England roared back into the T20I series with a commanding 65-run victory over New Zealand in the second game at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, on Monday. The win was built around a superb batting display led by RCB star Phil Salt and skipper Harry Brook, whose explosive partnership demolished the Kiwi attack.
After being put in to bat, England lost Jos Buttler early, but Salt seized control with an authoritative 85 off 56 balls, mixing classical stroke play with calculated aggression. His 11 boundaries and a six set the perfect platform. Harry Brook, continuing his red-hot form, unleashed a brutal 78 from only 35 balls, peppering the boundaries with six fours and five sixes.
The pair added 129 runs for the third wicket to take England well past the 200
mark. Tom Banton (29* off 12) and Sam Curran (8* off 3) provided a fiery finish, as England piled up 236/4 - their third-highest total in T20 internationals.
For New Zealand, Kyle Jamieson (2/47) was the only bowler to make any real impression, while others faced relentless punishment from the English batsmen.
Chasing a daunting 237, New Zealand began brightly but failed to sustain momentum. Tim Seifert scored 39, and skipper Mitchell Santner's 36 off 15 balls added some late fireworks, yet wickets fell regularly under scoreboard pressure. Adil Rashid spun a web with figures of 4/32, supported by Liam Dawson (2/38) and Brydon Carse (2/27), as the hosts were dismissed for 171 in 18 overs.
Salt's aggressiveness at the top and Brook's mature yet fearless captaincy combined to deliver one of England's most dominant T20I outings in recent memory. With the series leveled 1-1, both sides head into the third T20I with everything to play for.
