New Zealand hit back at Edgbaston to inflict a heavy 74-run defeat on England in the third T20 and keep alive the four-match series ahead of Tuesday’s finale at Trent Bridge.
Jos Buttler’s world champions could have clinched the series with victory in Birmingham following fine wins in Durham and Manchester, but the Black Caps were able to post an imposing 202 for five after deciding to bat first.
Finn Allen smashed three consecutive sixes off Adil Rashid on his way to 83 and Glenn Phillips contributed a rapid 69 before Ish Sodhi starred with the ball, finishing with three for 33.
Sodhi claimed the key scalps of Jonny Bairstow and Harry Brook cheaply and when Mitchell Santner ended Buttler’s blistering innings of 40 off 21 balls, the hosts’ race was run despite the best efforts of Moeen Ali, who was England’s second top scorer with 26 in a below-par batting display.
England were eventually dismissed for 128 to disappoint a typically boisterous sun-soaked Edgbaston crowd and Buttler’s men now head to Nottingham with a narrow 2-1 lead aiming to secure a first T20 series success since they were crowned world champions last November.
After New Zealand decided to bat first, Allen set out his stall with two classy drives for four from Luke Wood’s first over.
The breakthrough arrived soon after though, when Allen pushed for three and opening partner Devon Conway was run-out by Buttler for nine after Moeen’s strong throw from the deep.
Black Caps number three Tim Seifert struggled and was stumped by Buttler from a turning Liam Livingstone delivery for 19, but Allen remained unflustered.
Rashid and Livingstone were hit for maximums to help Allen bring up his fifty from 35 balls.
Rashid had managed to tie up an end and only went for 23 from his first three overs, but Allen sent him out of the attack with a bang after three successive sixes in the 15th over.
The first maximum was hit high over deep extra cover and Allen showed his range with another through cow corner before a stand and deliver shot down the ground moved him up to 77.
A second T20 century appeared in sight but Allen’s fine innings ended when he lost his off stump to Wood’s inswinging yorker to walk off for an excellent 83 off 53 balls.
Phillips had provided able support to Allen in a crucial 88-run partnership and upped the ante following the opener’s departure with Livingstone’s last over smashed for 22 to give the all-rounder expensive figures of one for 55.
Livingstone was pulled for back-to-back maximums by Phillips before the last ball of the 18th over was driven for another six, but Atkinson concluded the fun of the tourists’ number four.
The Surrey quick produced an excellent 77mph slower ball to bowl Phillips for 69 before he accounted for Daryl Mitchell caught behind to end with respectable figures of two for 31.
New Zealand still managed 202 for five, which left England needing their third highest T20 chase but they made a horrendous start.
Kyle Jamieson sent Will Jacks back for 11 and Dawid Malan produced a painful innings at three, scoring two runs before he hit Tim Southee to Conway at deep cover.
Malan’s dismissal after a scratchy 11-ball knock brought the in-form Brook to the crease but while his innings was eventful, it was also short-lived.
Brook, still reeling from being left out of England’s preliminary World Cup squad, got off the mark with a four but was dismissed in Sodhi’s second over.
He survived being given out lbw after a review showed he got glove on the delivery but Sodhi’s next ball was hit straight up in the air and Mitchell took the catch.
Sodhi had already dismissed Bairstow for 12 and England’s hopes of victory were pinned on captain Buttler.
Buttler, after he survived a tight lbw call, got off the mark with a six down the ground against Sodhi and hit another maximum off Santner after replays showed Allen grounded his foot over the boundary rope having initially caught the shot before attempting to throw it back to team-mate Mitchell.
Santner had the last laugh though when Buttler pulled him straight up in the air and the Black Caps spinner took the caught and bowled chance to end the England skipper’s counter-attack.
Moeen remained and hoicked Matt Henry over deep midwicket for six to bring up England’s hundred but he was one of two scalps in Jamieson’s third over as the hosts were convincingly beaten.
IPL: Salt stars as KKR get back to winning ways
Phil Salt inspired Kolkata Knight Riders to get back to winning ways in the Indian Premier League as they beat Delhi Capitals with an emphatic seven-wicket victory.
The Capitals had surpassed 220 runs in each of their last two matches, but their chances of doing so again were dented early on, Prithvi Shaw walking for 13 before the in-form Jake Fraser-McGurk followed before the end of the third over, his flat drive being taken by Venkatesh Iyer near the boundary for 12.
Varun Chakaravarthy posted figures of 3-16 as Kolkata prevented their visitors from mounting any kind of response, with only Kuldeep Yadav's unbeaten 35 off 26 balls helping them crawl beyond the 150 mark and finish their innings on 153-9.
Salt started brilliantly for Kolkata, plundering his way to a half-century within the first six overs of the chase. He was bowled by Axar Patel, but only after the openers had raced to 79-0, with Sunil Narine and Rinku Singh dismissed shortly after.
Shreyas and Venkatesh Iyer ticked off the remaining runs with ease, securing the win for Kolkata with 21 balls left.
Data Debrief: A sprinkle of Salt
England all-rounder Will Jacks smashed an unbeaten century off just 41 balls to propel Royal Challengers Bangalore to victory over Gujarat Titans on Sunday, and his compatriot Salt followed up with a stunning knock this time around.
He reached 52 in just 26 balls, with a further two boundaries taking him to 60 and seeing Kolkata reach 79 by the end of the powerplay. His knock included seven fours and five sixes.
Cricket West Indies VP Azim Bassarath dismisses GCB legal action as 'laughable'
Cricket West Indies (CWI) Vice President and President of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB), Azim Bassarath, has dismissed the legal action taken by the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) against CWI as laughable, especially given their organization's recent history with alleged questionable elections at the territorial board level.
On April 20, the GCB announced it was commencing legal proceedings against CWI, continuing its year-long allegation that Bassarath was unlawfully elected vice president.
This move comes despite CWI's statement on October 7, 2023, where they addressed the GCB's concerns and confirmed that the election was conducted in accordance with the organization's Memorandum and Articles of Association.
According to CWI's statement: “The Board of Cricket West Indies has thoroughly examined the matters raised by the Guyana Cricket Board and wishes to assure all stakeholders that the election for the post of Vice President was conducted in accordance with the Memorandum and Articles of Association of the organization. CWI recognizes the importance of transparency and fairness in all its operations, including elections, and is committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity.”
Speaking after last weekend’s conclusion of the two-day CARICOM cricket symposium in Trinidad, Bassarath, in an interview with Sportsmax.tv, responded to the GCB's legal action.
“As long as I’ve been a CWI director, unfortunately, the Guyana Cricket Board has been the one and only shareholder whose elections were accused of being unlawful. Guyana’s board is the only instance where CWI was forced to stop international cricket from being played in a territory due to government intervention, which went against both CWI and ICC positions against government intervention in sport. Therefore, I genuinely find it laughable what Mr. (Bisoondial) Singh is doing, considering the GCB’s history.”
Sportsmax.tv has obtained the original letter sent by the GCB to CWI under then-President Ricky Skerritt ahead of the March 25, 2023 election, which contradicts the assertion in the GCB’s April 20, 2024, letter that one of the reasons for withdrawing its nomination of Bassarath was due to misconduct allegations against the TTCB.
In the letter, the GCB only cited Article 92 of the CWI Articles of Association.
Bassarath also questioned Singh's administration of affairs in Guyana: “Mr. Singh joined CWI in 2021, and I have no clear information as CWI vice president about when local cricket elections are due in Guyana, unlike other territorial boards. This is concerning, considering the history of Mr. Singh’s predecessor at the GCB. Similar to me, he created all sorts of alleged unlawful acts to remove former Guyana director Hilbert Foster, which surprised many on the CWI board. Mr. Foster, from the area of Berbice, as we are seeing around the Caribbean with the young Shamar Joseph, is producing many talented West Indies players.”
Bassarath concluded by urging his Guyanese counterpart to follow the lead of Guyanese head of state Dr. Irfan Ali, who is taking productive actions to benefit Caribbean cricket.
“We saw the eye-catching presentation by Guyana's Head of State Dr. Ali at the symposium, and we already see what he has been doing in recent years with the CPL cricket carnival. So, just like our Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister, the honorable Keith Rowley, who organized this fantastic symposium, Singh should spend more time seeking to create cricket-focused initiatives for the benefit of Guyana and West Indies cricket.”
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Ticket Box Offices to open on Thursday, May 2
Fans in the Caribbean will be able to buy ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 tickets directly from box offices from Thursday 2 May and confirm their attendance at the biggest cricket carnival spectacle ever.
To celebrate 30 days to go to the start of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and the launch of the official anthem, box offices will open their doors on Thursday until the end of the event across the six host locations in the West Indies.
Box office locations:
Opening hours:
Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago: Monday to Friday: 10:30 am - 6:00 pm and Saturdays: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Saint Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines: Monday to Friday: 9:30 am - 5:00 pm and Saturdays: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Box offices will be closed on Sundays. Fans across the West Indies will be able to purchase tickets for all Caribbean match fixtures. Fixtures and local start times for matches are available here.
Tickets for 39 of the World Cup’s 55 matches which are to be hosted in the West Indies will be available with prices starting from as low as US$6 for selected matches. Fans can choose from the following ticket categories: Premium, Standard Plus, Standard, Grounds and Mounds, and Party stand.
Fans will be able to pay with cash in their local currency or with their credit card at box offices. Tickets are also available online on the tournament’s official ticketing website; tickets.t20worldcup.com.
Leading up to the opening of the box offices, ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 Tournament Director Fawwaz Baksh said: “With just over 30 days to the start of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the opening of the ticket box offices in the West Indies from 2 May will mark a pivotal moment in our journey to delivering an out of this world experience for all fans.
“The opening of box offices also underscores our commitment to ensuring accessibility and inclusivity for all West Indians, who are passionate followers of the game. Their presence in the stadiums will energise players, entertain fans and viewers, and show the world a cricketing spectacle which can only be experienced in the Caribbean.”
Venue, hospitality, and party stand packages for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup are also available for matches in the West Indies and USA and are available at tickets.t20worldcup.com.
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