The first T20I between England and New Zealand in Christchurch was washed out due to rain as conditions prevailed over the two teams. England were sent in to bat after New Zealand had won the toss, but the match lasted for only 20 overs.
The weather interrupted the first innings too, but it was just clear for the visitors to bat through their innings at the Hagley Oval. However, no action was possible once the innings ended as the weather played spoilsport.
Sam Curran was the star with the bat for his 49 from 35 balls. He joined hands when the Three Lions were losing wickets at regular intervals and held the innings together with his knock that also featured two sixes and three fours.
The Kiwis struck in unison with every one of the six bowlers who bowled got among the wickets, including returning captain Mitchell Santner, who missed the Australia series due to his abdominal surgery.
Meanwhile, England are looking to keep their unbeaten record in New Zealand intact in the T20Is. They haven’t lost a series to the Blackcaps on their three trips to the Oceania nation.
They first made their tour to New Zealand in 2007/08, a little after the T20 World Cup in 2007 and won the two-match series 2-0. The Three Lions touched the New Zealand shores for a three-match series in 2012/13 after the World Cup and won 2-1.
Their last outing in New Zealand came in 2019/20, when they played five matches and defeated the Kiwis 3-2.
The current series provides major buildup for the two teams for the T20 World Cup 2026, which will be played in India and Sri Lanka. England last won the World Cup in 2022 by beating Pakistan in the final, while the Kiwis came close to winning the T20 title in 2021 when they fell short on the final hurdle, losing to Australia in the showdown clash.
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