Cricket: New Zealand XI turn tables on England

WHANGAREI: England lost their second Twenty20 warm-up game in New Zealand when a New Zealand XI snatched a three-wicket victory off the last ball of the match yesterday.

A defiant 64 off 38 deliveries by Tom Latham and a final swipe to the mid-off boundary by Matt Henry denied the tourists back-to-back wins after England won the opening game by 46 runs.

Sent into bat first, England made 170 for five, largely through a batting master-class by Eoin Morgan (51) and Jos Buttler (51 not out) who put together a fifth-wicket partnership of 87 in 50 deliveries.

In a tense final over, however, New Zealand held their nerve to overcome the target.

The first T20 international between England and New Zealand will be in Auckland on Saturday.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 7^th, 2013.