Rain denies New Zealand a chase in Christchurch

The first T20I between New Zealand and England at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, was washed out by rain. Play was set to resume for New Zealand's chase of 154 at 21:18 local time, but persistent showers that lasted until 22:10 ensured that not even a five-over second innings was possible and forced the officials to call off the game.

Earlier, England's innings had been built under tricky early-season conditions. The pitch offered some lateral movement and was on the slower side, making stroke-making challenging. England, who were asked to bat, lost Phil Salt cheaply at the top, while Jacob Bethell got off the mark after six deliveries. He briefly found some rhythm with a couple of boundaries before falling.

Captain Harry Brook came out swinging and struck two sixes and a four before he fell for a 14-ball 20 to a cutter from James Neesham that ricocheted off his pads onto the stumps. Jos Buttler occupied the crease for over ten overs without ever finding fluency and managed only 29 off 25.

When Michael Bracewell dismissed Buttler in the 11th over, the visitors were down at 81 for 5. Sam Curran, walking in at six, provided the backbone of the innings, scoring a useful 35-ball 49* to power England past 150. The total reflected a competitive effort on a two-paced deck, but the rain meant New Zealand never got a chance to respond.

Brief scores: England 153/6 in 20 overs (Sam Curran 49*;Mitchell Santner 1-20, Michael Bracewell 1-10) vs New Zealand. Match Abandoned.