T20 Series: Game 2
Stadium: Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester
1st September 2023.
England will be facing off against New Zealand in the second game of the T20 Series being played at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester. England were dominant in the first game of the series. Who will win this game?
Claim Your Welcome Bonus!England form
England has successfully moved on from the 3-0 defeat they suffered in Bangladesh earlier this year, marking an impressive comeback. As they gear up for the upcoming ODI World Cup, the current T20 World champions are focused on establishing strong momentum.
The home team's performance, particularly from their bowlers, was nothing short of clinical, restricting the visiting side to a subpar total.
Brydon Carse, making his T20 debut in this match, delivered a sensational spell, securing three crucial wickets. Alongside Sam Curran and Luke Wood, he forms a formidable pace attack. The spinners also played their part adeptly, constraining the flow of runs and applying pressure on New Zealand.
Batting stands as England's prominent strength. Dawid Malan and Harry Brook displayed commendable performances, with Malan notching his 16th T20I half-century. Their partnership of 74 runs ensured England comfortably achieved the target.
Furthermore, England boasts the formidable talents of Jos Buttler, Johnny Bairstow, Will Jacks, and Liam Livingstone in their batting lineup.
England Lineup
Will Jacks, Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Jos Buttler (wk) (c), Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Luke Wood, Brydon Carse
New Zealand form
New Zealand initiated the first T20 encounter with considerable vigor, particularly notable in Finn Allen's aggressive approach as he dispatched Luke Wood for three consecutive sixes in the opening over. However, the team struggled to maintain this momentum and experienced frequent wicket losses.
Despite the initial setback, New Zealand aims to extract valuable lessons from the previous match and deliver a stronger performance in Manchester. Finn Allen, exhibiting promising form, along with Devon Conway, has demonstrated his ability to accumulate runs through impressive displays for the Southern Brave in the recently concluded Hundred.
Additionally, the team possesses the in-form Tim Seifert, who has displayed excellent performances this year. Glenn Phillips stood out as the top scorer for the team, displaying resilience with a knock of 41 runs. The presence of Daryl Mitchell and Mitchell Santner, two adept all-rounders, adds depth to both batting and bowling departments.
Turning to the bowling aspect, Lockie Ferguson and Tim Southee are likely to lead the attack with the new ball, complemented by the contributions of Adam Milne.
New Zealand Predicted Lineup
Devon Conway (wk), Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee (c), Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Ish Sodhi
The pitch at this venue is typically deemed batsman-friendly. Nevertheless, during the initial stages, the seamers can extract some movement, necessitating caution from the batsmen. It offers a decent bounce and carry, and once the batsmen adapt to the conditions, they should find it conducive for stroke play. The team batting first will aim to post a target of at least 170 runs, providing their bowlers a competitive advantage. The weather forecast anticipates cloudy skies with intermittent showers throughout the day. Although New Zealand possesses individual talents, their success hinges on improving their collective performance. In contrast, England demonstrated clinical teamwork in the first T20, and we anticipate them maintaining their strong performance. We expect England to come away with a victory in a closely contested game