James Vince guides England to comfortable T20 win over New Zealand
At a ground as idyllic as that found nestled among the trees of Christchurch’s Hagley Park it was fitting that one of England’s most aesthetically pleasing batsmen should come to the fore.
By finessing 59 from 38 balls against New Zealand, James Vince helped Eoin Morgan’s tourists to a seven-wicket win and a 1-0 lead in the first of this fivematch Twenty20 series. And unlike the previous time these two countries met – July’s World Cup final at Lord’s – there could be few quibbles afterwards about the result.
Morgan completed the chase of 154 by heaving Tim Southee for six over midwicket with nine balls to spare. Walking off unbeaten on 34 from 21 balls, the England captain was quick to praise his bowlers for getting Chris Silverwood’s reign as head coach off to a winning start.
Nerveless debuts from Sam Curran and Pat Brown returned identical figures of one for 33, while Chris Jordan, more seasoned in this format, picked up two for 28. Tom Curran, sharing the new ball with his younger brother, went wicketless but was the thriftiest on show. Adil Rashid, though still not 100% after a shoulder injury, claimed one for 31 from his allocation.
New Zealand’s 153 for five – set up by Ross Taylor’s 44 and Daryl Mitchell’s 30 at the back end – only occasionally made the 7,400-strong crowd coo. But this match was about more than just the action, being the first at Hagley Oval since the terrorist attacks in March at two of the city’s mosques. Funds were being raised for the foundation set up in response to the atrocity and the minute’s silence beforehand, where young relatives of the 51 victims stood with the players, was affecting.
On a surface that Morgan tipped to be a belter upon winning the toss in spring sunshine, but instead proved two-paced, Vince’s maiden T20 international half-century was the clear standout. Coming after Dawid Malan became the first of three wickets for Mitchell Santner in the run chase, the
No 3 cut his first ball for four.
Six more followed in frictionless fashion, along with a pair of mighty sixes, as Vince showed why he is such an alluring talent. It is true that, having broken the back of the task after the loss of Jonny Bairstow, who cracked 18 from a Scott Kuggeleijn over in his 35, Vince should have been there at the end. Holing out off Santner with 31 still required was more fuel for his detractors.
But this was nevertheless a strong early pitch for a place at next year’s Twenty20 World Cup. And with Joe Denly out for the remainder of the T20 series due to ankle ligament damage and now battling to get fit for the Tests, Vince could yet be an alternative option for the second half of the tour should the selectors opt against an instant return for Bairstow.
“I think Bluey might have something to say about that,” replied Vince when this prospect was put to him after the match and at a ground where, in 2018, he made 76 in his last Test innings. “Although it is a different format runs in an England shirt are always going to help you.”
The T20 series now moves to Wellington for Sunday’s second instalment but the newly formed axis of Morgan and Silverwood, who are looking to give all the newcomers a go at some stage on the trip, may hold off from making any changes just yet.
Of the three debutants in the opener, Lewis Gregory went unused. Sam Curran was the only member of the attack to suffer any significant damage when his third over was blasted for 21 by Colin Munro and Tim Seifert. But given his final figures, and having already induced Martin Guptill to chop on by this stage, the left-armer’s first outing at the format was a success.
Brown, meanwhile, performed only half of his usual role for Worcestershire, coming on in the middle overs rather than opening but still being used at the death. The 21-year-old’s array of skills were impressive and by closing out the final over for only six runs, and picking up the wicket of Taylor caught in the deep within it, the first test of his temperament at this level received a tick as well.
Rashid’s day began with his shoulder still appearing untrusted during the pre-match warm-ups and a number of drag-downs followed early in his spell. New Zealand failed to truly capitalise, however, with one such long-hop being smashed to Vince at deep midwicket by Colin de Grandhomme.
Jordan contrastingly claimed his wickets with full tosses. Munro, a centurion against England in the warmups, fell at the end of New Zealand’s powerplay by chipping to midwicket, while Seifert at No 3 was caught in the deep after a ball that was adjudged to be dipping just below waist height.
There could have been a third for Jordan had a catch not gone down off Taylor in the 19th over and ended his stand of 56 with Mitchell – the attacking son of the England rugby team’s defence coach, John Mitchell – a bit sooner. Vince, the guilty party, soon made up for it.