England's first T20 against New Zealand abandoned at halfway stage due to rain after Sam Curran hits 49
By Tom Bennett
Updated 18/10/2025 at 10:59 GMT+1
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The start of England’s white-ball tour of New Zealand was a bit of a damp squib as rain forced the first T20 International at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch to be abandoned before the second innings got underway. Sam Curran (49*) top-scored for England in tricky batting conditions, and Harry Brook’s side will hope to adjust to conditions more quickly in the remainder of the tour.
'Unbelievably talented' Brook hits 'beautiful' six against New Zealand
Video credit: TNT Sports
Rain prevents result as scratchy England start winter slowly
The opening match of England’s T20I series in New Zealand was abandoned at the midway point due to persistent rain in Christchurch, after Harry Brook’s side had struggled to 153-6.
England’s Ashes winter is set to ramp up significantly, starting with this six-match white-ball tour of New Zealand before the big Test series in Australia. But there is also a T20 World Cup on the horizon in the spring, with these T20 matches representing a useful set of games for making some final squad decisions ahead of that campaign. And so it will be frustrating for England that they didn’t get a chance to have a go with the ball on an evening that became pretty damp at the Hagley Oval.
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Chapman takes 'great catch' to dismiss Salt as England lose first wicket
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It was the hosts who won the toss and put England in to bat at a historically low-scoring ground, and the ball hooped around in the early stages, causing some issues for the English top order. Jos Buttler (29 from 25) and Harry Brook (20 from 14) tried to inject some momentum into the innings, but England struggled to get going, and were tied down further through the middle of the innings, as six overs of spin yielded just 30 runs.
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'Unbelievably talented' Brook hits 'beautiful' six against New Zealand
Video credit: TNT Sports
Sam Curran, in at number six, led the rebuild alongside his Southern Brave teammate Jordan Cox, and ensured that England got up to a potentially competitive score. The all-rounder accelerated at the death following a short rain delay, ending on 49* from 35 balls as England reached 153-6 from their 20 overs.
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Curran hits six in final over as England finish on 153-6
Video credit: TNT Sports
But rain began to fall again during the innings break, and became too heavy for play to resume, with the match eventually abandoned without a ball being bowled in the second innings.
The tour will resume on Monday at 07:15 BST, back at this same ground.
How to watch New Zealand v England
All three T20 matches and all three ODIs between New Zealand and England will be live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
And England's bid to win back the Ashes for the first time in a decade will also be shown live and exclusively on TNT Sports this winter. Every ball will be shown across TNT Sports and discovery+.
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'Big blow' for Australia if Cummins injury disrupts 'fab four' - Cook
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Harry Brook discusses England’s adaptability
England captain Harry Brook has been speaking after the game, discussing England’s approach with the bat:
"It did a little bit to start with. We obviously want to adapt to the situation and the surface, but with the depth in batting that we’ve got I feel like we can go hard all the way throughout and we’ve got some extremely powerful and talented players in the squad. It was obviously a little bit tough out there.
"It’s been good fun (being captain). We’ve had a great time so far in New Zealand and we’re looking forward to the rest of the series."
Match abandoned in Christchurch
Unfortunately we have run out of time for a restart. Match officials were hopeful of getting back out for at least five-over slug fest in the second innings, but the rain has got heavier and the match has been officially abandoned at the Hagley Oval, with the grassy banks now largely empty. That’s a shame, it would have been interesting to see how England’s attack went about trying to defend such a meagre total.
Rain is falling in Christchurch
There’s some light rain that has delayed the second innings at the Hagley Oval. It’s not enough weather to have emptied the grassy banks, but it is enough to halt play for now.
How to watch New Zealand v England
All three T20 matches and all three ODIs between New Zealand and England will be live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
England set New Zealand 154 to win
So, New Zealand will chase a modest target of 154 at the Hagley Oval, but this is the lowest-scoring of the grounds used regularly around the country for T20 internationals and so England aren’t out of it just yet.
Pace off was the key throughout that first innings, so expect plenty of cutters and variations from the quicks.
Buttler, Brook and Curran were the significant contributors for England with the bat.
All six New Zealand bowlers took a wicket, with Mitch Santner the pick of the attack with 1-20 from his four overs.
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England's bid to win back the Ashes for the first time in a decade will be shown live and exclusively on TNT Sports this winter. Every ball will be shown across TNT Sports and discovery+.
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Watch: Which English cricketer does Starc wish was Australian?
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England 153-6 (Curran 49, Carse 3) Overs bowled: 20
Duffy bowls the final over as England look to give themselves something to work with in the second innings.
Curran again struggles to get hold of it, but a clothed drive down the ground skids off the greasy surface and runs away for four. And that gives him a bit of confidence to dispatch a full toss into the stands for six.
It’s Curran who faces the entirety of the final over and he finishes with a thick edge that beats the dive of the keeper and runs away for four, ending as top scorer with 49 from 35 deliveries.
Curran hits six in final over as England finish on 153-6
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England 134-6 (Curran 31, Carse 3) Overs bowled: 19
Jamieson starts the penultimate over with a wide and a no-ball, but escapes too much punishment from the free-hit and Curran will be frustrated not to have got hold of him.
The finger goes up later in the over for what looks like a decent lbw, but Curran opts for a hopeful review and it works out in his favour, with ball-tracking showing that the ball pitched fractionally outside leg.
A relatively low-scoring death over concludes, and that is a contribution that will have been noted by selectors on both teams.
England 127-6 (Curran 27, Carse 2) Overs bowled: 18
Curran isn’t the best batter in this England set-up, but he seems to have that sort of mindset that works well in a rebuild. He’s trying to make sure the score gets to something competitive, and while you could argue that it’s more impactful to try and force scoring in the manner of Brook or Cox, he’s likely to finish as England’s top-scorer tonight at this rate.
He gets Henry away for a boundary at the start of the over, but then can’t quite get hold of the New Zealand quick, who is rolling out all of his variations, and Curran gets lucky at the back-end of the over as Robinson puts down a simple catch in the deep. The fielder raises a hand in apology.
WICKET! England 116-6 (Curran 17, Carse 1) Overs bowled: 17
Jordan Cox, c Mitchell b Jamieson, 16 (18)
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Cox caught by Mitchell as England struggles continue
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It was only a short break in the end and play resumes. Cox looks to get things going, pumping Jamieson away for four. But then he looks to swipe away a half-volley and doesn’t quite catch it, finding the fielders in the deep.
Testing conditions
It’s been a fascinating match so far, but notably the conditions are about as different as it’s possible to get from what England will face in the T20 World Cup in the spring.
Where this game will be useful in terms of long-term planning for England is to see how they can manage an innings when runs aren’t easy to come by. Jos Buttler and Harry Brook have looked the most comfortable out there, but that’s not exactly new information.
How to watch the Ashes
England's bid to win back the Ashes for the first time in a decade will be shown live and exclusively on TNT Sports this winter. Every ball will be shown across TNT Sports and discovery+.
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Lyon warns England to expect 'totally different conditions' down under
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Only the light covers are on
We hopefully won’t be without play for too long, as it’s only the lightest covers on at the moment. There are umbrellas up around the ground, but it’s that sort of rain where you can see people deciding whether it’s actually worth bothering with the umbrella.
Rain stops play in Christchurch
The umpires tried to keep them out there, but the rain is falling heavier in the south island right now and so out come the groundstaff with the covers and we’ll have a halt in play.
England 109-5 (Curran 15, Cox 12) Overs bowled: 16
Clever batting from Cox, stepping across his stumps to sweep Duffy extremely fine and away for four. That brings up the hundred for England. They’ll want a big finish here to give the bowlers something to defend.
The on-screen stats show that when pace is taken off by the seamers it is incredibly hard to score out there. Carse, Wood and Curran will be taking note.
Curran skies one at the end of the over and it should be a straightforward catch, but Duffy loses it in the lights and the ball finds grass. There’s some moisture in the air and the groundstaff are ready…
England 97-5 (Curran 13, Cox 6) Overs bowled: 15
Santner has been class tonight and he finishes his overs, ending with figures of 20-1.
He tries to spear it into Curran, but gets one slightly wrong midway through the over and the left-hander clears the ropes with a straight hit.
England 90-5 (Curran 7, Cox 5) Overs bowled: 14
Cox is getting a bit bogged down in the early stages of this unfamiliar role, which underlines why England are trying to get him some match time as a finisher, allow him the chance to adjust. Bracewell’s second over yields five runs, all in singles.
England 85-5 (Curran 5, Cox 2) Overs bowled: 13
England consolidate as just two runs come off Jamieson’s second over.
WICKET! England 83-5 (Curran 4, Cox 1) Overs bowled: 12
Jos Buttler, c Henry b Bracewell, 29 (25)
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'Huge wicket' for New Zealand as Buttler is caught
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Buttler tries to get England going, but he doesn’t get hold of a straight hit off Bracewell, and Henry takes a running catch in the outfield. England are in need of a bit of inspiration here.
Jordan Cox is the new batter, in at number seven. That’s a very low batting spot for Cox, but he’s not likely to get into the England team in the top four any time soon, so it makes sense to give him a run as a finisher, get him used to the environment and see if he’s an option in that role.
WICKET! England 78-4 (Buttler 27, Curran 2) Overs bowled: 11
Tom Banton, c Neesham b Santner, 9 (9)
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Banton caught on boundary as England lose fourth wicket
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Banton looks to hit Santner downtown, but doesn’t get hold of it and Neesham takes a good catch on the rope.
Sam Curran is the new batter, and this is a series that could be quite significant for the all-rounder, who came back into the England set-up in September.
Curran has so often been utilised as a lower-order hitter by England, but he is best used higher up the batting order if there’s a space for him, and this is exactly the kind of scenario where he excels, leading a rebuild. If he can show those qualities through this series then it’ll put him right in the mix for the World Cup XI.
England 75-3 (Buttler 26, Banton 9) Overs bowled: 10
It’s time for drinks after an over that sees Banton get one over mid-off and away for four. England will be pretty happy with the platform they’ve got, especially given how much the ball is doing under the lights.
England 68-3 (Buttler 26, Banton 3) Overs bowled: 9
Tom Banton is the new batter and he ticks through another quiet Santner over.
WICKET! England 64-3 (Buttler 25) Overs bowled: 8
Harry Brook, b Neesham, 20 (14)
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'Golden arm' Neesham strikes to dismiss Brook
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Neesham is a good all-rounder, but he’s definitely the sort of bowler that England will look to go after, and Brook shows that straight away, slamming the new bowler’s first delivery for six.
He flicks away another maximum onto the bank from the third ball of the over, and Neesham responds by taking the pace off towards the back end of the over, trying to force the batters to do the work. It works too, as the ball thuds into the thigh of Brook and deflects straight onto the stumps.
'Unbelievably talented' Brook hits 'beautiful' six against New Zealand
Video credit: TNT Sports
England 50-2 (Buttler 24, Brook 7) Overs bowled: 7
The seventh over means spin, as it so often does, and Santner is tricky to get away, conceding six runs from the over.
How to watch the Ashes
England's bid to win back the Ashes for the first time in a decade will be shown live and exclusively on TNT Sports this winter. Every ball will be shown across TNT Sports and discovery+.
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England 44-2 (Buttler 20, Brook 5) Overs bowled: 6
Buttler’s not had tons of the strike early on, but he gives England some momentum in the final over of the powerplay, getting stuck into new bowler Jamieson with back-to-back fours to start the over, the latter of which is an audacious scoop over the keeper’s head.
New Zealand will be the happier of the two teams after six overs, but England have done well to avoid heavier damage in these tricky batting conditions as night falls in Christchurch.
WICKET! England 33-2 (Buttler 10, Brook 4) Overs bowled: 5
Jacob Bethell, c&b Henry, 15 (13)
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Bethell falls as Henry gets 'big breakthrough' for NZ
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Bethell looks to put his foot down, but it’s still very hard to score here and he mistimes a pull that rushes him a bit, sending the ball straight up. Henry has time to gather himself and take the catch.
Captain Brook is the next man in, and he survives a review as Henry hoops one onto the front pad. It’s doing too much and was going down. Brook finishes the over with a flick away to the leg-side boundary for four runs to get off the mark.
England 29-1 (Buttler 10, Bethell 15) Overs bowled: 4
Stunning from Bethell. This series is quite a significant one for young Jacob Bethell. He’s likely in the first XI for the first-choice T20 side, but he can strengthen that claim in these T20s, and then strong performances in the ODI will put him a step closer to usurping Pope in the Test team for the Ashes.
He shows why England like him so much with a couple of glorious shots – a straight six down the ground and then a flick away for four.
England 14-1 (Buttler 9, Bethell 2) Overs bowled: 3
England just regroup a touch in these tricky early conditions. This is the best bowling ground in T20s that we’ll see this series, and the polar opposite conditions to what awaits England in the World Cup, so right now it’s about building a platform.
WICKET! England 11-1 (Buttler 8, Bethell 0) Overs bowled: 2
Phil Salt, c Chapman b Duffy, 3 (4)
Chapman takes 'great catch' to dismiss Salt as England lose first wicket
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He’s not a household name, but Jacob Duffy is one of the highest-ranked bowlers in the world, and the seamer gets a scalp early as Salt slices a catch into the deep. These are very tricky conditions for England’s top order early on.
England 8-0 (Salt 1, Buttler 7) Overs bowled: 1
Matt Henry takes the new ball and he gets it hooping under the lights. It’s a very tricky first over, but England get off to a decent start thanks to a trademark Buttler shot, wristily flicked away for a maximum. Eight runs come off the first over.
07:15 – Here we go
The teams have sung the anthems, the fans are in place on the grassy banks of the glorious Hagley Oval in Christchurch, and play is about to get underway.
How to watch New Zealand v England
All three T20 matches and all three ODIs between New Zealand and England will be live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
07:10 – Hosts won the toss and will bowl first
It was New Zealand who won the toss, meaning that England will bat first.
07:10 – The Teams
New Zealand: 1 Tim Seifert (wk), 2 Rachin Ravindra, 3 Tim Robinson, 4 Mark Chapman, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 Michael Bracewell, 7 James Neesham, 8 Mitchell Santner (capt), 9 Kyle Jamieson, 10 Matt Henry, 11 Jacob Duffy.
England: 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (wk), 3 Jacob Bethell, 4 Harry Brook (capt), 5 Tom Banton, 6 Sam Curran, 7 Jordan Cox, 8 Brydon Carse, 9 Liam Dawson, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Luke Wood.
07:05 – A quietly significant series
So much of the focus around the England cricket team is understandably around the upcoming Ashes, and the 50-over segment of this tour could well act as a sort of warm-up for some of the players heading to Australia in November.
But, there is also a T20 World Cup coming up in the spring, and these three T20s represent half of England’s remaining matches before they travel for that tournament in India and Sri Lanka (there’s also a series vs co-hosts Sri Lanka scheduled for the end of January).
And so, even though it feels a long way off and the conditions will be really quite different, this series is very much an important part of honing the plans and strategies for England’s squad, with the upcoming tournament being the first since Brendan McCullum and Harry Brook took charge of the white-ball teams.
07:00 - Hello and welcome
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the first T20I between New Zealand and England.
Stay tuned for over-by-over live text commentary of this opening game of the tour, or alternatively head on over to TNT Sports or discovery+ to watch the action live.
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