Key events
21st over: England 114-6 (Brook 62, Overton 24) Mitch Santner brings himself on, ready to bowl some lovely, loopy stuff. He gives the ball some serious flight and Overton eventually comes down the pitch … driving along the carpet for one.
20th over: England 111-6 (Brook 61, Overton 22) New Zealand go upstairs, believing Overton has got a little tickle behind after a meaty swing across the line: it’s a wasted review. Smith forces another play and miss before Overton comes down the pitch … and is struck on the chin after Smith drops short! A break in play follows before Overton drives for one to end the over.
19th over: England 110-6 (Brook 61, Overton 21) Brook pulls to midwicket: it’s a cracking stroke, deserving more than the single it gets. Overton adds another run to Duffy’s over.
18th over: England 106-6 (Brook 60, Overton 19) Brook guides Smith to the third rope (I reckon it was on purpose, so let’s not call it an edge). The 50 partnership comes up and things are starting to look up for England. Nonetheless, there’s still plenty of work to do.
17th over: England 100-6 (Brook 55, Overton 18) Jacob Duffy begins with his radar off, launching a couple of leg-side wides. Make that three in a row! He eventually gets himself right to launch a leg-before appeal against Brook. A no-ball adds to Duffy’s troubles, with Overton caught off a free hit, confusing some spectators (including this writer). Overton closes the over with a thumping hit over midwicket for six and England have got themselves to three figures!
Fifty for Harry Brook!
16th over: England 87-6 (Brook 53, Overton 12) Nathan Smith is into the attack, which brings some pressure: how do you follow that opening burst? Overton, who is looking pretty calm out there, clips down the leg side for one before Brook miscues a pull … a thick edge flies all the way over third for six! That’s his half-century off 36 balls – the captain’s more than hanging in there. He dances down the pitch to swing and miss, remaining audacious. That’s just how he plays.
15th over: England 76-6 (Brook 43, Overton 11) Henry continues, Santner banking on his premier quick to get the big one: Brook. Meanwhile Overton welcomes a length ball, swatting it down the ground for four. He edges the final delivery of the over … but the ball keeps low, bouncing on the way to the cordon.
14th over: England 70-6 (Brook 42, Overton 7) Foulkes continues, searching for his fifth, but Brook clips through midwicket for four. The quick gets the ball to jag sharply into Overton’s front thigh before finding the inside edge moments later … not sure the ball carried to Tom Latham behind the stumps. New Zealand briefly contemplate a review before getting wise. Time for a drink.
13th over: England 65-6 (Brook 37, Overton 7) Hello, all. Matt Henry, rocking the mo, meets some resistance: Jamie Overton shows his chops with a lovely off-drive for four. The start of an extraordinary comeback? Eh, probably not.
12th over: England 58-6 (Brook 37, Overton 1) Henry and Foulkes have bowled six overs each and there’s still no sign of a change: 12 overs into the game and Henry’s going to bowl a seventh. His six overs have brought two wickets and just 21 runs. But we’re going to have a change of bowler on the blog – Taha Hashim is going to take control.
Harry Brook has looked good, and is currently on 37. Everyone else, well, they’ve scored 16 between them.
WICKET! And another one! Curran c Latham b Foulkes 6 (England 56-6)
I interrupt this catchup to bring you news of another wicket! That’s loose from Curran, who feathers one through to the keeper!
Zakary Foulkes then dismissed Duckett and Root in his first over, two cracking deliveries: Duckett was squared up and edged off the shoulder of his bat to Tom Latham behind the stumps, then Root was beaten by one that moved sharply in, sailed through the gate and took out middle and off.
The drama started with the first ball of the match and indeed the series, bowled by Matt Henry, which Smith prodded at and missed, allowing it to go on and tear out his off stump.
So, that cricket. England lost the toss and were told to do some batting, which very few of them have really done. Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett and Joe Root, who only arrived in the country a few days ago, took their customary positions in the top three and lasted, respectively, one ball, four balls and six balls while scoring a combined total of four runs.
Firstly, the sun is shining and cricket is being played! There has been a bit of light rain, which is odd because it’s been sunny all day, though it’s windy enough that the rain might have been blown in from miles away. But it hasn’t disrupted play and it isn’t currently falling. It is, as I say, very windy.
Hello team, Simon Burnton here in Mount Maunganui. You may have noticed a disconcerting lack of action on the blog – I’ve just been told that Rob Smyth has been taken ill (I know no more than that). So, let me fill you in.
The weather is fine in Mount Maunganui and we should have a full game. The toss is about an hour away.
Joe Root has declared himself ready to thrive in this winter’s Ashes, having changed his approach to focus more on getting himself in the ideal frame of mind rather than fixating on his technique.
Root goes into the one-day international series against New Zealand having not played since early September, since when his only batting has come in the indoor nets in Sheffield. “It’s been nice to have a break,” Root said.
“With what we’ve got coming up, it’s important to utilise that. I’ve done a little bit of batting, not loads. I’ve tried to get a good bit of separation, just trying to get that feeling of excitement again, almost like that feeling of being a kid at the start of the season and trying to harness that ahead of what’s to come.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the first ODI between New Zealand and England in Mount Maunganui. It’s the start of a three-match series, England’s last international cricket before the Ashes, and most of the Test squad are on board.
The match starts at 1am BST, 1pm local time.
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