James Vince made a half-century for England in their win over New Zealand. In their first meeting since the fateful ODI World Cup final, England took the opening game of the five-match Twenty20 series, toppling the Black Caps by seven wickets on Friday. Chasing 154 for victory at Hagley Oval, England did it with minimal stress - requiring no super overs or arcane tiebreakers to secure this particular victory. Colin Munro and Martin Guptill, much maligned after poor opening partnerships in the United Kingdom, couldn't immediately reverse that in the shortest format, as the Black Caps were reduced to 7-1 after three overs. Munro and Tim Seifert did manage to whack three sixes in a 21-run over, but the Black Caps' innings was one bereft of an anchor and lacking rapid contributions.

Source: Otago Daily Times November 01, 2019 19:41 UTC