England fails to take advantage of a 2-0 lead in the T20I series: Player Ratings for the Hosts
The four-match T20I series between England and New Zealand was nothing less than a roller coaster ride as it was the very last game of the series that decided the result. The hosts looked extremely good in the first two matches and were deemed as favorites for winning the series.
The hosts won the first match by seven wickets while their second win came by a massive 95 runs. In both matches, the bowlers ruled the 22-yard pitch. However, further in the series, the New Zealand cricket team staged one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the game.
They scored a 74-run win in the third T20 International while the fourth match saw them hammering England by six wickets. The victories equalled the scores and thus both teams had to share the trophy.
Let us check out how the England players fared in the series:
Batters
Jonny Bairstow (10/10): Jonny Bairstow was the saving grace for the England cricket team in the four-match series against New Zealand. The wicketkeeper-batter hammered the NZ bowlers all over the park in all four matches to emerge at the top of the run-scoring charts.
With a whopping 175 runs in four matches at an average of 58.33, Bairstow ended up winning the Player of the Series award. His highest score in the series read 86 runs off 60 balls in the second T20I.
Will Jacks (1.5/10): The other opening batter Will Jacks delivered sub-par performances throughout the series as he ended up scoring only 68 runs in four matches at an average of 17.00. Jacks ended up scoring less than 20 runs in all four matches.
Dawid Malan (3.5/10): England’s top-order batter Dawid Malan was a miss in the four-match series. He scored runs at a poor average of 20.50 and could manage to collect only 82 runs in four matches. Malan’s best knock was in the first T20I where he scored 54 runs off 42 balls.
Harry Brook (7/10): Playing all four games for the England cricket team, Harry Brook was one of the top performers with the bat. He was the second-highest run-scorer for England and fourth-highest in the overall list with 122 runs in four matches at an average of over 40.
Harry Brook was the second-highest run-getter for England in the four-match series
Brook delivered his best performance in the second T20I when he scored 67 runs off 36 balls to help England smack 198 runs in the allotted 20 overs in the first innings.
Jos Buttler (4/10): The skipper Jos Buttler featured in the playing XI of the first three T20 Internationals before taking a rest in the final game. While Jos the captain had a good run as under his leadership, England won two of three matches, he could not impress with his batting skills.
He did not get to bat in the first T20I and played an unbeaten knock of 13 runs in the second fixture. The batter looked in some control in the third match as he smacked 40 runs off 21 balls.
All-rounders
Liam Livingstone (5.5/10): Liam Livingstone entered the series as one of the reliable names in the English squad but he failed to live up to the reputation. In three innings, the all-rounder could gather only 38 runs at an average of 19.
He also bowled a total of nine overs throughout the four-match series and picked a decent three wickets at an average of 32 and an economy rate of 10.67.
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Moeen Ali (3.5/10): It was not a good run for Moeen Ali as a bowler as he could pick up only one wicket at an average of 43.00. The veteran failed to redeem himself with the bat as well and his score after four matches read only 33 runs at an embarrassing average of 11.00.
Bowlers
Sam Curran (1/10): The seamer Sam Curran delivered one of the worst performances of his T20I career. Featuring in a total of three games, he ended up picking only one wicket at an average of 73 and an economy rate of 8.11.
Adil Rashid (1.5/10): Veteran spinner Adil Rashid delivered a disappointing performance in the four-match series. Despite playing all four games, he could scalp only three wickets at a poor average of 40.00. It was a series to forget for the 35-year-old.
Luke Wood (4.5/10): Playing a total of three matches for England, barring the second T20I, Wood looked in good shape. He delivered a decent performance with five wickets to his name at an average of over 20 and an alarming economy rate of over 10.
Brydon Carse (6/10): Just like Luke Wood, Brydon Carse also played three games in total. He bowled eight overs at an average of 16.50 to pick up four wickets. Carse’s best performance came in the first match as he delivered a brilliant spell to take three wickets at an economy rate of 5.8 and stop NZ at a score of 139 runs in their allotted 20 overs.
Gus Atkinson is a star for the future of English cricket
Gus Atkinson (9.5/10): Gus Atkinson replaced Luke Wood in the playing XI for the second T20I and delivered a stunning performance by scalping four wickets. In his 2.5 overs, the youngster gave away 20 runs while playing a major role in restricting New Zealand to a score of 103 runs in 13.5 overs.
Atkinson continued his assault in the third match as well by picking up two wickets and conceding 31 runs in four overs. With six wickets in two matches, Atkinson was the top bowler for the hosts.
Chris Jordan (0/10): Playing only the third T20I for the England cricket team, Chris Jordan failed to make any impact. The seamer went wicketless in the match while conceding 35 runs in his allotted four overs at an economy rate of over 8.5.
Rehan Ahmed (7/10): The 19-year-old Rehan Ahmed was given a chance to play in the last T20I of the four-match series. He picked up two wickets over the course of four overs while bowling at an economy rate of 6.8. The spinner also contributed with the bat by scoring 11 runs off seven balls.