This will be remembered as the comeback of Ben Stokes. After
being charged with affray over an incident outside a Bristol bar, Stokes had to
be sidelined from playing for England. He, however, made his comeback against
New Zealand in this game and instantly showed why he is England’s most important
player.
Winning the toss and bowling first, England started well as
they picked up two Kiwi scalps within just 9 runs. Ross Taylor and Martin
Guptill steadied the ship a little bit to take the score to 48 before the
former departed.
Guptill got out next after scoring a slow-paced 50 of 87
balls. Tom Latham got a start and scored 22, but it was Mitchell Santner’s
unbeaten 63 of 52 balls that helped the team reach 223. He was well supported
by Colin De Grandomme’s 38.
Among the English bowlers, Chris Woakes, Moeen Ali and Ben
Stokes took two wickets each as the rest of the batsmen got run out.
In response, England quickly lost the wicket of Jason Roy
for 8 runs. Joe Root, too, couldn’t do too well as he got out for only 9 runs.
Jonny Bairstow made 37 before getting out. Then came the partnership between
Ben Stokes and Eoin Morgan that won the game for the Three Lions.
The England captain made 62 from 63 balls while Stokes
smashed an unbeaten 63 from 74 balls. Jos Buttler played a raging cameo of 36
in 20 balls to finish the game off for the English team with 12.1 overs and six
wickets in hand.
Trent Boult took two wickets while Lockie Ferguson and Colin
Munro picked a wicket each, but it wasn’t enough to stop the English fury.
Scores:
New Zealand – 223/10 after 49.4 overs
England – 225/4 after 37.5 overs
Picture credit: Getty Images
