England brush aside New Zealand to take 1-0 lead in T20 series

Dawid Malan responds to pressure on his England World Cup spot by scoring half-century to help win first T20 against New Zealand… with Harry Brook finishing 43 not out as Brydon Carse takes three wickets

• Dawid Malan made a composed 54 as England cruised to a seven-wicket victory
• England pace bowler Brydon Carse claimed an impressive 3-23 on his T20 debut
• Luke Wood was hit for three sixes in first over but recovered to take three wickets

Dawid Malan responded to the pressure of Harry Brook breathing down his neck by guiding England to their first Twenty20 win since becoming double world champions.

The decision to overlook Brook has only served to place the focus on those who have been picked for the one-day title defence in India in October, but with his Yorkshire team-mate again showcasing his immense power, Malan produced a welcome return to form with a well-paced 54 from 42 balls.

Liam Livingstone – another World Cup selection – rushed England to their 140-run target with 36 balls unused when he crunched England’s seventh six.

Malan, who turns 36 on Sunday, was axed by Trent Rockets midway through the Hundred but passed 50 for the 17th time at this level with the second of two powerfully swept sixes shortly before Brook had a 15,000 sell-out on their feet with the biggest strike of the night – a nonchalant pull plonked over midwicket off New Zealand captain Tim Southee.

‘Dawid Malan is a class player and has been for a long period of time. He’s been very consistent at number three in T20s and shown great form in ODIs when he’s had the chance,’ said England captain Jos Buttler.

England pace bowler Brydon Carse claimed an impressive 3-23 on his T20 debut

England’s Luke Wood was hit for three sixes in the first over but recovered to take 3-37

Malan was in for the third legitimate delivery of the innings after Southee had Jonny Bairstow held low at slip – surpassing Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan as the most prolific Twenty20 international bowler in the process.

A 57-run stand for the second wicket with Will Jacks got things back on track before the latter succumbed in extraordinary fashion – picking out deep square leg from a double hit off leg-spinner Ish Sodhi.

Brook soon restored normal service, however, launching Sodhi for consecutive sixes to move into double figures and once again highlighted the riches England possess to not select him in their 15-man, 50-over squad, finishing unbeaten on 43 from 27.

Having been whitewashed 3-0 in Bangladesh earlier this year, this was a first win for Buttler’s team in this format since defeating Pakistan in the World Cup final in Melbourne last November.

Things did not start well, though, after Buttler won the toss and he might have been fearing the worst when Finn Allen blasted New Zealand out of the blocks, crunching three of the innings’ first five balls for six.

But Lancashire left-armer Luke Wood instigated the fightback at the start of the four-match series, returning from that opening over mauling by switching to the Lumley End and inducing a feathered edge from a flat-footed Devon Conway for the initial breakthrough.

The New Zealanders limped out of the power play at 38 for three, shortly after Wood rushed through Tim Seifert’s defence in his next over.

In between those wickets, a delivery from debutant Brydon Carse that nipped back ended Allen’s curious contribution: aside from his trio of early blows, he managed just three off a dozen balls.

Dawid Malan made a composed 54 as England cruised to a seven-wicket victory

Harry Brook struck an unbeaten 43 off 27 balls to take England home at Durham

Carse, who appeared in the last of his nine one-day internationals against South Africa a year ago here in Chester-le-Street, was back on home territory to make his Twenty20 international debut, receiving his cap from Durham team-mate Mark Wood, who joined up with the squad to work on his fitness after being rested since the end of the Ashes last month.

Carse is one of the high-end pace options England are considering as a reserve for that tournament should Jofra Archer not prove his fitness following more elbow surgery, and he touched 90 miles per hour during an opening spell of 2-0-3-1.

With the spin trio of Adil Rashid, Moeen Ali and Livingstone teaming up for combined figures of 9-0-54-3, New Zealand never recovered from a halfway score of 64 for four, failing to make use of either the ground’s long square boundaries – running just 10 twos – or the shorter straight ones.

Carse and Wood both picked up further wickets at the death to finish with three for 23 and three for 37 respectively.

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