The juxtaposition between Christchurch and Wellington couldn't be more striking. And as if to mimic the lies of the land, England and New Zealand were their two different selves too. Nobody encapsulates it better than James Vince, who went from being the mainstay in Christchurch to the anti-hero in Wellington, dropping three catches to go with just a solitary run. The five-match series now stands at one-all, reports Cricbuzz.
The third T20I in Nelson, coming on the back of two disparate performances from both teams, promises to deliver. It's also the venue where Tim Southee marked his captaincy debut with a win a couple of years ago. That game against West Indies remains the only T20I match played here and New Zealand won whilst defending -- something they pulled off in Wellington right after botching it un-glamourously in Christchurch.
Martin Guptill's return to form augurs well for the hosts although New Zealand will want their openers to fire in unison. Colin Munro, with only 187 runs across nine games this year, will be expected to step up. The fact that he scored 53 off 37 in 2017 against the West Indies holds promise.
England have more work to do. They struggled with their fielding under the Wellington sun whereas inexperienced Patrick Brown and Saqib Mahmood bled runs. Eoin Morgan wants better returns from his young players, of course, but it's not something that alarms him now though. "We want to see guys being pegged back and how they react from there. Chances will continue to come and opportunities will continue to come regardless of the result," he said after England's 21-run loss. There's hope for the young players under Morgan after all.
It's been a good couple of weeks to follow New Zealand vs England. While the Lions ended All Blacks' 12-year winning streak at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, cricket saw two contrasting cricket matches that, when looked at from a distance, promise a competitive series with fluctuating fortunes. Stay tuned in.
