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 opted to bowl first. The Black Caps took full advant🐻ageꦆ 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-ball 47, and there were contributions from Eoin Morgan (17 off 7) 🎶and Sam Curran (24 off 11).
🥃But when Chris Jordan came to t🐬he 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 occasiꦅon, 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 should send 💃us cricket fans an invoice. And use that money to buy us heart medi🅘cation 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)
Bilateral T20I series-deciding match at Eden Park, Auckland (via super o♏ver)— 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 w🥃e are on to a super over. This time th🥃e bowler.
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99)
Amazing!
England win the seriesꦯ after ANOTHERꩵ super over victory over .
— Test Match Special (@bbctms)