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Prior to the rainfall started, England's season start became a lackluster affair. On a cool Canterbury evening, their batters were surprised by the ball's deviation – “It’s rare in limited-overs cricket, so any movement can be startling,” stated Harry Brook. They were also stifled by the spin of Santner and Bracewell, struggling to five wickets for 81 runs before first Curran seemed to save them, and then the rain definitively took over.

Feeble Start for England

Only two players scored more than 20, with the dismissal of Jos Buttler for 29, ex-skipper turning into the fifth man to fall, highlighting a sluggish opening to the team's batting until 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,” said Harry Brook. “His effort to rescue us from trouble and reach a decent score was impressive. As a left-handed middle-order player, he’s an asset and likely to stay with the team long-term.”

Brook’s Milestone Marred

Before play, Harry Brook received a special award – similar to his standard one – to mark his half-century of games in T20 cricket, the white-ball captain now the 14th player from England to reach this milestone. However, the highlight on his cap was the only high point of his evening, which included a unsuccessful toss and a equally unfortunate exit, clean bowled leg before wicket just as he got into form after a slow beginning.

The All-rounder's Fortunate Escapes

What luck England experienced was greedily hoovered up by Curran, who was helped by three extraordinary escapes. He was on 14 when he lofted a Jacob Duffy ball high into the Canterbury sky, from which precipitation had, fortunately, begun to fall. The ball came back slippery and duly escaped the bowler’s fingers.

After a brief interruption and later overs later, the batsman, at 26 runs, lifted the ball to point, where Robinson did not have to move but nonetheless could not catch it. Next, in the subsequent over, he attempted to scoop a Kyle Jamieson ball that was overpitched for that action, missed it entirely, and was pinned on the front pad.

There was little doubt about where the ball was heading, and the official agreed, but by this point Curran was the last recognised batter and England had reviews to use. Upon one look at a video, the player was halfway to the dressing room, preparing to leave, when it was established that the ball had pitched outside the wicket and he was called back. He scored another 19 runs off his last eight balls to carry the team to 153/6, at which point the rain resumed to curtail the match.

Team Confidence Remains High

But, their inability to answer the challenges posed by the Kiwis' bowlers does not mean England will be seeking any other options. “Obviously we didn’t get the start we wanted but the message is going to be just double down,” said Brook. “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.”

New Zealand’s Positive Outlook

In spite of those missed catches, New Zealand will be buoyed up by the way they dismantled the English theoretically strong order, their attackers claiming a wicket each. “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 Kyle Jamieson. “We’ve progressed since facing Australia recently. It’s about development; staying on this track is a victory and defines our success.”