New Zealand leveled the series with a convincing six-wicket victory over England in the fourth T20I at Trent Bridge. They successfully chased down a target of 176 runs.
The Kiwis took control of the game by scoring 73 runs in the Powerplay, led by Tim Seifert’s outstanding 48 runs in his 50th T20I appearance. Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman also made valuable contributions to maintain their team’s dominance.
England had a strong start with Jonny Bairstow smashing 73 runs off 41 balls, including six sixes. However, their innings lost momentum after Bairstow’s dismissal, as New Zealand’s spinners applied pressure during the middle overs. England’s final total of 175 for 8 seemed insufficient for a venue known for its short boundaries.
Originally planned as a five-match T20I series followed by three ODIs, the fifth T20I was converted into a 50-over contest last year with an eye on the World Cup. Consequently, this match was not the series decider and had a somewhat subdued atmosphere, with Jos Buttler choosing to rest.
Nonetheless, this victory was crucial for New Zealand as it allowed them to recover from a shaky start to the series and share the T20I trophy. The focus now shifts to the upcoming first ODI in Cardiff, marking the more relevant part of their tour. Despite the match’s low-key nature, New Zealand’s clinical performance under the Nottingham floodlights was an important step in their preparations.
Efficient Kiwis
Finn Allen played his natural attacking game, hitting three boundaries from his first four balls before losing his wicket when attempting to slog Luke Wood across the line. His brief cameo of 16 runs off just six balls ensured that New Zealand maintained a scoring rate ahead of the required pace throughout their chase.
Tim Seifert, who was promoted to open the innings, displayed his power-hitting prowess. He stood deep in the crease, lofting England’s fast bowlers down the ground, even with the mid-off fielder inside the circle. Seifert hammered Adil Rashid for two fours and a six in the fifth over. Despite Daryl Mitchell being run out shortly after the Powerplay while taking on Wood in the deep, New Zealand remained firmly in control.
Rehan Ahmed, making his international debut in his hometown, bowled economically, claiming two wickets for 27 runs. He dismissed Seifert with a caught-and-bowled and had Phillips caught in the deep. However, Phillips had earlier showcased his aggressive batting by hitting boundaries off Moeen Ali, Rashid, and Brydon Carse, amassing 42 runs from 25 balls.
With the required run rate dropping to just one run per ball, Phillips eventually departed, and Mark Chapman calmly finished the job, ending with an unbeaten 40 runs off 25 deliveries. Rachin Ravindra sealed the victory with a boundary through the infield, and England’s disappointing performance was evident when Wood misfielded at cover.
Bairstow’s Explosive Performance
After several quiet outings for Welsh Fire in the Hundred, Bairstow made a strong return to form in this series. He played a pivotal role in England’s recent win in Manchester, where he scored an impressive 86 runs while batting through the innings. In the match at hand, with Moeen opting to bat first, Bairstow wasted no time and quickly raced to 47 runs off just 22 deliveries within the first five overs.
This innings at Trent Bridge marked Bairstow’s return to the venue where he had played a memorable Test match innings the previous year, scoring 136 runs off 92 balls against the same opposition. It was this innings that established him as a symbol of explosive batting in cricket.
Bairstow’s early boundaries, including a powerful four and a towering six off Matt Henry, reminded fans of the brilliance of that century. He continued his aggressive approach by swatting 17 runs off Kyle Jamieson’s first over, which propelled England to an impressive 63 for 0 after six overs.
Throughout the middle overs, Bairstow was the only England batsman who managed to take on the spinners confidently. He dispatched both left-arm spinners, Ravindra and Mitchell Santner, for sixes. Unfortunately, he was caught at long-on immediately after hitting the second one. Despite experiencing some shoulder discomfort while batting, he initially intended to keep wickets during the run chase but later handed over the duty to Buttler. Bairstow downplayed the severity of his injury afterward.
England’s Spin Struggles
Apart from Bairstow’s impressive performance, England’s batting lineup encountered significant challenges when facing spin for the second consecutive game. Ish Sodhi, although not at his best, managed to dismiss Will Jacks, who edged one behind after yet another brief innings that failed to convert into a substantial score. Following this, Harry Brook attempted a hoick but sent a drag-down delivery to deep backward square leg, accumulating only 4 runs from 8 balls.
Neither Dawid Malan nor Liam Livingstone appeared to be in their best form, as both managed to score just 26 runs each. Santner, in his fourth over, accounted for two crucial wickets, dismissing Malan and Moeen, who were caught in the deep on the leg side. This performance earned him figures of 3 for 30. Ravindra, preferred over the rested Devon Conway, had Sam Curran caught at wide long-on, and the trio of spinners combined for a total of 6 wickets, conceding 68 runs in 10 overs.
As Henry executed a superb final over, culminating in Livingstone hitting his wide yorker straight to extra cover, England found themselves falling significantly short of their target. It became evident that their total of 175 runs was well below par when New Zealand’s top-order batsmen quickly asserted their dominance.
