England win battle, New Zealand the war

Hamilton, February 18 

An aggressive Colin Munro belted New Zealand into the T20I tri-series final against Australia despite England claiming their final round-robin match by two runs here today. Munro plundered the England attack at the top of the New Zealand innings, equalling the sixth-fastest half-century of all time in the shortest form as he raced past 50 in just 18 deliveries.

England, on the back of an unbeaten 80 by returning captain Eoin Morgan, posted 194/7 after being sent into bat.  New Zealand, with Martin Guptill adding 62 and Hong Kong-born Mark Chapman unbeaten on 37, made 192/4 in reply.

The narrow two-run margin was not enough to save an England side who had lost all their previous games in the competition, and needed to win by at least 20 runs to overtake New Zealand on overall run-rate to face unbeaten Australia in Wednesday’s final.

New Zealand passed that target at the start of the 18th over but the groundwork had been laid by opener Munro’s whirlwind 57 in a big-hitting innings that included seven sixes and three fours. After New Zealand’s rollicking start, England spinners Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson quietened the pace through the middle of the innings.   New Zealand were 77 without loss after six overs when Rashid came on and quickly claimed Munro’s wicket. Seven overs later, when Rashid was bowled out and Dawson had claimed the prized wicket of Kane Williamson, New Zealand were 108/2 with Guptill and Mark Chapman primed to finish the innings off. Dawson missed a caught-and-bowled chance from Guptill on 25 before he lashed out to reach 62 off 47 balls. — AFP

Brief scores: England 194/7 (Morgan 80*, Malan 53); New Zealand 192/4 4 (Guptill 62, Munro 57)