| 0.0 : A heartbreak for England in Nelson. Then a massive riposte in the 4th T20I. Two alarming games from their point of view - one which they should not have lost. One which they themselves might agree that they played like a team possessed. What promises us today? New Zealand have been the better team throughout the series but can they forget the drubbing of Friday? Hello and a warm welcome to the 5th and final T20I between New Zealand and England in Auckland. |
| We should have had a start by now, but owing to the wet weather around, there has been a delay. However, the conditions have improved and we are having a game beginning at 2.30 pm local (0130 GMT). |
| TOSS - Eoin Morgan has won a crucial toss and ENGLAND HAVE ELECTED TO CHASE. It is a small ground and with the forecast not being too great, this could be a shortened and interrupted game, which means chasing is the best ploy. |
| New Zealand (Playing XI) - Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Tim Seifert (WK), Colin de Grandhomme, Ross Taylor, JAMES NEESHAM (IN FOR DARYL MITCHELL), Mitchell Santner, SCOTT KUGGELEIJN (IN FOR BLAIR TICKNER), Tim Southee (C), Ish Sodhi and Trent Boult. |
| England (Playing XI) - Tom Banton, Jonny Bairstow, JAMES VINCE (IN FOR DAWID MALAN), Eoin Morgan (C), Sam Billings (WK), Sam Curran, Lewis Gregory, Tom Curran, Chris Jordan, ADIL RASHID (IN FOR PAT BROWN), and SAQIB MAHMOOD (IN FOR MATT PARKINSON). |
| 2.30 PM LOCAL (0130 GMT) - We will not have a delayed start on time. Ermmm... is it even right to say delayed start on time? Well, such is the situation. We were all set to go but light rain has begun and the clouds overhead are very dark. So the umpires have chosen to wait for a while. |
| UPDATE 3 pm local (0200 GMT) - The rain is playing a confident, vigil knock, not throwing its wicket away and holding firm. So that means, till it is dislodged, the doorway to the game cannot be found. We wait. Just a reminder - we have already started to lose out on overs. 4.47 pm local (0347 GMT) is the cutoff time for a 5-over shootout. |
| UPDATE 3.30 PM LOCAL (0230 GMT) - How many of you are aware where is TE ATATU? It is 15 minutes away from Auckland. The Te Atatu Peninsula is a waterfront suburb of Auckland City while the Te Atatu South is a residential suburb. Thank you for the geographical description. What about it though, you ask? Well, it has stopped raining there and we are hoping that it stops at Eden Park as well... |
| UPDATE 3.40 PM LOCAL (0240 GMT) - Aha! That was quick, wasn't it? The skies have cleared at Eden Park and we might have a game! Could be a 10-over shootout or more, just awaiting confirmation. But at least, we are in good shape to get the match started! |
| Did not have to wait long for the official confirmation, aye. A 11-over-a-side contest is promised, sorry, HOPED FOR, if the rain stays away. Looking at a 4 pm local start (0300 GMT). |
| Hurray! We are all set to get underway! The players and umpires observe a minute's silence for Remembrance Sunday. Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth member states since the end of the First World War to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. |
| Alright. We are ready. Colin Munro and Martin Guptill stride out to bat finally after 2 hours. Sam Curran to start off proceedings to Guppy. Here we go... |
| 0.1 : Sam Curran to M Guptill, Full and outside off, swinging away, a swing and a miss from Guptill. |
| 0.2 : Sam Curran to M Guptill, FOUR! PLUNDERED! That previous ball was a sighter and forgotten. Curran has landed this in not too different an area to the previous one and this time Guptill has connected. Swung over mid-wicket. |
| 0.3 : Sam Curran to M Guptill, A length ball outside off, Guppy swings hard again and the ball goes off the inner half of the bat, through square leg. A single taken. |
| 0.4 : Sam Curran to C Munro, A length ball outside off, Munro comes down the track and drags it wide of mid on for a couple. |
| 0.5 : Sam Curran to C Munro, FOUR! Bad bowling. Morgan just strengthened the leg-side field for Munro but what does Curran do? Bowl it short and wide outside off. Munro just slaps it over cover. One bounce and four. |
| 0.6 : Sam Curran to C Munro, SIX! 17 from the opening over! A length ball, around off, Munro walks down the track and just hits it through the line, clearing mid on and the boundary at long on! |
| The elder Curran Tom, to share the new ball with his sibling. |
| 1.1 : Tom Curran to M Guptill, FOUR! Slower ball but dispatched. Length ball, outside off, Guptill waits and waits and waits before pulling it wide of mid-wicket. |
| 1.2 : Tom Curran to M Guptill, SIX! POUNDED! Full and outside off, Guptill gets down a touch and swings it into orbit at deep mid-wicket! New Zealand are on the charge here. |
| 1.3 : Tom Curran to M Guptill, Swings this through mid-wicket and gets a couple. |
| 1.4 : Tom Curran to M Guptill, SIX! This is colossal. Length from Tom again, Guptill waits for it and smokes it over long on! |
| Mini-conference. Morgan, Curran and Jordan. |
| 1.5 : Tom Curran to M Guptill, Short and outside off, carved over cover. Not cleanly hit, hence a couple is achieved. |
| 1.6 : Tom Curran to M Guptill, A short ball, outside off, dragged straight to mid on via a pull. 20 from the second over! |
| Chris Jordan to bowl the final over of the Powerplay. |
| 2.1 : C Jordan to C Munro, SIX! PUMMELED! This is poor bowling. Every bowler has just come in and bowled length. Jordan does that and Munro hammers it over long off. |
| 0.0 : Morgan and Jordan have a chat. |
| 2.2 : C Jordan to C Munro, A short ball, dragged through square leg for a single. |
| 2.3 : C Jordan to M Guptill, FOUR! Yorker is searched, but full toss is found. And it is gone. Outside off, dipping one, Guptill just places it between cover and point! |
| 2.4 : C Jordan to M Guptill, SIX! Where is this one? Where is this one? Forget it, get another one! A short ball now, outside off, it just sits up and asks to be hit. And Guppy hits. Pulls it powerfully over mid-wicket for half a dozen. 50 UP FOR NEW ZEALAND IN 16 BALLS! |
| 2.5 : C Jordan to M Guptill, A yorker outside off (FINALLY, FINALLY, FINALLY), Martin looks to push it through the off side on the walk but misses. |
| 2.6 : C Jordan to M Guptill, On middle, pushed through mid on for a single. 18 from the over to make it 55/0 IN THE POWERPLAY! |
| Adil Rashid to bowl the 4th over. |
| And we have a stumping appeal first up. Did Guptill drag his foot out of the crease? Doesn't seem so from the replays. NOT OUT. |
| 3.1 : A Rashid to M Guptill, NOT OUT. Floated outside off, brave ball, Guptill looks to swing hard but misses. Billings behind collects and whips the bails off, appealing for a stumping. It is referred upstairs but replays show that Guppy's back foot never left his crease. |
| 3.2 : A Rashid to M Guptill, SIX! Magnificent batting. Not a bad ball at all. Tossed up, outside off and asking the batsman to drive with the turn on the longer side of the boundary. And the batsman does. But the problem is, the timing and connection is exquisite. Guptill backs away and carves it over extra cover which goes all the way! |
| 3.3 : A Rashid to M Guptill, SIX! Bad ball this time. Does not land at all as Guptill comes down the track to convert it into a full toss and smacks it straight back over the sightscreen. |
| 3.4 : A Rashid to M Guptill, Shorter ball, outside leg, Martin looks to pull but misses and is hit on the chest. The ball goes to short fine leg and a leg bye is taken. |
| 3.5 : A Rashid to C Munro, Outside off, Munro looks to defend but ends up playing well inside the line. Did not pick the googly at all. |
| 3.6 : A Rashid to C Munro, Full toss, down the leg side, swept towards short fine leg where Jordan dives to his right, but parries it behind. That punishment is worth an extra run. Two overall. |
| Saqib Mahmood into the attack now. |
| 4.1 : S Mahmood to M Guptill, A short ball, pulled to deep mid-wicket for a single. |
| 4.2 : S Mahmood to C Munro, EDGED, FOUR! A short ball, around middle, Munro looks to pull but the pace does him in. The ball shoots through, takes the top edge and flies over the keeper to the fence behind! |
| 4.3 : S Mahmood to C Munro, Full and around off, Munro looks to swing but gets an inside edge which just misses the stumps. This time, Sam Billings is able to stop it as he dives to his right. A single taken. |
| 4.4 : S Mahmood to M Guptill, HALF CENTURY FOR GUPTILL! In just 19 balls. What a carnage. Saved his best for the last. 3 fours, 5 sixes. And counting. A short ball, outside off, Guptill pulls it to wide long on for a single to get to the milestone. |
| 4.5 : S Mahmood to C Munro, Outside off, Munro looks to slash hard but misses. An outstanding over so far, considering how the previous ones have gone by. |
| 4.6 : S Mahmood to C Munro, SIX! Short boundary and that has gone all the way. A length ball, around middle and leg, Munro looks to pull but he has not timed it that well. The shot has more height than distance and the fielder at backward square leg in the deep thinks he is in with a catching opportunity - till he sees the ball sail over. |
| 5.1 : A Rashid to M Guptill, OUT! Caught! England get their first breakthrough at last. Credit to Morgan for keeping Rashid on in spite of that expensive first over. He has delivered. Full and on middle, Guptill comes down the track and looks to go big but this is the longer part of the ground. Does not have enough power and Tom Banton at deep mid-wicket pouches the chance. End of a scintillating knock. |
| 0.0 : Colin de Grandhomme walks in at number 3, replacing Guptill. |
| 5.2 : A Rashid to C Munro, Full and around middle, swept through square leg for a single. |
| 5.3 : A Rashid to de Grandhomme, Down the leg side, heaved through mid-wicket for a run. |
| 5.4 : A Rashid to C Munro, Full and outside off, driven towards long off for one. |
| 5.5 : A Rashid to de Grandhomme, Goes for the slog, does de Grandhomme but can only get it behind square leg. Only a single. |
| 5.6 : A Rashid to C Munro, Almost a yorker outside off, pushed down to long off for a run. Superb second over from Rashid - A wicket and 5 singles. |
| 6.1 : S Mahmood to C Munro, A short ball, pulled to deep mid-wicket for a single. |
| 6.2 : S Mahmood to de Grandhomme, FOUR! 'That is a drop-kick shot', says Ian Smith on air. What is it? Let us try and explain. It is somewhere between a flamingo shot and the Nataraja shot. De Grandhomme swivels, takes his left leg in the air and whips it over short fine leg. |
| 6.3 : S Mahmood to de Grandhomme, Outside off, a swing and a miss. |
| 6.4 : S Mahmood to de Grandhomme, OUT! Caught! Another one falls. A short ball, outside off, de Grandhomme looks to pull but the pace of Mahmood makes the ball skid off the deck. Colin is cramped for room and he plays the shot without any timing. James Vince comes running in from deep mid-wicket, dives forward and takes a lovely catch. |
| Tim Seifert has been sent in at number 4. |
| 6.5 : S Mahmood to C Munro, Around middle, tucked through mid-wicket for a single. |
| 6.6 : S Mahmood to Tim Seifert, Two good overs in a row for England. 5 from the last, 7 from this one. A length ball outside off, Seifert looks to pull but the ball takes the toe end of the bat and goes past Mahmood towards long off. Only a run taken. |
| 7.1 : A Rashid to Tim Seifert, A short ball, pulled through mid-wicket for a single. |
| 7.2 : A Rashid to C Munro, Comes down the track and works it through mid-wicket for a run. |
| 7.3 : A Rashid to Tim Seifert, SIX! Good bowling, excellent adjustment. Seifert charges down the track and seeing that, Rashid drags it down. Tim is done by the length and pace but he adjusts well, pulling it over mid-wicket! |
| 7.4 : A Rashid to Tim Seifert, Full and outside off, driven straight to cover. |
| 7.5 : A Rashid to Tim Seifert, SIX! SLAM! Full and outside off, Seifert gets under this one and slogs it massively over mid-wicket! |
| 7.6 : A Rashid to Tim Seifert, Short and outside off, cut wide of short third man, to his right, for a run. 15 from the over and Rashid finishes with figures of 3-0-34-1. Trust me, those are really good, if you followed the Powerplay. |
| Chris Jordan returns to bowl his final over. 18 in his first. |
| 8.1 : C Jordan to Tim Seifert, That is his skill. The yorker. Outside off, dug out behind point for a single. |
| 8.2 : C Jordan to C Munro, SIX! Munro moves into the 40s as Jordan moves away from his skill. He bowls a length ball, aiming for the cutter but Colin skips down the track and swings it miles over the sightscreen! |
| 8.3 : C Jordan to C Munro, There you are. Y. O. R. K. E. R. CM can only get it towards mid-wicket for a run. |
| 8.4 : C Jordan to Tim Seifert, Full and outside off, Seifert swings hard and misses. Lost his shape there. |
| 8.5 : C Jordan to Tim Seifert, Played through mid-wicket by the batsman. They pick up a single. |
| 8.6 : C Jordan to C Munro, A yorker to finish. On off, dug out towards cover for a run. Jordan walks off shaking his head. He will know that he has gone for runs because he did not stick to his basic skill set. |
| Change of ends for Sam Curran as he prepares for his last over. 17 in his opener. |
| 9.1 : Sam Curran to C Munro, OUT! Caught! Fodder is thrown and cow corner gobbles it up. Another man gets caught at the longer side of the boundary. A length ball, outside off, Munro looks to swing but gets it on the higher part of the bat. There is not much distance and James Vince at deep mid-wicket pouches it with ease. |
| 0.0 : James Neesham walks in at number 5, replacing Munro. |
| 9.2 : Sam Curran to Tim Seifert, Full and around middle, Seifert drills it back but Sam leaps to his left, sticks out his hand and makes a half stop. |
| 9.3 : Sam Curran to Tim Seifert, Full and down the leg side, Tim gets across to flick but misses and wears it on the pads. He looks for the single, not knowing where the ball is, which is rolling back towards the bowler. Now, he sees Curran running in towards him and Seifert tries to get back. Sam misses his under-arm flick and I doubt Tim would have got in even with a dive. |
| 9.4 : Sam Curran to Tim Seifert, SIX! Nicely played. Full and outside off, Seifert gets down and across and scoops it over fine leg! |
| 9.5 : Sam Curran to Tim Seifert, SIX! Swatted! Brendon McCullum would have been proud of that shot. A short ball, around off, angling away, Seifert moves leg side and swats it over mid-wicket for a flat hit! |
| 9.6 : Sam Curran to Tim Seifert, FOUR! Drilled! Three dots to start, three boundaries to finish. What a mixed over for Sam Curran. Full and outside off, Seifert backs away again and hammers it between extra cover and mid off! |
| Tom Curran to bowl the final over. Went for 20 in his first. |
| 10.1 : Tom Curran to J Neesham, Down the leg side, flicked through square leg for a single. |
| 10.2 : Tom Curran to Tim Seifert, SIX! This one disappears too. A high full toss, around off, Seifert backs away and slams it over long off. He looks at the umpires for a possible no ball check but they are fine with it. |
| 10.3 : Tom Curran to Tim Seifert, OUT! BOWLED! Perfect yorker. Spot on, right at the base of middle stump, Seifert is late in picking it and hence, is late in bringing his bat down. Boom. Gozunder. Nice cameo - 39 from 16. |
| Ross Taylor walks in with 3 deliveries to go. What can he do? |
| 10.4 : Tom Curran to R Taylor, Full on middle, whipped through mid-wicket for a couple. |
| 10.5 : Tom Curran to R Taylor, Oops... full and outside off, Rosco looks to play a reverse scoop but misses. Neesham is halfway down the track for the bye but Taylor does not know where the ball is. Jimmy is sent back. |
| 10.6 : Tom Curran to R Taylor, OUT! A run out to end the innings. Full on middle, Taylor works this through square leg and calls for two. Sam Curran gives it a good chase from deep fine leg to his left, picks the ball up and returns a semi-decent throw. But that is good enough as Billings, in spite of having to run ahead from the stumps to fetch the throw, does so and then back-flicks it onto the stumps. Rosco is nowhere in the picture. NZ FINISH ON 146/5! |
| 'When is the T10 League starting?' one of my colleagues had asked me a few days back. Looking at the schedule, we thought that it was November 15. I think it has been pushed ahead to November 10. What. A. Carnage. |
| With the game beginning 2 hours post the scheduled start, Guptill and Munro wasted no time in going bonkers. Their 83-run opening stand set the platform for a huge total as 55 came in the 3-over Powerplay. It was Guptill to attack, followed by Munro. Towards the end, Seifert played a decent cameo as New Zealand almost got to 150. |
| England cannot blame the short boundaries for this carnage. It took them 3 overs to decide what lengths to bowl but when they learnt, they applied themselves well. Adil Rashid was the best of the bowlers, with 1/34 in his 3 overs. This was after he went for 15 in his first. |
| Martin Guptill is down for a chat. Guppy says that he is pleased with the total, although he adds that they would have liked a few more runs. Admits that the boundaries are small but they cherished those. Is happy with his opening partnership with Munro. Believes that if New Zealand hit the right lengths, they can defend this target. |
| 147 to chase. Enough? Not enough? Don't know! This is the same ground where Australia gunned down 244 in a T20I against New Zealand. So... brace yourselves for more carnage. Stay tuned. |
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