Phil Salt and Harry Brook led England to a dominant 65-run win over New Zealand in the second T20 in Christchurch. England posted a record 236-4 before bowling out NZ for 171. Rashid took 4 wickets, and England now lead the series 1-0.
Salt & Brook Power England to Crushing T20 Win Over New Zealand
Second T20, Christchurch
England 236-4 (20 overs): Salt 85 (56), Brook 78 (35)
New Zealand 171 (18 overs): Seifert 39 (29); Rashid 4-32
England won by 65 runs lead series 1-0
Phil Salt and Harry Brook delivered a dominant performance to give England a 65-run win over New Zealand in the second T20 in Christchurch, handing the visitors a 1-0 lead in the series with one match remaining.
The duo added 129 runs off just 69 balls, as England posted 236-4 not only the highest T20 international score at Hagley Oval but also England’s fifth-highest total in the format.
Salt continued his excellent run of form with 85 off 56 balls, while captain Brook was more destructive, smashing 78 from just 35 deliveries, including five sixes. Brook capitalized on sloppy fielding from the hosts including a dropped catch by Jimmy Neesham at long-on and took full advantage as New Zealand's bowling attack struggled.
Brook’s explosive innings meant New Zealand were set their highest-ever T20 chase, and although they were 87-2 after nine overs, they soon collapsed. Adil Rashid led the bowling effort with 4-32, as England’s fielding remained clinical taking 10 catches, with eight batters caught in the deep. New Zealand were bowled out for 171 in 18 overs.
Brook Blitzes as Batting Line-up Finds Rhythm
Brook had emphasized that the focus of the white-ball squad is firmly on preparing for February’s T20 World Cup, with no distractions from the Ashes. Regardless, his runs benefit both formats.
Though Brook’s overall T20I numbers averaging 29 with five fifties from 50 innings may seem modest, this was among his finest displays in either white-ball format. His sixes three off Mitchell Santner, and one each off Matt Henry and Kyle Jamieson were all clean strikes over mid-wicket. This was on the same pitch that saw a washout during the first T20 on Saturday, but conditions had flattened considerably.
Salt, who has been in red-hot form since September with scores including 89 vs Ireland and 141 vs South Africa*, built his 85 with 11 fours and 1 six, often targeting the cover region and behind square on the leg side.
Both Salt and Brook were dismissed in the 18th over, after which Tom Banton’s late cameo of 29 off 12 balls* pushed England beyond Hagley Oval’s previous highest total of 208-5.
Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethell also contributed briskly, scoring 4 and 24 respectively, as England’s T20 batting unit begins to take a clear, promising shape ahead of the World Cup.
Clinical England Excel in All Departments
Even with favorable batting conditions and a strong wind aiding six-hitting, New Zealand were always facing a tough task in the chase.
Brook’s reprieve from Neesham’s drop was pivotal, and Tim Seifert also missed a chance to dismiss Bethell, misjudging a top-edge high into the wind when Bethell was on 7. On Saturday, Sam Curran was dropped twice before reaching 49 in the rain-abandoned match. For a side renowned for strong fielding, New Zealand's errors were surprising.
Though Rashid spilled a difficult caught-and-bowled chance, England held 10 catches, showing sharpness in the field.
A brief fightback came when Seifert and Mark Chapman put together a third-wicket stand of 69 off 48 balls, giving the Black Caps an outside chance. But the collapse soon followed: Chapman fell to Liam Dawson, and Seifert to Rashid, triggering a collapse of four wickets in 3.1 overs.
Dawson’s spell (2-38) was effective despite one over that went for 23 runs.
Brydon Carse impressed with the ball, removing Tim Robinson with his first delivery and dismissing Rachin Ravindra for eight, finishing with a smart 2-27. His performance strengthens his case for the World Cup squad, though Jofra Archer is likely to take one of the pace spots in England’s first-choice XI.
What They Said
Harry Brook (Player of the Match & England Captain):
"It felt good out there. It’s always nice to contribute and doing it alongside Phil Salt in this new era was great. We kept calm, manipulated the field, and kept pressure on. With the ball, we stuck to our plans and taking all 10 wickets is awesome."
Mitchell Santner (New Zealand Captain):
"It was a flatter surface than the other night. England played smart — they targeted the short side and ran twos to the big boundary. When a partnership gets to 100 in T20s, it’s hard to stop. We tried different plans, but they kept the pressure on."