The first T20 international between New Zealand and England ended in disappointment on Saturday as rain washed away the contest before the tourists could defend their 153 for 6. England’s winter tour got off to a frustrating start at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch where Harry Brook’s side managed a competitive total only for the weather to deny New Zealand the chance to pursue.
With the Ashes just over a month away, England have named three Ashes-bound players in their XI. Yet it was one of the rested stars, the all-rounder Sam Curran, who emerged as a standout. Curran’s unbeaten 49 off 35 balls pulled England back from a shaky 81-5. Along the way, he survived two dropped chances and overturned an lbw call against Kyle Jamieson to finish with a flourish – 18 runs from his last five deliveries – which left fans wishing the match could go to the very end.
Jos Buttler, Jacob Bethell and Harry Brook all started but none matched Curran’s impact. England’s total looked competitive on the tricky surface of Hagley Oval. Matt Henry excelled in the over, while spinners Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell were miserable conceding just one boundary in six overs. However, during the break, the heavens opened and the game was officially called off at 10:12 p.m. local time.
New Zealand vs England 1st T20I: Highlights
The abandoned match was particularly rough on New Zealand, who shared the wickets with six bowlers and looked set for a tough but achievable chase. England were without Joffrey Archer, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith and Will Jacks, all rested with the Ashes on their minds. Despite this, the tourists’ opening duo of Phil Salt and Jos Buttler – have already amassed more than 1,000 T20 runs together as the only pair, averaging more than 50 flashes of their class. Buttler started with a six but Salt fell cheaply and Bethell struggled before departing for 15.
England captain Harry Brook reflected on the game: “The ball went a little bit early and New Zealand have a lot of experience with the new ball – especially Matt Henry who got the most out of the pitch. Obviously we want to adapt to the situation and the surface, but with the depth we have we think we can go hard all game. We have some extremely talented and strong batsmen so if we don’t get the start, which we want, we can speed up in the next match to adjust. faster, all of us.”
The second T20 will be played at Hagley Oval on Monday at 07:15 CEST, followed by the third match in Auckland on Thursday. Three one-day internationals will follow, including Joe Root, Ben Duckett and Jofra Archer joining the touring squad.
– The end
Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
October 18, 2025
