Black Caps lose but still make triseries final

HAMILTON: England triumphed by two runs in the triseries twenty20 international against New Zealand in Hamilton last night, but the home side will play in Wednesday’s final against Australia due to net run rate.

A compelling match came down to 12 runs required off the final over, and four runs from the final ball as Tom Curran pitched up and forced Colin de Grandhomme to drive to long off for a single.

England held its nerve in the final stanzas despite a rollicking chase.

Some of the impact of the result was diluted once the Black Caps reached 175, the score required to return it to Eden Park.

New Zealand’s chase looked promising after the 14th over when leftarm orthodox spinner Liam Dawson completed his spell. He could afford some confidence, having conceded nine runs from three overs and claiming the wicket of Kane Williamson.

Instead, Martin Guptill and Mark Chapman tore 18 runs off him.

Guptill continued the form he struck with an Eden Park century last week, gathering speed on his way to 62 off 47.

The way Chapman found his arc to clear the legside demonstrated the height of professionalism as part of 37 off 30 balls.

The pair’s 64run thirdwicket partnership off 32 balls — a strike rate of 200 — matched the 78run off 39ball pace generated by Colin Munro and Guptill to open up.

Munro set the tone in a display of binary belligerence off the opening overs of David Willey and Curran. The scorebook read 6, 0, 0, 0, 6, 6, 6. It was hit or miss, but mostly hit, as he unleashed 57 off 21 including seven sixes. His halfcentury came in 18 balls.

England hope was justified as it produced the thirdhighest total in eight T20s at Seddon Park.

The visiting side batsmen struck in waves on their way to 194 for seven.

A 93run thirdwicket partnership from 54balls between Dawid Malan and captain Eoin Morgan negotiated an awkward period after the dismissal of Jason Roy and Alex Hales in the space of five balls. England was 24 for two in the fourth over before its resurgence.

When Malan exited for 53 off 36 balls, his fourth halfcentury in five T20 international innings, New Zealand pounced between from overs 13 to 16, shared by Colin de Grandhomme (two), Ish Sodhi and Tim Southee.

England produced a picket fence of 16 singles. That included a gate in the middle with the stumping of Jos Buttler as the Northern Districts’ Tim SeifertSodhi combination struck.

However, Morgan maintained momentum as part of his second highest T20 score. He finished on 80 not out from 46 balls.

Spin has succeeded in T20s at Hamilton this season, but Mitchell Santner, Sodhi and Williamson struggled to use that to their advantage against England’s juggernaut.

Santner was brought back into the New Zealand side after Ben Wheeler’s expensive outing at Eden Park against Australia.

His bandaged right knee had recovered sufficiently to play, but England offered no mercy.

Sodhi offered more control. His first and fourth overs cost three runs apiece and included Buttler’s wicket. They bookended concessions of 11 and 14 runs.

Captain Williamson brought himself on in the seventh over— after the powerplay — to take his off breaks away from lefthanders Malan and Morgan. They were on to his ruse and picked him off for 16 runs

Tim Southee was the best of the New Zealand bowlers with two for 22.