An intriguing chase awaits New Zealand in the sole Twenty 20 international against England after the hosts opted to bat and made 191 for seven.
This pitch looks a belter on a fine Manchester evening. It's debatable whether their effort is a par score in the benign circumstances. Given the time of year, daylight should last for the majority of the visitors' innings.
England went for their shots. The amount of fuel used to light flame throwers after any of the side's six sixes reminded of Cape Canaveral on launch day.
Regular wickets stymied the run flow although England had five wickets remaining with 25 balls left.
Mitchell Santner was the pick of the bowlers with figures of two for 28, including nine dot balls. The delivery which bowled Jonny Bairstow was a candidate for pride of place on New Zealand's innings mantelpiece. The hero from the fifth ODI misjudged the line and it hit the top of middle stump.
Joe Root kept England's cadence high for the majority with 68 from 46 balls across a 14.2 over span. Mitchell McClenaghan, returning in what might well be considered his specialist form of cricket, sealed the No.3's demise with what appeared a slower ball bouncer. Root stretched for the shot and parried it to Martin Guptill at deep cover. McClenaghan finished with figures of two for 37 from four overs.
A literal highlight of England's innings was the new orange shirt of their strip. Various descriptions of the hue were suggested from US prison overall apricot to tangelo trajectory to zesty mandarin.
One pondered what WG Grace might have made of the divergence from a more traditional red?
Regardless, it was an explosive start from England's phosphorus match heads Jason Roy (23 from 13) and Alex Hales (27 from 23). Roy was run out by a Kane Williamson throw after Hales pushed a single to cover. Brendon McCullum made a running catch to extra cover look easy off Hales, giving Santner his first T20 wicket.
- by Andrew Alderson
