England’s Johnny Bairstow and Harry Brook smashed half centuries earlier than debutant Gus Atkinson took 4 wickets to energy England to a 2-0 lead over New Zealand of their four-match Twenty20 International sequence.
After profitable the toss and opting to bat, Bairstow completed with an unbeaten 86 off 60 balls and Brook impressed with 67 from 36 as England completed on 4-198.
Atkinson made a right away impression by taking the wickets of Devon Conway, Tim Seifert, Tim Southee and Lockie Ferguson, because the hosts gained by 95 runs after bowling out NZ for 103 in 13.5 overs on Friday .
Already named in England’s preliminary squad for the World Cup in India, which begins in October, Atkinson was given his probability to show his value and wasted no time taking it.
England began slowly however as soon as Bairstow and Brook bought going there was no stopping them as they mixed for 131 runs.
“In recent times I’ve tried to play the ball on merit as much as possible. If I feel I can take an option on, I’ll take it,” Brook mentioned.
“I try and move around in the crease as much as possible, I’m just trying to hit the ball where it’s meant to be hit.”
To the frustration of the Old Trafford crowd, Brook was lastly taken out within the seventeenth over. After hitting 5 fours and 5 sixes he tried one other large shot however didn’t fairly pay money for it and Finn Allen had a easy catch.
New Zealand made a quicker begin than England however wickets continued to fall at a gentle tempo.
Adil Rashid claimed two to succeed in 97 T20I wickets, taking up from Chris Jordan as England’s main T20 wicket-taker.
It was debutant Atkinson, nonetheless, who stole the present. He completed off proceedings in type, taking three wickets within the thirteenth over to complete off New Zealand.
“They just told me to do what I’ve been doing and that’s what I tried to do and it went great,” Atkinson mentioned.
“I try to keep as cool as possible and whatever happens, happens, thankfully it went well.”
The third T20 of the sequence shall be at Edgbaston on Sunday.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
