England beat New Zealand in the fifth and final T20I after a nine-run victory in the Super Over at the Eden Park, with the visitors clinching the series 3-2.
Auckland’s poor weather delayed the start for two hours, and the match was reduced to 11 overs per side.
England won the toss and op🎉ted to bowl first. The Black Caps took full advantage of a ground having⛎ very short straight boundaries to post 146/7, with Martin Guptill leading the way with a 20-ball 50.
Losing two wickets in their first seven balls, England looked to have left themselves too much to do, but Jonny Bairstow smashed five sixes in his 🌺18-bal🌠l 47, and there were contributions from Eoin Morgan (17 off 7) and Sam Curran (24 off 11).
But when Chris Jordan came▨ to the crease with England needing 13 off the last three balls, it looked like the tourists would fall short.
Remarkably, the English all-rounder hit a six off James Neesham’s fourth ball, a two, and then a four to tie the game. Like the 2019 World Cup final, the two sides would need a super over to separate them.
England scored 17 thanks to Bairstow and Morgan, and on this occasion, the Kiwis could not get going. Jordan restricted them to 🐓8, and England won the game🐻 comfortably.
Here’s how the cricketing world reacted on Twitter:
Stop it!
— Isa Guha (@isaguha)
England & New Zealand shoulꦇd send us cricket fans an invoice. And useꩲ that money to buy us heart medication if they plan on keeping up this excitement
— Gaurav Kapur (@gauravkapur)
And keep on giving !!
What is it with you guys and Super overs? 🤷♂️— Dean Jones AM (@ProfDeano)
INCREDIBLE FINISH! England get home in yet another SUPER OVER finale between these two sides 🏏 We manage eight from our six balls! Congrats you've got it over us in this SUPER OVER business!!!
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS)
New Zealand in Super Overs
T20I v WI Auckland 2008 (Lost)
T20I v Aus Christchurch 2010 (Won)
T20I v SL Pallekele 2012 (Lost)
T20I v WI Pallekele 2012 (Lost)
ODI v Eng Lord's 2019 (Lost)
T20I v Eng Auckland 2019 (Lost)— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks)
England has now defeated New Zealand on 3 occasions in the last four months… final at Lord's, London 14 Jul 2019 (via super over) SF at Yokohama, Japan on 26 Oct 2019 (19-7)
Biওlateral T20I series-deciding match at Eden Park, Auc𒀰kland (via super over)— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman)
Yes cj well done
— Jofra Archer (@JofraArcher)
Taxi ? Take me to the ground
— Jofra Archer (@JofraArcher)
Can’t write it!
— Joe Root (@root66)
Another epic series against the !
Time for the Tests 🙌
— England's Barmy Army 🏴🎺 (@TheBarmyArmy)
Not again.
— Abhinav Mukund (@mukundabhinav)
Haven’t seen one of these for a while!
— Jos Buttler (@josbuttler)
have produced yet another last over finish and we are on to a super oveꦗr. This time ﷽the bowler.
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99)
Amazing!
England win the ꦬseries after ANOTHER super over🔥 victory over .
— Test Match Special (@bbctms)