Wisden
1st Twenty20 International, The Oval

England v New Zealand, 2013

At The Oval, June 25 (floodlit). New Zealand won by five runs. Toss: England.
Three of New Zealand's younger brigade set up their victory, although old hands Brendon McCullum thumped an important 68 and Taylor pulled off a match-changing catch. Rutherford got the innings off to a rollicking start, batting as if he were playing rounders and peppering the fence between mid-on and backward square. Then, as New Zealand defended their highest Twenty20 total away from home, Corey Anderson sent down a tight final over. It started with 16 required, which shrank when Stokes hit the first ball for six - but the last five deliveries produced only four runs. The third relative newcomer, Latham, was all action behind the stumps, catching Wright and running out Buttler to atone for a missed stumping off Hira when Hales had 31. England had begun quickly, reaching 50 in 3.3 overs, but then Nathan McCullum yorked Lumb and the rate slowed. Still, at 134 for two in the 14th over England seemed on course, but Taylor's one-handed leap disposed of Morgan and justified the brave decision to keep a slip in. The Barmy Army serenaded the new batsman with a chant of "Oh, Ra-vi Bo-pa-ra", to the tune of the White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army", but he couldn't quite repay them with a victory. Earlier, Boyd Rankin had taken a wicket with the fourth ball in his first international for England, after 52 caps for Ireland.
Man of the Match: H. D. Rutherford. Attendance: 19,844.

© John Wisden & Co.