Trans-Tasman T20I Tri-Series, 2018: England vs New Zealand, 4th match, 5 talking points

New Zealand managed to bag their first win of the T20I Tri-series as England lost their third match chasing 197 for victory. Alex Hales and Dawid Malan combined in a hopeful second wicket stand before the dismissal of the latter opened up a vulnerable middle-order. Trent Boult and Tim Southee then sealed the game with some tight death bowling.

Earlier, Martin Guptill blazed away at a strike rate close to 200 and Kane Williamson followed in his footsteps with an onslaught of his own. Adil Rashid pegged back the Kiwis with two wickets in two balls but Mark Chapman and Tim Seifert took the Black Caps to 196, a winning total in the end.

#5 Mark Wood overcomes flat start to prize out Munro

Mark Wood roared back with the scalp of Munro

Few batsmen made as big an impact in T20Is as Colin Munro. England's hope of grabbing their first win in the Tri-Series rested on getting Munro out early but Mark Wood was greeted with a carnage from the Kiwi openers - Colin Munro and Martin Guptill. He was thumped for three fours in his first over as New Zealand got off to a flier.

When Wood returned to the attack, Guptill was quick to send his short and wide ball to the boundary ropes but this was followed by the England seamer finding solace by dismissing the big gun, Colin Munro, two balls later. A short delivery was skied straight to fine leg by the Kiwi opener.

#4 Guptill tees off to fabulous half-century

Guptill slammed a quickfire half-century

Martin Guptill loves England. He has two hundreds and four half-centuries against them in ODIs including a terrific 189* and he seemed to be well on his way to replicate his record in the shortest format of the game at Wellington. The Kiwi opener started off with a bang, slamming Mark Wood and David Willey all around the park before digging into Adil Rashid.

The leg-spinner was battered for three sixes off slog sweeps through cow corner as the opener raced past his half-century in no time. But Rashid had the last laugh when Guptill tried to scoop a full toss and ended up giving catching practice to the fielder. His 40-ball 65, however, gave New Zealand the momentum early on in the innings.

#3 Adil Rashid steps up to bring England back

Rashid picked up two in two balls much to the relief of England fans

They say leg-spinners are gold in the shortest format of the game. It hardly seemed the case when Martin Guptill got down on one knee and kept hammering the cow corner boundary with his blistering slog sweeps. Rashid looked lost but wrist-spinners these days have a knack of grabbing a moment by the scruff of its neck.

Right when it seemed like Guptill would keep bombarding the boundary edges, Rashid bowled poor full toss that the Black Caps opener hit straight to the fielder. Colin de Grandhomme walked out with all the confidence in the world and bludgeoned Rashid to long-off the very first ball but Chris Jordan interrupted with a stunning one-handed take.

#2 Kane Williamson shows who is the boss

Williamson showcased his aggressive side

There was a huge outcry when Kane Williamson managed to grab an IPL deal ahead of Joe Root in the recently concluded IPL Auctions. But the New Zealand skipper is a pretty handy T20 cricketer and showed just why when he cashed in on a good start to push New Zealand to a good total at Wellington.

The New Zealand no.3 was on song and dug into England's quick bowlers with sublime strokes all around the wicket. The ball raced away off his willow and cleared the rope four times while breaching the boundary along the ground a further four times. His 46-ball 72 ended in Chris Jordan's brilliant over, a lesson in death bowling.

#1 Alex Hales, Dawid Malan fight back but cannot push England over the line

Dawid Malan fought back for England in the run chase

Alex Hales and Dawid Malan hit back in the run chase for England, forging a 65 run partnership that helped the visitors off to a sprightly start. Hales seemed to have hit his straps, smashing Boult for two fours and as many sixes in the same over before he fell to a half-tracker from Ish Sodhi just short of his half-century.

Malan carried on in the same vein, manipulating the field smartly and holding together a faltering middle-order. The southpaw's 59 came in 40 balls before Mitchell Santner sent him back as the chase tightened. Trent Boult then landed two perfect yorkers to account for Jordan and Plunkett and seal the game for the Kiwis.