England kept their hopes of making the T20 World Cup semi-finals very much alive with a 20-run win over New Zealand at The Gabba.
Jos Buttler (73 off 47) and Alex Hales (52 off 40) struck half-centuries as England posted 179-6 from their 20 overs before limiting New Zealand – who would have secured a semi-final spot with a win – to 159-6.
Glenn Phillips’ 62 from 36 deliveries came in vain for New Zealand, with Moeen Ali breathing a huge sigh of relief having dropped the in-form batter on 15 at cover as he shelled an absolute dolly off the bowling of Adil Rashid.
England had been dumped out of last year’s T20 World Cup by New Zealand at the semi-final stage after their death bowling flopped but there was no repeat in Brisbane, with Sam Curran conceding only five of the 26 runs New Zealand required from the final over.
England, New Zealand and Australia are all on five points ahead of the final round of Group 1 games, with New Zealand heading the pool on net run-rate, ahead of second-placed England and third-placed Australia.
New Zealand face Ireland and Australia meet Afghanistan in Adelaide on Friday before England take on Sri Lanka in Sydney on Saturday
Should New Zealand, Australia and England all win as expected, then the top two spots will be decided on net run-rate, with Australia having the most to do with their run-rate standing at -0.304 compared to New Zealand’s +2.233 and England’s +0.547.
Any slip ups could yet see Ireland and Sri Lanka involved in the semi-final shake-up.
Buttler, Hales give England strong start in Brisbane
Buttler and Hales shared a first-wicket stand of 81 from 62 balls after the former elected to bat on a used Gabba surface.
Buttler was dropped on eight by New Zealand captain Kane Williamson at cover and then again on 40 by Daryl Mitchell at deep square leg as he top-scored in his 100th T20 international and overtook former skipper Eoin Morgan as England’s leading run-scorer in T20 international cricket.
Buttler was eventually run out in the penultimate over but played a major role in his side plundering 102 runs from their final 10 overs, with Livingstone (20 off 14) the only other player bar Buttler and Hales to reach double figures against the side that knocked them out of last year’s T20 World Cup.
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Buttler was reprieved on eight with New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson dropping him on eight at cover
The captain had spoken at the toss about how England would be “flexible” with their batting order and made good on that promise with Moeen (6) and Livingstone pushed up to No 3 and No 4 respectively, with Ben Stokes (8) and Dawid Malan (3no) coming in at No 6 and No 8.
England had looked on course for an even larger total at one point, with Buttler and Livingstone at the crease at the end of the 17th over and the score on 148-2; a cluster of late wickets stalled some of their momentum, although they still managed 16 from Lockie Ferguson’s final over.
Each of New Zealand’s three pacemen – Ferguson (2-45), Trent Boult (0-40) and Tim Southee (1-43) – went at 10 runs an over at least, with the containing job done by spinners Mitchell Santner (1-25) and Ish Sodhi (1-23); Santner with the first wicket of the evening when he had Hales stumped in the 11th over.
Moeen and Harry Brook (7) were caught in the deep off Sodhi and Southee respectively; Livingstone was bowled attempting to repeat a ramped four over fine leg off Ferguson; and Stokes was pinned lbw by a Ferguson yorker from the penultimate ball of the innings.
Stokes’ dismissal left Malan with one ball to face and he picked up three from it after working Ferguson into the leg-side; the left-hander ending not out alongside Sam Curran (6no) with Curran having struck Ferguson for a leg-side six earlier in the final over.
Buttler with brilliant catch at start of New Zealand chase
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Moeen Ali made a huge blunder in the field, dropping Glenn Phillips on 15, but the error did not cost England in the end
New Zealand were reduced to 28-2 during a run-shy powerplay with Buttler’s acrobatic catch down the leg-side removing Devon Conway (3) off the bowling of Chris Woakes and Finn Allen (16) spooning Curran to Stokes at deep midwicket – Stokes seemingly injured his finger after taking the catch and left the field before returning a short while later.
New Zealand should have been 64-3 in the 10th over but Moeen inexplicably dropped Phillips, who went on to boss a stand of 96 from 59 balls with skipper Williamson (40 off 40).
The momentum was with New Zealand when Phillips mowed Rashid for successive sixes in the 14th over, the batter completing a 25-ball fifty four days after thumping a sparkling century against Sri Lanka.
Phillips followed his century against Sri Lanka with a fifty against England
The Black Caps needed 67 from 36 deliveries but Stokes then had Williamson pouched at short third before Mark Wood and Chris Woakes curbed the scoring rate and had Jimmy Neesham (6) and Daryl Mitchell (3) caught in the deep respectively.
When Phillips then holed out off Curran down the ground with 44 needed from 15 balls – sub fielder Chris Jordan with his second catch of the evening – the game was all but up.
What’s next?
England face Sri Lanka in Sydney on Saturday (8am UK time) with New Zealand playing Ireland in Adelaide a day earlier (4am UK time on Friday). Both games are live on Sky Sports Cricket.