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Right then, that is all that we have for you from the first T20I! New Zealand taking an unassailable 1-0 lead in the two-match series. Join us back on Friday as the action and excitement will continue, with the sides locking horns for the second T20I. Switch tabs and catch some international action happening in another part of the globe as India and West Indies battle it out in the third ODI. Stay tuned to Sportskeeda for the latest news and live coverage of matches from all across the world. Until we meet again, this is me, Maanas Upadhyay, alongside Bidipto Datta, signing off! Adios!
Mitchell Santner (New Zealand skipper): We got off to a good start on a tricky wicket. We got 230 on the board and they had to come hard. They had to come after us on a small ground but it was good to get some turn. When he (Allen) gets going, he hits it pretty well. The depth in our squad is on show at the moment.
Richie Berrington (Scotland skipper): Not the best day, we did not play the way we wanted to but there were a few positives for us. Think we leaked a few more than we wanted to in the end. Credit to Allen, he played a super knock. I think we can execute a lot better and move forward. Got another opportunity on Friday. I think we can take a lot of learnings through this - Chris Greaves bowled brilliantly through the middle.
Finn Allen (Player of the Match): It's a nice wicket out there, first game. Nice to get a few runs for your country. I feel like I have been hitting the ball nicely lately, feels good to get a few off the middle. Guptill is great - he is a calm character and really great to be in the middle with. Good surface, the ball was coming on nicely - we were longing that from Ireland.
New Zealand - 225/5, beat Scotland - 157/8, by 68 runs and take a 1-0 lead in the 2-match T20I series.
Calum MacLeod 33 (24) | Chris Greaves 31 (22) || Ish Sodhi - 4/28 | Mitchell Santner - 2/23 Finn Allen 101 (56) | Martin Guptill 40 (31) || Mark Watt - 1/32 | Richie Berrington - 1/13
New Zealand had a lot of runs to play with and Scotland were nowhere close to chasing them down in the end. Barring a few positives, their batting lacked the firepower to dominate the New Zealand bowling, even on a good batting pitch.
Scotland did try to sweep and reverse sweep a lot against the quality spin of New Zealand, but that ploy worked only up to a certain extent, as the predictability set in and New Zealand found a way to negotiate that.
Once again, like in the first innings, pace on the ball was slightly easier to handle than pace off the ball. Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi were brilliant with the ball, getting them to turn and dip, making it really hard for the hosts to get them away. They also took six wickets between them to show for their efforts.
Ben Sears had a decent outing, but he will have to change his pace a little more on flatter pitches, but that can come with time. Lockie Ferguson too had a slightly off-day, barring that last over which was like a death bowling exhibition.
On the whole, a fine outing for New Zealand and with the first match comfortably in the pocket, they can press for a series win on Friday. For Scotland, they will have to bowl a lot better with pace on, and find some more ways of playing spin, than only sweeping them.
20
overs
157/8score
0
1nb
1b
0
0
W
2
runs
Mark Watt
17(12)
Chris Sole*
2(1)
Lockie Ferguson
1/35
19.6 Lockie Ferguson to Chris Sole, length ball on the middle stump line, Sole swings hard at that and drags it through the backward square leg region for a couple of runs. And that will wrap up proceedings as New Zealand seal the first T20I by 68 runs!
Chris Sole, RHB, is at the crease.
19.5 Lockie Ferguson to Safyaan Sharif, OUT! EDGED AND GONE! Length ball on the fourth stump line, a little too quick for the backing-away Sharif, who looks to get some bat on that. Hangs his bat away from his body in a bid to make some connection but can only get a little feather on it en route the keeper, who pouches it with ease!
Safyaan Sharif c Dane Cleaver b Lockie Ferguson 14 (12b, 1x4, 1x6)
19.4 Lockie Ferguson to Safyaan Sharif, back of a length ball outside off angling in, Sharif attempts an upper-cut but it is to no avail as he fails to get bat on ball.
19.3 Lockie Ferguson to Safyaan Sharif, gives himself a little room and slices the full delivery outside off straight to the fielder at backward point. No run on offer there!
19.2 Lockie Ferguson to Mark Watt, a slower bumper dug into the pitch, Watt misses out on the hoick and the keeper is undone by the awkward bounce. The ball trickles down to long leg as the batters run a bye.
19.2 Lockie Ferguson to Mark Watt, NO BALL! A massive full toss outside off, Watt moves across a long, long way and looks to pull it away but fails to make any connection. Free hit coming up!
19.1 Lockie Ferguson to Mark Watt, a low full toss on the middle stump line, drilled back to Ferguson, who gets a hand on it before it ricochets to mid off.
So we are about to get into the last over now and Scotland are batting decently. They have brought up their 150 with a six! They can be happy with their batting somewhat, and would also like to finish well, wouldn't they? !
19
overs
153/7score
0
1
1
1
1
6
runs
Mark Watt
17(9)
Safyaan Sharif*
14(9)
James Neesham
0/17
18.6 James Neesham to Safyaan Sharif, SIX! LAUNCHED! Clears the boundary well! Back of a length ball on the middle stump line angling in, Sharif gets his front foot out of the way and pulls that handsomely over the square leg region for a huge maximum! Sharif displaying his abilities with the willow here!
18.5 James Neesham to Mark Watt, into the blockhole and on the leg stump line, Watt clips that off his pads towards deep backward square leg for another single.
18.4 James Neesham to Safyaan Sharif, back of a length ball on the middle stump line, Sharif swivels on the pull and gets it towards deep backward square leg, who collects it on the bounce, for a single.