New Zealand tour of England 2023

2nd T20I: ENG vs NZ

Preview

As was expected, the Hosts ENG decimated the Black Caps in the first T20I at Chester-le-Street to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series. The reigning world champions flexed their muscles and didn’t give the visitors an inch. The Kiwis have their task cut out and will need their batting unit to fire if they hope to take this strong English side down. England, meanwhile, will be confident of continuing their dominant run. The second match of the 3-match T20I series will take place at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester.

England's T20I side is a force to reckon with. In the first T20I at Chester-le-Street, their rejigged T20I team crushed New Zealand by seven wickets, chasing down a subpar target of 140 with six complete overs to spare. Despite a dazzling first over from Finn Allen, a fine home-town debut from seamer Brydon Carse (3-23) denied New Zealand any momentum, and a pair of assertive knocks from Dawid Malan (54 off 42 balls) and the inevitable Harry Brook (43* off 27 balls) allowed England to cruise to victory.

New Zealand started the first T20I with a bang, with opener Fin Allen smashing three sixes in the first over itself. It looked then that the visitors were well on their way to posting a daunting first-inning total. However, they kept losing wickets at regular intervals and eventually succumbed to just 139-9. Despite this poor show, the Kiwis shouldn’t be too worried. They still have a solid batting unit, and once they get a handle on these conditions, they should be able to put up a much better performance. 

Keep an eye out for Tim Seifert. The wicket-keeper batter has been in sensational form of late and was among the top run-getters in the recent Lanka Premier League. 

Match Details

Match: ENG vs NZ, 2nd T20I, New Zealand tour of England 2023

Date: Friday, September 01, 2023

Time: 08:30 PM

Venue: Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, United Kingdom

Pitch and Weather Conditions

The average score batting first at Old Trafford is 139. The highest total posted at this venue in T20Is is 199-5 by England while chasing a target of 195 versus Pakistan in 2020. The average runs per wicket here is 26.52. A target of around 190 will be challenging to chase here.

The pitch at the Old Trafford cricket ground is usually batting-friendly but does assist fast bowlers as well. With the new ball, seam bowlers, especially, should find opportunities for swing and seam movement. Batters can expect a true bounce and even carry, allowing them to play their shots on the up. However, the pitch's pace and occasional movement can challenge their shot selection.

The weather in Manchester will be mostly cloudy with periods of sunshine. A brief shower or two is also expected during the day.

ENG vs NZ Squads

ENG: Jos Buttler, Rehan Ahmed, Moeen Ali, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Chris Jordan, Brydon Carse, Luke Wood

NZ: Finn Allen, Devon Conway(w), Tim Seifert, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee(c), Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Kyle Jamieson, Lockie Ferguson, Adam Milne, Cole McConchie

ENG vs. NZ Probable Playing XIs

ENG: Jonny Bairstow, Will Jacks, Dawid Malan, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler (c & wk), Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Brydon Carse, Luke Wood

NZ: Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Tim Seifert (wk), Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee (c), Lockie Ferguson

Match Prediction

England leads New Zealand 14-8 in T20Is, and the way they are playing currently, it looks very likely that they will extend that lead. New Zealand is undoubtedly a fine T20 side, but England’s batting might alone give them the edge. For New Zealand to have a chance, they would need their top order to fire and put up a huge total. Even that might not be enough for this dangerous England side. Another drawback for the Kiwis is the lack of wicket-taking options in their bowling unit. Barring skipper Southee and Lockie Ferguson, most of the others tend to go for runs. We reckon England’s incredible batting depth will allow them to dominate the second match too.

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