t.
Another superb over from Archer, who has figures of 4-1-4-1.
6th over: New Zealand 13-1 (Ravindra 3, Williamson 9) Target 176. Carse is playing his part too, and he beats Williamson for pace with a beauty outside off stump before the batter produces the first boundary of the innings with an effortless square drive for four. England were 29-2 at this stage.
5th over: New Zealand 8-1 (Ravindra 3, Williamson 4) Target 176. This is really encouraging from Archer, as he makes Williamson reel again with another lovely in-jagger. The former NZ captain takes a flicked single on the legside but these batters aren’t inclined, or given the opportunity, to open their shoulders just yet.
4th over: New Zealand 7-1 (Ravindra 3, Williamson 3) Target 176. This pitch is offering plenty of pace and bounce for the England quicks, but Williamson is off the mark with an effortless push square on the off for two, to which Carse responds by digging one into his grill. Williamson, such is the player he is, just brushes it off.
3rd over: New Zealand 4-1 (Ravindra 3, Williamson 0) Target 176. Archer strays down legside and gets Extras off the mark, then he gets to work probing just back of a length outside the left-hander’s off stump. Ravindra gets on top of one delivery with a firm cut in front of square for two.
2nd over: New Zealand 1-1 (Ravindra 1, Williamson 0) Target 176. Carse takes the new ball at the other end, and is pretty on the money too. Ravindra’s dab on the offside finally gets the hosts off the mark, but this is a necessarily good start from England, though they started well with the ball three days ago too. And they have even fewer runs to play with here.
1st over: New Zealand 0-1 (Ravindra 0, Williamson 0) Target 176. Archer gets some zip and movement and cuts Young in half with a beauty third ball, the appropriate working-out for the lower inswinger that follows and gets Young lbw. And he has a shout for leg before against Williamson too, which is turned down. England fancy this though and go for a review. It looked possibly too high with the naked eye, and it is indeed going over off stump. But a sensational wicket maiden to start
Wicket! Young lbw b Archer 0, New Zealand 0-1
Perfect start for England! Archer pins Will Young in front with an inswinger and has to Leave Right Now (sorry).
Morning/evening/whatever it is, everyone. Anyone northern hemisphere based been up for the duration? Anyway, Jofra has the ball and England have it all to do. Here we go …
A lovely moment for Blair Tickner as he picks up four wickets on his international return. England’s batting was a bit of a confused mess to be honest, they have it all to do with the ball to keep this series alive.
There will be a short break now as Tom Davies rouses himself from slumber earlier than he would have hoped/planned in order to slide into the OBO armchair and bring you the chase. Thanks for your company, ta-ra.
England all out for 175!
Tickner gets his fourth wicket as Rashid is pouched at midwicket. England’s batting card does not make for pretty reading. New Zealand shared the wickets and caught their catches, they are overwhelming favourites to take this game and with it the series.
Updated
35th over: England 175-9 (Archer 2, Rashid 9) Shot! Adil Rashid plops Santner onto the grass bank behind midwicket for SIX!
34th over: England 168-9 (Archer 2, Rashid 2) Rashid joins Archer for a last wicket hurrah. Of sorts.
WICKET! Jamie Overton c Santner b Tickner 42 (England 165-9)
Tickner has three! Overton is caught at mid off from an ungainly hack and there goes England’s chances of a competitive total.
32nd over: England 165-8 (Overton 41, Archer 0) Mitch Santner keeps new man Jofra Archer quiet with a rapid fire maiden.
WICKET! Brydon Carse c Mitchell b Tickner 3 (England 164-8)
Carse has to depart! Caught on the rope off a flat hook, Tickner bags his second wicket in his return match.
Updated
31st over: England 162-7 (Overton 41, Carse 2) New Zealand lose a review as Santner sends one upstairs for an LBW shout against Overton but it hit the big fella outside the line. Overton then retorts with a languid cover drive for four.
Updated
29th over: England 156-7 (Overton 36, Carse 1) Tickner returns and is greeted by some Overton humpty! A four over midwicket and another rocket-launched SIX down the ground.
WICKET! Sam Curran b Bracewell 17 (England 143-7)
Sam Curran is sent on his way by an absolute beauty from Bracewell. Flight and dip, fizzing grip, off peg knocked back.
28th over: England 141-6 (Curran 16, Overton 23) Ten off the over for England as Santner drops short and is punished by Curran. Overton uses his huge frame to get out to a length ball and flex a second four down the ground.
27th over: England 131-6 (Curran 11, Overton 18) The batters rotate strike as the re-build job continues.
26th over: England 126-6 (Curran 9, Overton 15) Jamie Overton can hit a long ball and he shows it by bunting Santner over long on for SIX with a minimum of fuss.
25th over: England 118-6 (Curran 8, Overton 8) Overton cuts Bracewell for four and we reach the half way point in the innings. England have lost over half of their wickets and are in real danger of surrendering the series at the earliest opportunity.
24th over: England 109-6 (Curran 5, Overton 3) Jamie Overton is the new man. He stoops to block out a Santner yorker first ball. England’s ultra aggressive approach is costing them once again in New Zealand, there ain’t a lot of batting to come after these two.
WICKET! Harry Brook c Young b Santner 34 (England 105-6)
Brook is gone! A rash shot as he drives uppishly to Santner and Will Young pulls off a one handed diving grab at backward point!
23rd over: England 105-5 (Brook 33, Curran 4) Spin from both ends for the Kiwis as Bracwell comes on and rattles through an over for just one run.
22nd over: England 104-5 (Brook 33, Curran 4) Harry Brook is playing a lone hand once again, he slog sweeps Santner for SIX to bring up England’s one hundred.
21st over: England 94-5 (Brook 25, Curran 2) Brook pilfers ten runs off Smith’s over including a rock back and pull for four over the infield.
20th over: England 84-5 (Brook 16, Curran 1) Mitch Santner brings himself on and New Zealand begin to squeeze. Just three singles off the over.
19th over: England 81-5 (Brook 14, Curran 0) Curran joins Brook. Salvage job needed.
WICKET! Jos Buttler lbw b Smith 9 (England 81-5)
England in strife once more as Buttler is pinned on the back leg and given. He reviews in vain, it was clipping the bails!
Updated
18th over: England 71-4 (Brook 11, Buttler 7) Brook charges and gets four over mid on. Buttler then. opens his shimmying shoulders and slaps a SIX over midwicket!
17th over: England 65-4 (Brook 6, Buttler 1) Jos Buttler joins Brook in the middle with plenty to do. England’s top order have failed to fire once again.
WICKET! Jacob Bethell c Foulkes b Smith 18 (England 63-4)
Gah! Bethell is caught on the leg side boundary after getting a start. A bit of a gift if truth be told, first ball after drinks and England lose their fourth wicket.
16th over: England 63-3 (Bethell 18, Brook 5) Time for a drink after Tickner sends down another frugal over.
15th over: England 62-3 (Bethell 17, Brook 5) Brook rubs salt in the wound with an exquisite cover drive for four. Nathan Smith responds with a beauty that pitches and leaves Brook, the batter definitely had a flirt at it as it passed by.
14th over: England 55-3 (Bethell 15, Brook 0) Tickner nearly picks up Brook! A charge and lofted drive from Brook and Santner is at full stretch at mid on but can’t cling on! A big moment in the match.
13th over: England 54-3 (Bethell 14, Brook 0) Harry Brook joins Bethell with another rescue job needed.
Updated
WICKET! Joe Root c †Latham b Tickner 25 (England 51-3)
Strangled down the leg side! Blair Tickner doesn’t care a jot as he picks up his first international wicket in two years!
11th over: England 49-2 (Root 24, Bethell 10) Duffy stitches together his second maiden…
10th over: England 49-2 (Root 24, Bethell 10) PowerPlay done. Foulkes’s fifth over is a good one, just two to Root off it. New Zealand in command so far in Hamilton.
9th over: England 47-2 (Root 22, Bethell 10) A quiet start for England as Bethell and Root rebuild.
8th over: England 45-2 (Root 21, Bethell 9) Root pulls Foulkes for four and the bowler serves up a wide ball to Bethell that is duly dispatched to the fence with a flowing blade.
7th over: England 32-2 (Root 16, Bethell 1) The frshly bleached Bethell is off the mark with a glide past point.
6th over: England 29-2 (Root 15, Bethell 0) Jacob Bethell is the new batter. Don’t go anywhere.
WICKET! Jamie Smith c Williamson b Foulkes 13 (England 29-2)
A mistimed pull from Smith and Williamson holds onto a swirling catch! England in a spot of early bother once again.
5th over: England 26-1 (Smith 13, Root 12) Tight lines from Duffy. Just a single to Root behind square off the over.
4th over: England 25-1 (Smith 13, Root 11) Jamie Smith clatters a pull shot to the midwicket fence for four and then picks up a single in the same region. Root continues his busy start with a single past point and Jamie Smith then plays a nonchalant flick for SIX onto the grass bank on the leg side.
3rd over: England 13-1 (Smith 2, Root 10) Joe Root is the new batter. He whips Duffy off his pads for two and then times the next one even better for four. Root then pings a drive through cover for four more! Ten runs and the wicket of Duckett off the over.
WICKET! Ben Duckett c †Latham b Duffy 1 (England 3-1)
Gone! Lovely ball from Duffy, Duckett doesn’t do much wrong but gets a feather through to the keeper. Here we go again?
2nd over: England 3-0 (Smith 2, Duckett 1) Zakary Foulkes and his fast arm start the next over to Duckett. Ripper! Foulkes is getting some late movement and he beats Duckett outside off stump before inducing a leading edge that luckily lands safe for the pint sized opener. Duckett used his feet and glides a single to deep point to open the scoring. Smith drives compactly for two next ball but misses out on a pull off the last.
1st over: England 0-0 (Smith 0, Duckett 0) Jamie Smith defends the first ball of the match… which is a darn sight better than how it went last time when Matt Henry splattered his stumps. He’ll be a big miss today for New Zealand. Duffy is full and there’s a hint of swing, five dots as he keeps Smith honest. Smith drives the last ball but can’t beat the ring. A maiden over to start.
The New Zealand players huddle on the boundary edge, the sun is out now in Hamilton. The forecast is actually pretty good, maybe the odd scattered shower. Duckett and Smith head out to the middle. Jacob Duffy will start with the new ball. Let’s play!
TEAMS:
England 1 Jamie Smith, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Joe Root, 4 Jacob Bethell, 5 Harry Brook (c), 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Sam Curran, 8 Jamie Overton, 9 Brydon Carse, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Jofra Archer
New Zealand 1 Will Young, 2 Rachin Ravindra, 3 Kane Williamson, 4 Daryl Mitchell, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 Michael Bracewell, 7 Mitchell Santner (c), 8 Nathan Smith, 9 Zakary Foulkes, 10 Blair Tickner, 11 Jacob Duffy
Play will start in ten minutes!
“In fact Matt Henry has a calf strain.” says Simon. “His thighs are fine.”
Which makes my mind immediately go to this. ‘The Edge is fine.’
New Zealand win the toss and choose to bowl first
No official word yet but the rain seems to have stopped and there’s plenty of blue sky about. In fact we go live to the toss right now…
Mitch Santner wins it and chooses to bowl first. He’ll be hoping for a rinse and repeat job on England’s top order.
Harry Brook confirms he would have bowled first and also that Jofra Archer is going to play!
“More than two years have passed since Blair Tickner last played for New Zealand, two years in which his life was thrown into chaos, his career into doubt, his family into crisis. “Obviously people haven’t seen me as much, but I feel like I’ve been doing all the right things for the last two years,” he said of his call-up, one game into the ODI series against England. “So nothing’s really changed. I’m still the same guy.” This is not true. So much has changed, and he is not the same guy.”
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the second ODI between New Zealand and England from Hamilton.
After defeat by four wickets in the first match England need to take this game in order to force a decider on Saturday. Captain Harry Brook showed he is in blistering form with the bat by slugging 135 off 101 balls in Mount Maunganui but the rest of England’s top order collapsed like a meringue under a Kiwi sledgehammer.
Unfortunately there’s a delay to the toss as there is some rain around in Hamilton. Fingers crossed it blows through in no time. Our man on the ground is Simon Burnton, he flings a missive and brings some team news:
“Afternoon/morning/whatever. Some team news today from the New Zealand camp: Matt Henry has been ruled out of this game with a thigh strain, which means Blair Tickner will make an emotional return to the XI in front of his family. Decent weather forecast, though it’s windy - as it has been since England arrived in the country - and Hamilton seems to have a habit of chucking some rain at you when you least expect it. It’s fair to say it hasn’t shown its best side to us: Monday was Labour Day here, a bank holiday, which meant the town centre was deserted and most things were closed, and then yesterday the weather was filthy and in the evening it was absolutely freezing. This morning I went for a pootle along the river, for some of which the sun shone and everything looked much improved. Hoping we see a bit more of it this afternoon.”
Apparently the rain is abating so hopefully we’ll get a toin coss and some action soon. Join me!
