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4th over: New Zealand 28-0 (Seifert 11, Allen 16) Dawson wheels away, Allen trots out of the crease and pulverises a full ball over the bowler’s head for SIX. “If it is up it is off” says Nasser Hussain on the Tv comms. Dawson recovers well though, singles the order of the rest of the over. Archer is coming back for a third on the bounce.
3rd over: New Zealand 17-0 (Seifert 8, Allen 8) Archer is up at 91 MPH and has the opening batters hopping. Seifert scampers a leg bye to get off the mark. Over to Finn Allen… GAS. Archer beats him with a rapid ball first up. He follows up with a slower ball that Allen spots, no doubt breathing a sigh of relief – and smashes over mid on for SIX! Keep the pace on I reckon Jofra.
2nd over: New Zealand 8-0 (Seifert 7, Allen 1) Liam Dawson with the second over, spin and pace from England. Seifert attempts a reverse swipe but misses completely. He then goes for a straight sweep off the next ball and connects, the ball loops behind square for the first New Zealand boundary of the match. Archer coming back for more, can Seifert lay bat on him this over?
1st over: New Zealand 0-0 (Seifert 0, Allen 0) Seifert is in all sorts of problems to Archer, the bowler cuts him in two twice in the over with balls zipping off the pitch. Seifert is then given out on the field caught behind but reviews it immediately. Sure enough it was back pad rather than bat. NOT OUT. Archer is on the money though and stitches together a maiden to begin the match.
Tim Seifert and Finn Allen open up for New Zealand. Jofra Archer has the ball in hand for England, play!
There’s a very short 60 metre boundary on one side, New Zealand utilised this well with left-right hand batting combinations against Sri Lanka, essentially someone was nearly always hitting towards the smaller side.
We’ll be underway in a couple of minutes, Simon Burnton is our man on the ground.
The teams walk out onto the field and Ian Smith’s Kiwi tones drift out of my television. The weather is set fair so no chance of the wet stuff scuppering us.
Talking of rain, I went to see “Wuthering Heights” last night. I’ll keep my powder dry on that one but it does beg the question who would be the best Heathcliff in England’s squad – it’s Jamie Overton isn’t it? Though if Harry Brook grew his hair and got a gold tooth he’s already got the accent in place, could probably teach Jacob Elordi a thing or two… I said I’d keep my powder dry, unlike Elordi’s shirt. Am tekkin mick eh Kath-eh.
Teams:
England: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Harry Brook (c), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Rehan Ahmed, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid
New Zealand: Tim Seifert (wk), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner (c), Cole McConchie, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson
England have brought in Rehan Ahmed for Jamie Overton, it’s spin to win in Colombo. New Zealand are unchanged, they need to win to get through to the semis.
New Zealand win the toss and will bat first
Mitch Santner calls the coin correctly and has no hesitation in batting first. It’s a used surface and the chat is that it will spin big so it is a case of get runs on the board and then put the pressure on with the ball. Santner himself will be a handful on this surface.
Harry Brook confirms he would have done the same, he also confirms that he will bat at number three again today. Both captain’s look extremely UP for it. Confirmed teams incoming…
Preamble
James Wallace
Stick. Move. Drop?
England have qualified for the semi-finals of the T20 world cup but there is one thing nagging away at them – the form of Jos Buttler.
After four single figure scores in the tournament so far and more widely no white ball international fifty in sixteen innings and counting, England’s greatest ever white ball batter is stuck in a rut. Think Charlie Brown in Peanuts being followed by that grey raincloud. Of late Buttler has resembled the Sad Eyed Jossy of the Low Scores from the end of his unfulfilled Test career. He’s got to come good soon, surely?
The signs are that England will stick with their man, today’s match against New Zealand gives Buttler a chance to make a score and stop the chatter before the big business begins. The result in Colombo will determine whether New Zealand also qualify and also who England will play in the final four, they’ll do well to avoid a rampant looking South Africa. There are no unimportant innings and no small matches now.
Play begins at 1.30pm GMT, the toss and the teams are imminent…
And your eyes like smoke and your prayers like rhymes
