Super Over nightmare returns to haunt NZ
England have won the Twenty20 series in a scarcely believable scenario that brought back oneday World Cup nightmares for Black Caps fans.
A four off the last ball of England’s chase at Eden Park yesterday from Chris Jordan off the bowling of Jimmy Neesham ensured the scores were tied at the end of the scheduled encounter; meaning a Super Over was required to find the winner.
The Black Caps had looked likely winners with England needing 16 off the last over to tie – exactly what England did in their final over at the World Cup earlier this year.
England batted first in their extra six balls and scored 17 from New Zealand skipper Tim Southee’s bowling while the Black Caps could only manage eight in reply – giving the World Cup victors the T20 series 3-2.
The same Super Over scenario occurred when England won the World Cup by virtue of most boundaries scored in the final at Lord’s in July after both teams finished with the same scores at the end of 50 overs and then again after the Super Overs.
New Zealand looked to have blasted their way to an entertaining and tense series victory over England in the cameo clash reduced to 11 overs each because of intermittent rain.
The Black Caps walloped 146-5 off their allocated 11 overs batting first in the final game of the fivematch Twenty20 series but England drew level at 146-7.
Openers Martin Guptill and Colin Munro set New Zeaaland on track after a delayed start as they blasted a first-wicket partnership of 83 from just 31 balls. Guptill made 50 from 20 deliveries with five sixes and three fours and Munro hit 46 off 21 (four sixes and two fours).
England skipper Eoin Morgan used five bowlers within the first five overs but the seamers struggled to find the right length.
New Zealand’s opening duo of Trent Boult and Southee began well but Jonny Bairstow (47 off 18 balls) and Sam Curran (24 off 11) had England in contention until they perished in consecutive
Mguptill c Banton b Rashid...................50 C Munro c Vince b S Curran................... 46 C de Grandhomme c Vince b Mahmood............................................................6 T Seifert b T Curran.................................... 39 J Neesham not out.......................................... 1 R Taylor run out............................................... 3 Extras (lb1) ........................................................... 1 Total (for 5wkts, 11 overs)...................... 146 Fall: 83 (Guptill), 93 (de Grandhomme), 120 (Munro), 143 (Seifert), 146 (Taylor). Bowling: S Curran 2 overs 0 maidens 33 runs 1 wicket, T Curran 2 0 30 1, C Jordan 2 0 28 0, A Rashid 3 0 34 1, S Mahmood 2 0 20 1.
T Banton lbw Boult......................................... 7 J Bairstow c Seifert b Neesham ........... 47 J Vince c Kuggeleijn b Southee................ 1 E Morgan c Kuggeleijn b Boult.............. 17 S Curran st Seifert b Santner ................. 24 S Billings not out............................................. 11 L Gregory c Southee b Santner...............6 T Curran c de Grandhomme b Neesham ........................................................... 12 C Jordan not out............................................ 12 Extras (lb2 w7)..................................................9 Fall: 8 (Banton), 9 (Vince), 39 (Morgan) 100 (Bairstow), 101 (S Curran), 107 (Gregory), 134 (T Curran).
Total (for 7wkts) ......................................... 146 Bowling: T Boult 3 0 35 2, T Southee 2 0 22 1, M Santner 2 0 20 2, S Kuggeleijn 1 0 20 0, I Sodhi 1 0 22 0, J Neesham 2 0 25 2.
Tie.
England 17-0 beat New Zealand 8-1 by 9 runs. England win series 3-2.
deliveries.
The two teams will begin a two-test series at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on November 21, with the second test starting at Hamilton’s Seddon Park on November 29.