🔗 Share this article Sam Curran along with Rain Come to the Rescue Against the Kiwis in Twenty20 Opener Even before the rainfall began, the English team's season start had turned into a lackluster beginning. On a chilly Canterbury night, the team's batsmen were caught off guard by the ball's deviation – “You don’t expect that in white-ball cricket, so when it does do a little bit it’s almost a shock,” remarked Harry Brook. Additionally, they were slowed down by the spin of Mitchell Santner and Bracewell, stumbling to five wickets for 81 runs before initially Sam Curran seemed to rescue them, and then the weather completely took over. Feeble Start for the English Only two players managed over twenty runs, and the dismissal of Buttler for twenty-nine, the former captain becoming the fifth man to fall, marking a sluggish opening to the team's batting before Sam Curran's forty-nine boosted their position. “To have him back in the side, he’s a very valuable player to us now with bat, ball and in the field,” commented Harry Brook. “For him to get us out of a bit of a hole and up to a respectable total was awesome. He’s a valuable player to have in the middle order, a left-hander as well – he’s going to be around for a while, I think.” Brook’s Milestone Overshadowed Before play, Harry Brook had been presented with a commemorative cap – similar to his standard one – to mark his 50th appearance in this format, the skipper becoming the 14th Englishman to achieve this milestone. However, the highlight on his cap was the sole high point of his evening, which included a unsuccessful toss and a equally unfortunate exit, clean bowled off his pads just as he found his rhythm after a slow beginning. The All-rounder's Lucky Escapes Any good fortune England had was eagerly seized by Sam Curran, who was helped by three extraordinary let-offs. He was on 14 when he skied a Jacob Duffy ball toward the Canterbury air, from which rain had, conveniently, begun to come down. The ball came back slippery and promptly escaped the fielder's grasp. After a brief interruption and seven deliveries after, Curran, now on 26, lifted the ball towards the fielder, where Tim Robinson did not have to move but nonetheless could not handle it. Next, in the subsequent over, he tried to paddle a Jamieson ball that was overpitched for that action, failed to connect completely, and was trapped on the front pad. There was little doubt about where the ball was heading, and the on-field umpire certainly had none, but by this stage Curran was the final key batsman and the team had reviews to spare. Upon reviewing at a replay, the 27-year-old was halfway to the pavilion, preparing to leave, when it was determined that the ball had pitched outside the wicket and he was summoned back. He added 19 more off his final deliveries to push the team to 153/6, at which point the weather returned to end the contest. Team Confidence Stays Strong However, their inability to handle the challenges presented by the Kiwis' attack does not mean England will be seeking any other options. “We didn’t begin as planned, but we’ll focus on reinforcing our strategy,” explained the batsman. “There’s a reason why the team is laid out the way it is – because if we get into situations like that we always have someone who can get us out of the problem.” The Opposition's Encouraging View Despite those missed catches, New Zealand will be encouraged by the way they sunk England’s theoretically strong batting lineup, their six bowlers claiming a wicket apiece. “Not knowing how the game would have played out we can only judge on our performance and I guess we’re happy with where we’re at,” said Jamieson. “I think we made good improvements from when we played Australia a couple of weeks ago. It’s just growth really. As long as we continue along that path that’s a win for us, and that’s what success looks like.”