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24-Jun-2015 01:57:00 GMT
England v New Zealand, Only T20, Old Trafford

Root Inspire Win Against New Zealand in T20

Manchester: England thrashed New Zealand by 56 runs in the one-off Twenty20 international at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

Joe Root hit 68 in England's 191-7, with Jason Roy, Alex Hales and Ben Stokes all playing cameos.

After Brendon McCullum bludgeoned 35 from 15 balls, New Zealand were well set at 82-2 off eight overs.

But collapses of 3-12 in 11 balls and 5-4 in 12 balls saw the Black Caps bowled out for 135 in 16.2 overs, despite Kane Williamson's 57.

In an entertaining contest that provided a fitting finale to New Zealand's thrilling tour, a re-energised England that won a record-breaking one-day series 3-2 earned victory in their final match before the Ashes begin on 8 July.

They did so at a packed, sun-drenched Old Trafford thanks to another display of unrelenting aggression with the bat and then a fightback with the ball after a lightning New Zealand start.

In the face of McCullum's hitting and Williamson's artistry, England were failing to master a pitch that both took spin and required the fast bowlers to vary their pace.

McCullum cleared the ropes four times, twice from the first two deliveries of Mark Wood's T20 international debut, only for the Durham seamer to bowl the New Zealand skipper off his pads later in the same over.

If that was one problem dealt with for England, they still had to contend with Williamson, who played his part in taking Adil Rashid's loose first over for 16 runs.

As Williamson and Ross Taylor added 41 in 26 balls, New Zealand were coasting, especially when wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow dropped a simple chance off Taylor from the bowling of Stokes.

But, when Rashid returned to have Taylor held at long-off in the next over, the momentum was reversed.

Stokes bowled Colin Munro and had Luke Ronchi skying a ramp shot to the gloves of Bairstow in the same over and, from then on, England did not relent.

Dot balls were accumulated, the ground fielding improved and, after Mitchell Santner missed a swing at Wood, a moment of brilliance effectively sealed England 's victory.

As New Zealand looked for a single, David Willey swooped in the covers to hit the stumps with a direct hit to remove Williamson.

From there, the Black Caps subsided, Willey taking the final two wickets in as many balls to leave the tourists well short of an England total that seemed only slightly above par.

A steady flow of wickets prevented the hosts from ever truly breaking the shackles, with Roy, Hales, Billings and Stokes all briefly sparkling around the in-form Root.

Roy looked likely to be destructive, dancing to clear the ropes, before he was run out by a poor call from Hales for 23.

Hales also threatened before skying the impressive left-arm spin of Santner for 27, leaving the inventive Root to cut, pull and dab his way to a 36-ball half-century.

Billings's power helped take 23 off one Nathan McCullum over and, after both he and Root fell to Mitchell McClenaghan, Stokes added the late impetus.

Brief scores
England -
191 for 7 (Root 68)
New Zealand - 135 (Williamson 57, Willey 3-22, Wood 3-26)
Result - England won by 56 runs


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