Batting first, England finished with 305/8 in 50 overs.
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11:05 pm: England captain Eoin Morgan – “We were outstanding today, started with the two boys at the top laying a solid platform. Jonny’s hundred was match-winning. The wicket changed after the 25th over, but runs on the board at that stage was encouraging. We can do both (bat first or second). If the wicket dictates that 280-300 is par, we can do that. All the wickets have got slower and lower throughout, it has been a theme, and if it continues, we will continue to bat first. I think the manner we’ve displayed in the last two games has been the identity we’ve been working to for the last four years. Hope to produce that aggressive positive energy in the semis.”
11:02 pm: New Zealand captain Kane Williamson – “Not ideal to have three defeats. We need to play a better brand of cricket. The margins have looked big, but there have been a lot of variables. We have to learn from it and move forward. They outplayed us in all facets and deserved the win, but it slowed down a lot after the first 20 overs, the cutters into the pitch started to stick.”
10:56 pm: Player of the match Jonny Bairstow (106 off 99) – “Really pleased, we knew these were must-win games. The performances in a couple of games hadn’t been quite up to scratch. On a different day we could have been bowling first, but the guys applied themselves pretty well. I think batting with Jason for a period of time helps. You understand each other’s game and moods. New Zealand are a class side, so we needed to put in a performance today, and we’re pleased to do that after a tough few weeks.”
ENGLAND WIN BY 119 RUNS!
New Zealand are bowled out for 186 in 45 overs. Trent Boult is the last man to perish as he’s stumped by an Adil Rashid delivery.
After 43.4 overs, New Zealand are 181/9 – Southee 6
WICKET! Mark gets his third! The right-arm pacer bowls it fast and straight, Matt Henry makes room and tries to hit it straight but he’s too late and the stumps are rattled.
Henry b Wood 7 (13)
After 42 overs, New Zealand are 176/8 – Southee 4, Henry 6
Just a single from Mark Wood’s eighth over. Not a lot more to report at this point. The players are going through the motions.
After 39.2 overs, New Zealand are 166/8 – Southee 1
WICKET! Another one bites the dust for New Zealand as Wood traps Santner in front. The Kiwis take DRS and the umpire’s decision stands. The right-arm pacer gets his second wicket. Tim Southee and Matt Henry are at the crease now.
Santner lbw Wood 12 (30)
After 38.3 overs, New Zealand are 164/7 – Santner 11
WICKET! Aaand the partnership is broken. Plunkett bowls a slower bouncer and Latham goes for a pull but gloves it to Buttler. Soft dismissal. Muted celebration from England. The end is near for the Kiwis.
Latham c Buttler b Plunkett 57 (65)
After 37 overs, New Zealand are 153/6 – Latham 50, Santner 7
FIFTY for Tom Latham! He gets there in 57 balls. This is the left-hander’s 15th ODI half-century. Valiant effort from him as the wickets kept falling from the other end.
After 34 overs, New Zealand are 146/6 – Latham 47, Santner 3
A slight delay in proceedings because of a streaker. Anyway, Tom Latham gets another boundary with a classy straight-drive off Chris Woakes. Seven runs come from the over.
After 32 overs, New Zealand are 136/6 – Latham 40, Santner 1
Players from both teams are just going through the motions at the moment. The result of this match is done and dusted. New Zealand have Tom Latham and Mitchell Santner at the crease. Jofra Archer concedes just a single in his 7th over. Time for a drinks break.
After 28.1 overs, New Zealand are 128/6 – Latham 36
WICKET! Ben Stokes joins the attack and strikes with his first ball! Colin de Grandhomme connects well but the ball goes straight to Joe Root in the deep. It’s coming down in a hurry for New Zealand.
De Grandhomme c Root b Stokes 3 (13)
After 27 overs, New Zealand are 126/5 – Latham 35, De Grandhomme 2
The pace is being taken off the ball, a tactic they used well against India. Just two runs from the Plunkett and the required rate is creeping up.
After 25.1 overs, New Zealand are 123/5 – Latham 35
WICKET! The partnership is broken! Mark Wood comes from around the wicket and James Neesham ends up chopping it on to the stumps. The left-hander tried to play it to third-man but the ball was too close to him. England are cruising now as New Zealand have lost half their side.
Neesham b Wood 19 (27)
After 25 overs, New Zealand are 123/4 – Latham 35, Neesham 19
Another good over for New Zealand eight runs come from that Liam Plunkett over. Tom Latham with a classy drive past extra-cover for four.
After 24 overs, New Zealand are 115/4 – Latham 30, Neesham 17
Tom Latham clips it stylishly but Joe Root does brilliantly at the mid-wicket fence to stop the boundary. Seven runs come from that over as Mark Wood returns to the attack.
After 23 overs, New Zealand are 108/4 – Latham 25, Neesham 16
Liam Plunkett comes back into the attack and concedes four runs in his fifth over. Tom Latham and Jimmy Neesham are moving at a brisk pace and are keeping the scoreboard ticking. The Black Caps need this partnership to keep growing.
After 22 overs, New Zealand are 104/4 – Latham 22, Neesham 15
This time Joe Root drops it short and James Neesham cuts it past point for four. New Zealand pick up seven runs from that over. The Kiwis batsmen will be happy to face Root’s gentle off-spin at the moment. Strange tactic from England captain Eoin Morgan.
After 21 overs, New Zealand are 97/4 – Latham 20, Neesham 10
Another short ball from Rashid, another easy four for Latham. This time the left-hander drives it straight past mid-off. The leg-spinner concedes 10 runs in his second over.
After 19 overs, New Zealand are 84/4 – Latham 10, Neesham 7
Four! Leg-spinner Adil Rashid joins the attack and bowls a rank half-tracker, Tom Latham accepts the gift and cuts it away for four. Good over for New Zealand, nine runs come from it.
After 18 overs, New Zealand are 75/4 – Latham 5, Neesham 3
Joe Root joins the attack and concedes five runs in his first over. Tom Latham and James Neesham are at the crease for New Zealand now, The Kiwis need a big, big partnership.
After 16.4 overs, New Zealand are 69/4 – Latham 2
WICKET! Oh dear, oh dear, Ross Taylor is run-out as well! The veteran goes for a second run which was never on and fails to make it in despite a dive. Poor cricket from Taylor. Kane Williamson had just perished and there was no need to go for such a risky second run. England are well on top!
Taylor run-out Rashid 28 (42)
After 16 overs, New Zealand are 68/3 – Taylor 27, Latham 2
Mark Wood pitches it short and Ross Taylor pulls it past mid-wicket for four. But a successful over for England, seven runs and the big wicket of Kane Williamson from it. Tom Latham is the new man at the crease for New Zealand.
After 15.1 overs, New Zealand are 61/3 – Taylor 22
WICKET! Disaster for New Zealand as Kane Williamson is gone! And the skipper has to walk back after getting dismissed in the worst possible way. Ross Taylor drives one back, Mark Wood stretches and gets the slightest of touches on the ball, and Williamson is stranded outside the crease. That is so, so unfortunate.
Williamson run-out Wood 27 (40)
After 15 overs, New Zealand are 61/2 – Williamson 27, Taylor 22
Another over where both the Kiwi batsmen knock the ball around and pick up five runs comfortably. Liam Plunkett has figures of 0/11 from 3 overs.
After 14 overs, New Zealand are 56/2 – Williamson 26, Taylor 19
Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor are comfortable dealing in singles and waiting for the odd boundary. New Zealand’s two best batsmen need to be patient and build a big partnership. Five runs come from that Mark Wood over.
After 13 overs, New Zealand are 51/2 – Williamson 25, Taylor 15
Good over from Liam Plunkett, just four singles come from it. The right-arm pacer has been superb for England in the middle overs since the last World Cup.
After 12 overs, New Zealand are 47/2 – Williamson 23, Taylor 13
Shot! Mark Wood comes on to have a bowl and pitches one short, Kane Williamson gets on his toes and punches it past covers for four. Sheer class from the right-hander. Good over for New Zealand, seven runs from it.
After 11 overs, New Zealand are 40/2 – Williamson 18, Taylor 13
Right-arm pacer Liam Plunkett joins the attack. The two Kiwi batsmen pick up three singles in the over by tapping the ball to third man. England might want to block that gap.
After 10 overs, New Zealand are 37/2 – Williamson 17, Taylor 11
Archer bowls it full and wide, Taylor frees his arms and drives it past covers to pick up his first boundary. Another good over for New Zealand, nine runs come from it. That’s the end of the first powerplay. It definitely went England’s way.
After 9 overs, New Zealand are 28/2 – Williamson 16, Taylor 3
Shot! Woakes pitches it full and Williamson plays a gorgeous straight-drive for four. England would want to dismiss the New Zealand skipper before he settles in. Good over for the Kiwis, seven runs come from it.
After 8 overs, New Zealand are 21/2 – Williamson 10, Taylor 2
A struggle for the New Zealand batsmen in the middle. The England bowlers are giving nothing away. Just one run off the Archer over, who has conceded just 6 runs in his 4 overs.
After 5.2 overs, New Zealand are 14/2 – Williamson 5
WICKET! Oh dear, Martin Guptill is gone! Jofra Archer bowls one down the leg and the right-hander gets a faint edge as he tries to clip it to fine-leg. ‘Keeper Jos Buttler dives full length and takes a brilliant catch. England are off to a roaring start.
Guptill c Buttler b Archer 8 (16)
After 5 overs, New Zealand are 13/1 – Guptill 8, Williamson 4
Shot! Chris Woakes pitches it right up and Martin Guptill plays a wonderful straight-drive for four. The right-hander is crucial for his team. The Kiwis will be confident of their chances if the hard-hitting batsman gets some runs today.
After 4 overs, New Zealand are 7/1 – Guptill 3, Williamson 3
Maiden over! Jofra Archer bowls with good pace and a tight line to get six dot balls against Kane Williamson. New Zealand wouldn’t mind taking some time since they’ve lost an early wicket.
After 3 overs, New Zealand are 7/1 – Guptill 3, Williamson 3
Another good over from Chris Woakes. He bowls five dot balls to Kane Williamson and concedes just three runs. The New Zealand skipper is massive for his team. He has scored the bulk of the runs for them in this World Cup and needs to dig in again.
After 2 overs, New Zealand are 4/1 – Guptill 3, Williamson 0
Henry Nicholls was NOT OUT! Would you believe it?! Umpire Sundaram Ravi from India gets that horribly wrong. But a bigger lapse in judgement from Nicholls and Martin Guptill. The left-hander was on his toes at the point of impact and it always looked like the ball was going over. Big mistake by the Kiwis. They’ve lost the momentum they had gathered. Meanwhile, Jofra Archer joins the attack and bowls five dot balls to Guptill before conceding a double off the last.
After 0.5 over, New Zealand are 2/1 – Guptill 1, Nicholls 0
WICKET! England are off to a dream start! Henry Nicholls gets trapped by Chris Woakes off his first ball. The ball hit him quite high but after a long chat with his partner Martin Guptill, the left-hander decided not to review it.
Nicholls lbw Woakes 0 (1)
7:21 pm: We’re ready for the chase in Durham. Whichever team wins will be through to the semi-finals. If England win, Pakistan’s campaign will be all but over. We have a crucial 50 overs of this World Cup ahead of us. Here we go!
6:58 pm: Jonny Bairstow (106 off 99) – “Really pleased with my performance. I got a couple of low scores earlier in the competition. I felt the need to contribute with some runs, but I’m disappointed that I didn’t get a big one after getting to my hundred. You want to fire against the best teams in the world and do it consistently. New Zealand have got quality bowlers. We have to adjust a little bit in the second innings and hopefully we can execute our skills well. The pitch was a little slow, and they were bowling a lot of cutters and cross-seamers, so we need to apply that in our bowling as well.”
ENGLAND FINISH WITH 305/8 IN 50 OVERS!
They were 194/1 after 30 overs. New Zealand have made a brilliant comeback. Game on in Durham!
After 49.3 overs, England are 301/8 – Plunkett 12
WICKET! Adil Rashid’s cameo is brought to an by a sizzling yorker from Tim Southee. The right-hander tried to bring his bat down but was too late as the ball crashed into the stumps.
Rashid b Southee 16 (12)
After 49 overs, England are 299/7 – Plunkett 11, Rashid 15
Another good over for England, 13 runs from it. Liam Plunkett and Adil Rashid do well to get a boundary each. This has been a good little partnership for the hosts. Matt Henry finishes his spell with figures of 2/54 from his 10 overs.
After 48 overs, England are 286/7 – Plunkett 4, Rashid 9
Rashid survives! The right-hander slogs one from Boult and Southee attempts the catch with one hand diving forward at long-on. He was never going to get it. Good over for England, they get nine runs without hitting a boundary.
After 47 overs, England are 277/7 – Plunkett 2, Rashid 3
Superb over from Matt Henry! Just the five runs and the big wicket of Eoin Morgan from it. New Zealand are on top here. England need their tail to find the fence in the last three overs. They have to get as close to 300 as possible.
After 46.1 overs, England are 272/7 – Plunkett 1
WICKET! Oh dear, Morgan is gone! The Kiwis have the big wicket! This is going from bad to worse for the hosts. The left-hander hits it straight to covers. Adil Rashid is the new man at the crease.
Morgan c Santner b Henry 42 (40)
After 46 overs, England are 272/6 – Morgan 42, Plunkett 1
Big over for the hosts as Trent Boult concedes 13 runs in his 9th over. Eoin Morgan gets a boundary over mid-off and finally finds the middle of his bat in that over.
After 45 overs, England are 259/6 – Morgan 30, Plunkett 0
That’s the end of James Neesham’s spell. The right-arm medium-pacer finishes with brilliant figures of 2/41 from his 10 overs. He’s turned this game around for his team.
Last five overs:
41st over – 0 1 1 0 2 1
42nd over – 0 0 1 0 1 W
43rd over – 1 0 0 0 0 0
44th over – 0 1 1 Wd 1 0 1
45th over – Wd 1 1 1 1 W 0
After 44.5 overs, England are 259/6 – Morgan 30
WICKET! James Neesham gets his second as Chris Woakes hits it straight to mid-off. England are in big, big trouble.
Woakes c Williamson b Neesham 1 (11)
After 44 overs, England are 254/5 – Morgan 28, Woakes 2
That’s the end of Mitchell Santner’s spell. The left-arm spinner finishes with figures of 1/65 from his 10 overs. England are struggling to find the boundaries at the moment. New Zealand will be in with a big chance if they can restrict the hosts to around 300.
After 43 overs, England are 249/5 – Morgan 26, Woakes 0
Brilliant once again from James Neesham. The right-arm medium-pacer has played a big role in his team getting back into the game. He concedes just a single in his ninth over and has figures of 1/36 at the moment. Chris Woakes is the new man at the crease for England. It’s all on skipper Eoin Morgan now.
After 42 overs, England are 248/5 – Morgan 25
WICKET! England continue to lose their way as Mitchell Santner removes Ben Stokes! An absolutely brilliant over from the left-arm spinner, just the two runs and a wicket from it. Stokes never really looked comfortable at the crease today. He tried to break the shackles and stepped down the crease but hit it straight to long-on.
Stokes c Henry b Santner 11 (27)
After 41 overs, England are 246/4 – Morgan 24, Stokes 10
Another good over from James Neesham. The right-arm medium-pacer gives away just five runs in his eighth over. England are struggling to get any moment. We’re in the final powerplay. New Zealand have done well to get back into the game.
Jofra Archer really does have a tweet for everything...
After 40 overs, England are 241/4 – Morgan 23, Stokes 6
Mitchell Santner returns to the attack and struggles to find the right line against the left-handed Eoin Morgan. The England captain sweeps the last ball past short-fine for four. New Zealand have given away 41 runs for two wickets in the last nine overs.
After 39 overs, England are 232/4 – Morgan 16, Stokes 5
England are not able to pierce the gaps in the field and the furstration is writ large on Stokes’ face. The England all-rounder is on a 17-ball five. The going rate has now slipped below six. Fine over from Neesham, who is having another good day with the ball.
After 38 overs, England are 229/4 – Morgan 14, Stokes 4
Much better comeback over from Southee. Just three singles from it and Stokes was twice beaten outside off-stump while trying to cut it behind point. The momentum has certainly swung New Zealand’s way.
After 37 overs, England are 226/4 – Morgan 12, Stokes 3
Maiden over by James Neesham! And Eoin Morgan survives! Ben Stokes plays the last ball towards covers and sets off for a single before deciding to stop, Morgan has to scamper back and would’ve been gone had Mitchell Santner got the direct hit. Big miss for the Kiwis.
After 36 overs, England are 226/4 – Morgan 12, Stokes 3
Back-to-back boundaries for Eoin Morgan! The left-hander pulls one fine and then cuts the next one powerfully past point to pick up his first two fours. Tim Southee is having a shocker today. The semior right-arm pacer has figures of 0/61 from 7 overs at the moment.
After 34.2 overs, England are 214/4 – Morgan 3
WICKET! New Zealand have the big wicket of Jos Buttler! England are stalling here. The right-hander hits it straight to mid-off and is gutted. The hosts can’t afford to lose another wicket here. Ben Stokes is the new man at the crease.
Buttler c Williamson b Boult 11 (12)
After 34 overs, England are 214/3 – Buttler 11, Morgan 3
Another quiet over for New Zealand as Matt Henry gives away just three runs in his eighth over. The right-arm fast-bowler is bowling with decent pace.
After 33 overs, England are 211/3 – Buttler 9, Morgan 2
Five singles from Trent Boult’s seventh over. The left-arm pacer has figures of 1/30 at the moment. New Zealand would want to break this partnership soon. Both Jos Buttler and Eoin Morgan can be devastating if they get set.
After 31.4 overs, England are 206/3 – Buttler 6
WICKET! Jonny Bairstow is gone! Matt Henry bowls it slightly wide and the right-hander chops it on. The end of a fantastic innings. The 29-year-old has laid the platform for a massive total. Skipper Eoin Morgan is the new man at the crease for England.
Bairstow b Henry 106 (99)
After 31 overs, England are 200/2 – Bairstow 100, Buttler 6
Jos Buttler is promoted up the order and the right-hander gets his first boundary with a glorious cover-drive. England get to 200 at the end of the 31st over. The hosts are looking good for yet another massive total. Only regular wickets can save New Zealand. Time for a drinks break.
After 30.1 overs, England are 194/2 – Bairstow 100
WICKET! Joe Root is gone! Trent Boult returns to the attack and strikes immediately. The left-arm pacer bowls a bouncer and the right-hander goes for a pull. The ball takes a faint edge and ‘keeper Tom Latham gets a simple catch. England take the review but it is wasted.
Root c Latham b Boult 24 (25)
After 30 overs, England are 194/1 – Bairstow 100, Root 24
CENTURY for Jonny Bairstow! Back-to-back tons for the right-hander. He gets there in 95 balls. Ninth ODI hundred for him. The 29-year-old has been in complete control throughout today. Super knock. Tim Southee strays in line and gets hit for two boundaries in that over.
After 28 overs, England are 186/1 – Bairstow 92, Root 24
500 runs for Joe Root in this World Cup! The right-hander has shown why he’s rated as one of the very best in the game. Four runs come from James Neesham’s fifth over.
After 27 overs, England are 182/1 – Bairstow 90, Root 22
SIX! First maximum of the day and it comes from Jonny Bairstow’s bat. Tim Southee pitches it on a length and the right-hander drives it straight over for a six. T20 shot that. Bairstow is into the 90s. He’s been quite brilliant today. Nine runs come from that over.
After 27 overs, England are 173/1 – Bairstow 83, Root 20
Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root bring up their 50-run partnership in 49 balls. This English batting line-up really is relentless. Five runs come from James Neesham’s fourth over.
After 26 overs, England are 168/1 – Bairstow 80, Root 19
England pick up seven runs from Santner’s seventh over without hitting a boundary. Root and Bairstow are picking the gaps wonderfully and running hard between the wickets. The Kiwis are looking flat at the moment.
After 25 overs, England are 161/1 – Bairstow 76, Root 16
James Neesham returns to the attack and gives away five runs in his third over. There was a close call for Jonny Bairstow in that over. The right-hander went for an aerial on-drive on-the-rise and luckily for him the ball fell short of mid-on.
After 24 overs, England are 156/1 – Bairstow 74, Root 13
Another short ball by Santner, another pull by Bairstow for four. Joe Root then plays an audacious reverse-scoop for four. Highly skillful batting from the right-hander. The left-arm spinner has been expensive today. He has figures of 0/42 from 6 overs at the moment.
After 23 overs, England are 145/1 – Bairstow 69, Root 7
Wonderful back foot punch by Joe Root. The ball pierces the small gap between the two cover fielders and England add three runs to their tally. Four runs come from Matt Henry’s sixth over.
After 22 overs, England are 141/1 – Bairstow 68, Root 4
Four! Santner bowls a slider but it’s too short, Bairstow rocks back and pulls it past square-leg for another boundary. Six runs come from that over.
After 21 overs, England are 135/1 – Bairstow 63, Root 3
Good over by Matt Henry, just the two singles come from it. England can afford to take their time and build another partnership. Great conditions to bat at the moment.
After 20 overs, England are 133/1 – Bairstow 62, Root 2
Jonny Bairstow goes about business with a flick past mid-wicket for four. Tim Southee has been poor in his comeback game. The senior right-arm pacer has figures of 0/36 from 4 overs at the moment. Joe Root is the new man at the crease for England.
After 18.4 overs, England are 123/1 – Bairstow 54
WICKET! Jason Roy is gone! The right-hander gets two boundaries but then chips one straight to catching-cover. It was a nothing shot. He’ll be gutted as a big one was on the cards. New Zealand get the breakthrough out of nowhere.
Roy c Santner b Neesham 60 (61)
After 17 overs, England are 111/0 – Roy 50, Bairstow 52
FIFTY for Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow! Roy gets there in 55 balls, Bairstow in 46. The openers have been game-changers for England in this World Cup and they’ve set up a great platform yet again. Ominous signs for New Zealand.
After 16 overs, England are 107/0 – Roy 49, Bairstow 49
A decent over for the Kiwis as Colin de Grandhomme gives away just three singles in his second over. But it isn’t about the runs for New Zealand, they need a bunch of wickets. James Neesham is joining the attack.
After 15 overs, England are 104/0 – Roy 47, Bairstow 48
Colin de Grandhomme joins the attack and does what every bowler before him has done today – concede an easy boundary. Jonny Bairstow plays a wonderful tap between backward point and short-third for four. The right-hander finishes the over with another fine late-cut through the same region to pick up his ninth boundary. England get past hundred. They have hit 15 fours in as many overs.
After 14 overs, England are 93/0 – Roy 45, Bairstow 39
Shot! A thumping cover-drive by Roy to pick up his sixth boundary. The man at long-off had no chance. Santner is struggling to find the right line and there isn’t much turn in the pitch at the moment as well. Seven runs come from that over.
After 13 overs, England are 86/0 – Roy 39, Bairstow 38
Shot of the day so far from Jonny Bairstow! Matt Henry pitches it on a length and the right-hander plays a gorgeous straight-drive past mid-on for four. Eight more runs added to England’s tally in that over.
After 12 overs, England are 78/0 – Roy 36, Bairstow 33
Mitchell Santner returns to the attack and concedes 10 runs in his second over. The left-arm spinner pitches it up and Jason Roy drives it in the air to the left of long-off for four. All too easy for England in that over.
After 11 overs, England are 68/0 – Roy 27, Bairstow 32
Another good over for New Zealand, just a single this time as well. Matt Henry bowls a good line and Jonny Bairstow puts up a solid defence. The Kiwis need to build on from here and break this partnership.
After 10 overs, England are 67/0 – Roy 26, Bairstow 32
New Zealand get their best over, just a single from it. Boult does well to keep a tight line and not give the batsmen any freebie. And that’s the end of the first powerplay. The hosts are well on top. Pakistani fans will be utterly disappointed at this point. They needed the Kiwis to have a good start in order to win the match.
After 9 overs, England are 66/0 – Roy 25, Bairstow 32
Henry bowls a bouncer, Roy attempts a pull, the ball takes the top-edge of the bat, England get another boundary. Seven runs come from the over.
After 8 overs, England are 59/0 – Roy 19, Bairstow 31
Aaand normal services resumes. Boult pitches it short and Roy picks up his third boundary with a comfortable pull. The left-arm pacer needed to get a couple of wickets in his opening spell but the English openers have been at the top of their game.
After 7 overs, England are 53/0 – Roy 14, Bairstow 30
Matt Henry joins the attack and bowls the first over of the day without a boundary! Five runs come from that over. Roy has the chance to clip the last ball to fine-leg for four but he failed to connect.
After 6 overs, England are 48/0 – Roy 13, Bairstow 27
Another boundary for England! Boult bowls it full and wide, Bairstow frees his arms again and drives it over the in-field for four. The left-arm pacer does well to bowl five dot balls. New Zealand need to figure out a way to stop the boundaries.
After 5 overs, England are 44/0 – Roy 13, Bairstow 23
Hat-trick of boundaries for Bairstow! Southee is all over the place at the moment. He pitches it on the pads, then wide and full and finally bowls a pace-less bouncer to get hit for three boundaries. England are running away with this. 13 runs come from that over.
After 4 overs, England are 31/0 – Roy 13, Bairstow 10
Another good over for England. Boult gets the ball to move back in to the right-handers but just like Southee in the previous over, he doesn’t get the right line. The ball clips Jason Roy’s pads and runs away for four. New Zealand need to get their act together and strike soon.
After 3 overs, England are 25/0 – Roy 11, Bairstow 10
Back-to-back boundaries for Jonny Bairstow! The right-hander gets off the mark in some style. Tim Southee joins the attack and struggles with his line. The right-arm pacer moves it away but from a wide line. Bairstow first punches it off the back foot and then drives it on-the-rise and in the air between covers and mid-off. England are off to a flying start in Durham.
After 2 overs, England are 15/0 – Roy 11, Bairstow 0
Shot! Trent Boult bowls four dot balls to Jason Roy but pitches the fifth one on leg, the right-hander flicks it past square-leg for four. He then picks up two with a punch off the back foot past covers. A lot depends on Boult in this first half hour or so. The Kiwis need him to strike.
After 1 over, England are 9/0 – Roy 5, Bairstow 0
Roy survives! Santner bowls a beautiful arm-ball first up, the right-hander attempts a cut but misses and the ball misses the stumps by centimeters. Four byes for England. Roy then puts away a juicy full-toss past extra-cover for four. Good start for the hosts, could’ve been drastically different.
2:59 pm: Right, we’re ready for some cricket in Durham. Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow will open the batting for England. Mitchell Santner has the new ball in hand for New Zealand. Here we go!
2:54 pm: The players have taken the field, it’s time for the national anthems. First up, it’s New Zealand’s.
2:40 pm: New Zealand captain Kane Williamson at the toss – “I would’ve liked to bat first as well but the pitch doesn’t change much here in Durham. It’s important that we do the job with the ball first-up. Southee and Henry come in place of Ferguson and Sodhi. Ferguson has been outstanding for us in this tournament, especially in the middle overs. He has a hamstring niggle. Hopefully, he will recover quickly. Southee is very experienced. It is great that he is on the park for us today.”
2:38 pm: England captain Eoin Morgan at the toss – “There is more on the line so there is more excitement. This game is like a quarter-final for us. The victory against India has boosted our confidence, especially since we’d lost the two games before that. New Zealand are a strong side, we have to play well to compete.”
2:36 pm: New Zealand have made two changes. Here’s their playing XI – Martin Guptill, Henry Nicholls, Kane Williamson (c), Ross Taylor, Tom Latham (w), Colin de Grandhomme, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Matt Henry, Trent Boult.
2:34 pm: England are going in unchanged. Here’s their playing XI – Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (c), Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (w), Chris Woakes, Liam Plunkett, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.
2:32 pm: TOSS – Eoin Morgan has won the toss and England will BAT first!
2:27 pm: Michael Atherton’s pitch report – “Looks very good, actually. The pitch is generously grassed. It’s a fresh one. We’ve got a wonderful surface here for the batsmen to find some form.”
2:20 pm: The big news coming in at the moment is that Lockie Ferguson has a tight hamstring and will miss today’s game. The right-arm pacer has been impressive in this World Cup and the Kiwis will surely miss his presence. England won’t be too pleased, though, as Ferguson will be replaced by Tim Southee, who got a seven-for the last time these two teams met in the World Cup.
With Australia and India having already qualified for the semi-finals of the World Cup, the remaining two spots will be up for grabs when England face New Zealand in a crucial match at Chester-le-Street on Wednesday.
Hosts England and New Zealand head into their final World Cup group match knowing a win will see them into the semi-finals.
Even a defeat would not spell the end of either team’s chances of emerging as one of the top four from the 10-team round-robin phase.
If England lose, Pakistan could leapfrog them into the top four with victory over Bangladesh, whose own semi-final hopes ended with a defeat by India on Tuesday that sent Virat Kohli’s men through.
It would take an unlikely turn of events to deny New Zealand a place in the last four, such is their net run-rate advantage over Pakistan.
But right now, England and New Zealand’s World Cup destiny is in their own hands.