Boult destroys England’s top-order
In a rain-curtailed contest spanning 34 overs, New Zealand, under captain Tom Latham‘s leadership, elected to field first in overcast conditions. Trent Boult, appearing in his 100th one-day international, struck early, claiming three crucial wickets in quick succession. Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root were dismissed for mere six and zero runs, respectively, while Ben Stokes managed just one – all falling victim to Boult’s skillful left-arm pace.
Jos Buttler’s triple boundary barrage against Trent Boult
Captain Jos Buttler then partnered with Harry Brook at the crease. Despite England finding themselves in a precarious situation, with the score reduced to a potentially low total, Buttler refused to abandon the aggressive nature that has become synonymous with English cricket today.
In the seventh over of England’s innings, The 33-year-old treated Boult to a display of remarkable strokeplay, dispatching him for three boundaries. On the third ball of the over, Buttler confidently stood tall and drove a good-length delivery past the fielder at mid-on. After switching his bat, Buttler decided to approach the bowler from the opposite side, leaning into a somewhat unconvincing drive as Boult pitched the ball further up.
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In the last ball of the over, Boult paid the price for serving another delivery in Buttler’s hitting zone as the Taunton-born cricketer effortlessly cleared mid-off. This counterattack was truly fabulous, especially considering England had lost three wickets in quick succession, all to the skilful left-arm pace of Boult.
Here’s the video:
Threes in an over
Jos Buttler has had enough! #EnglandCricket | #ENGvNZ pic.twitter.com/Z7cVdS5RG6
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) September 10, 2023
Livingstone’s heroics propel England to a competitive total
Nonetheless, England soon found themselves in deeper trouble as Matt Henry removed Brook, leaving the hosts reeling at 28/4. With an urgent need for recovery, Liam Livingstone and Moeen Ali came together at the crease, forming a crucial partnership that added 98 runs for the 6th wicket. After Ali’s departure, contributing 33 runs from 32 balls, Livingstone continued his determined batting alongside Sam Curran (42 off 35). Livingstone, in particular, showcased remarkable composure, tallying an unbeaten 95 runs from 78 balls and steering England to a substantial total of 226 runs within the allotted 34 overs.
New Zealand’s chase falls apart
In response, New Zealand faced early setbacks as Finn Allen was dismissed for a duck, and the centurion from the previous game, Devon Conway, struggled to make an impact with just 14 runs. Will Young appeared promising with his 33 runs off 39 deliveries until a self-inflicted run-out. The contributions from captain Latham and Glenn Phillips were minimal, as they scored 19 and two runs, respectively. England’s pace duo of David Willey and Reece Topley both claimed three wickets, playing instrumental roles in dismantling New Zealand’s batting order. This collective effort resulted in Blackcaps being bowled out for 147 runs in just 26.5 overs.
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