NZ in final despite loss
A ‘‘bittersweet’’ loss still means it’ll be a trans-Tasman tri-series Twenty20 final.
New Zealand advanced to Wednesday’s final against Australia at Eden Park despite by losing to England in Hamilton on Sunday night.
Set 195 to win - and 175 to make the final as the second-placed team on the tri-series table - New Zealand lost by two runs but qualified for the series decider with a superior net run rate than their conquerors. Both sides had a win and three losses, while Australia won all four roundrobin matches.
Any doubt over how New Zealand would handle what was effectively a dual chase was immediately eliminated when opener Colin Munro blazed his way to 57 off 21 balls.
England’s spin duo of Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson pegged the hosts back however, with Rashid removing Munro in his first over and Dawson bowling NZ skipper Kane Williamson.
But Guptill paced a useful halfcentury and accelerated in the latter overs to make 62 off 47 balls and rookie Mark Chapman (bowled off a no-ball in the penultimate over) contributed 37 not out off 30 balls as England missed a couple of incredibly tough caught and bowled chances they needed to hold to make the final.
They did enough though to triumph in the encounter and Munro described the feeling of losing and going through as bittersweet. ‘‘Obviously it’s nice to be in the final but the boys are pretty disappointed for not winning the game.
‘‘Give credit to England, they bowled really well - those last couple of overs [they] hit the yorkers really well and we weren’t quite able to get on top.’’
Munro said when he started New Zealands chase with Guptill, only winning the match was on his mind.
‘‘When I went out there, I didn’t know what the equation was.
‘‘I wanted to go out there and get whatever we needed, that 190-odd. But towards the end I think that [175] was the target that we were going to look to get.
‘‘But we wanted to win the game first and foremost, then secondily to get through to that final.’’
Returning England skipper Eoin Morgan lost the toss and his opposite Williamson chose to bowl, with that decision likely partly influenced by the equation facing both sides to make the final.
England’s tally of 194-7 came in fits and starts. It featured 14 sixes (and 12 fours) and came chiefly from Morgan and the impressive Dawid Malan.
After slower balls from New Zealand’s quicks removed England’s openers, Malan and the captain set about trying to reach an imposing total.
The left-handed Malan registered his fourth Twenty20 international half-century in just five appearances; blasting five sixes and two fours in his 36-ball 53.
Morgan emerged through a quiet patch, in T20 terms, following Malan’s departure to provide the backbone as England’s late surge - 61 off the final four overs placed pressure on NZ’s chase. Morgan ended unbeaten on 80 off 46 balls, striking six sixes and four fours.
Tim Southee was the pick of the Black Caps bowlers, taking 2-22 off his four overs as the hosts’ bowling again faltered as it did in the loss to Australia at Eden Park on Friday. Mitchell Santner’s return from injury was an unhappy one as he bled 32 runs off his two overs while Williamson, who was criticised for not bowling himself in the Eden Park massacre, disappeared after one after went for 16.
However, England’s bowling was no better as Munro raced to his half-century off 18 balls, hammering seven sixes. That was the equal-second fastest 50 of his T20 international career, and the equal-sixth fastest in all internationals.