New Zealand v England: fourth T20 international – live!

10th over: New Zealand 91-6 (Southee 1, Santner 2) What a game for the rookies!

Taylor flicks Brown off his legs and is caught low down, nonchalantly by Tom Banton, the Somerset wicketkeeper. I hope no-one came for the second innings.

9th over: New Zealand 85-5 (Taylor 11, Santner 0) New Zealand had no choice but to attack, and Parkinson reaps the benefits, three wickets in five balls. Taylor nobbles him for six, but then there is a handy lbw shout (turned down) which replays show should actually have been out as Taylor was hit on the back leg trying to sweep.

Well he misses the hat-trick, but I think he’ll take three in five! Mitchell dragged Parky straight and high and was well caught by Jordan just forward of the boundary.

8th over: New Zealand 77-4 (Taylor 3, Mitchell 2) Another baby-faced destroyer, Pat Brown, whose glance down at the ground in delivery is almost Anderson-esque. Just six from the over

John Starbuck writes again, “‘Im a bit further north in Yorkshire than Diana (1st over). As Dawn does her stuff, we can see faint traces of blue sky. Summer lingers on!

I love your optimism John! Meanwhile Ian Wilson has words for the England selectors

I think maybe the England Test team have been a bit hasty in asking Bairstow to stay on as cover for Denly, when Malan as been in good form and has an overseas test hundred recently, I admit he is into his mid 30s, but Bairstow is too inconsistent for a middle order role and is definitely not good enough to play wicketkeeper-batsman.

7th over: New Zealand 71-4 (Taylor 1, Mitchell 0) Morgan whistles up for Parkinson and the New Zealand batsmen can’t resist having a go. And fall flat on their faces. This could end up a damp squib rather quickly.

And another one, two in two balls, Munro down on one knee but doesn’t get enough welly on it, and another catch at deep mid-wicket .

The ball after de Grandhomme sent Parkinson for six, he tries again and the ball soars to Parkinson’s former England U-19 teammate Banton on the boundary. Easy.

6th over: New Zealand 61-2 (de Grandhomme 0, Munro 28) Jonny Bairstow’s on the mike, which I can’t believe he’s enjoying. He calls the Malan-Morgan partnership “seriously special hitting” and says “Parky’s overs are going to be key.” Then Munro charges straight into the back of Chris Jordan – Jordan winces, imagine a baby rhino in the ribs. Then the wicket – a couple more and NZ will have no chance.

The slower ball, top edged to Curran who just waits for it to fall into his paws

5th over: New Zealand 56-1 (Sellert 1, Munro 26) Respite for England with Guptill’s departure. At the same stage England were 31 for one – so the second-highest run-chase in IT20 history still very much on.

England breathe a sigh of relief as Guptill flicks a low full toss straight to Malan at midwicket just after one-handedly pulling him for four.

4th over: New Zealand 49-0 (Guptill 23, Munro 24) Whoo-hoo! Guptill goes off the front-foot to Chris Jordan and send the ball square and high and out of the ground! It’s his second six of the over as New Zealand see England, and raise them ten.

3rd over: New Zealand 34-0 (Guptill 10, Munro 22) The sky is pink, then purple, as Curran scampers in, little legs pumping, two hands clasped together. Guptill sends him over the short leg side boundary for six, Munro casually lofts him over the long-on boundary for four. A bouncer! No ball.

“The pyramid tea bag was designed for situations such as your own, Tanya, where speed is of the essence, allowing the tea leaves to infuse faster than the traditional square or round versions where the leaves become trapped,” writes Ian Forth

“ I once spent years of my life in the development of pyramid tea bags so that people could save twenty or thirty seconds out of their day. Other people might worry about their legacy, but not me.”

Ian, as I sip my stewed tea, I raise my cap (or in this case my dressing-gown hood).

2nd over: New Zealand 16-0 (Guptill 3, Munro 14) Ah, love it, a brotherly opening pair, Tom Curran opens from the other end, taller, stockier, darker, palm trees silhouetted behind him. Munro gets a bottom edge and swings behind for a boundary. A handful of singles.

1st over: New Zealand 8-0 (Guptill 1, Munro 7) Sam Curran takes the new ball, the sun has set and the floodlights are starting to spread their fingertips. Munro flicks Curran off his hip for New Zealand’s first boundary and Diana writes from over the Pennines – Morning Diana!

Morning Tanya, It has finally stopped raining in South Yorkshire where we need our water-wings! Enjoy the cricket and Messrs Morgan and Milan.

Thank you! Hope the waters are receeding in Sheffield.

Oh god, they’re back, I haven’t even taken the tea bag out .

I’m just going to make a quick cup of tea, back in five. Malan’s hundred, btw, was the fastest by an Englishman in IT20s.

20th over: England 241-3 (Billings 0, Malan 103) Well, what a cracking way to start the morning. A shame Morgan couldn’t make three figures but England made the absolute most of those short boundaries – a partnership of 182 off 12.2 overs between Malan and Morgan full of booming boundaries and played with a wonderful laisser-faire. Poor Sam Billings got to face one ball, and missed it… them’s the breaks.

A standing ovation for Eoin Morgan as he selflessly goes for just one more boundary, a slog of sorts, and is caught at deep extra.

19th over: England 233-2 (Morgan 85, Malan 101) Such power in those wrists! Morgan flicks Mitchell, and the ball goes high over his shoulder, higher again, for six. He casually flicks out a couple more – one straight and low, another over long -off. And that’s England’s highest ever score in T20s and the third highest partnership in T20 history. How’s that tasting with your cornflakes?

18th over: England 208-2 (Morgan 61 , Malan 101) Just a casual six from Dawid Malan off Boult – hang about, make that two! and that’s Malan’s first T20 hundred for England – 9 fours, six sixes, a hundred in 48 balls. ‘You beauty!” he says. England’s highest score in IT20s is 230…

17th over: England 193-2 (Morgan 60 , Malan 89) Ah, Mr Malan, we’ve been expecting you. FOUR, SIX, SIX, FOUR, SIX, TWO! A wide ball reverse swept, a leg-side six, another six at an attempted googly, a free-swinging reverse-sweep for four, another leg-side six and a nibble for two off poor old Sodhi. 20 fours and 8 sixes in the innings so far.

16th over: England 165-2 (Morgan 60 , Malan 61) The sun giving the fielders a few problems here, with half the ground in shade and the other half near-blinded by the setting sun. The hundred partnership comes up and Morgan hammers Tickner back over his head as the umpire ducks sideways for his life. And another escape for Morgan, as he is caught off another above waist-height no ball – Malan misses the free hit going for the scoop. We see Jonny Bairstow biting hard at his nails, finger, finger, thumb.

15th over: England 156-2 (Morgan 54 , Malan 59) Morgan gets a reprieve after heaving Santner to the fielder on the deep mid-wicket boundary, only for the ball to be ruled too high. The free hit only goes for one – actually a bit of light-relief that over, just seven from it. Five overs to go.

14th over: England 149-2 (Morgan 51 , Malan 57) Malan, Morgan, Malan, bish, bash, bosh, 20 off the over. Fifty for Malan, in consecutive matches, and now fifty for Eoin Morgan in 21 deliveries. New Zealand need to take a deep breath here.

13th over: England 129-2 (Morgan 40 , Malan 39) On TMS, Jonathan Agnew is gushing about Napier’s art deco buildings; on the pitch, Malan and Morgan continue the ruthless brutality. Malan even loses his bat attempting to slice Tickner through point. He gets it back, only to brutalise another four in the same area.

12th over: England 120-2 (Morgan 40 , Malan 39) An edge down to third man off Boult to start the over, a straight charge for four to end it, happy days for Eoin Morgan.

An email! “Morning, Tanya.” Hello John Starbuck!

At 60-2 this is what we can call respectability, in so far as T20I is ever respectable. When is irresponsibility due to kick in?

OOOh, that’s a question. At 11 overs? Aged 55? Five to midnight?

11th over: England 108-2 (Morgan 30 , Malan 37) Santner coming in for some punishment as Malan and Morgan compete in a kind of duck-shooting contest either side of the square – 20 from the over and that’s the fifty partnership.

10th over: England 88-2 (Morgan 23 , Malan 24) Malan survives a review for lbw, as Tickner’s moustached delivery is judged to have hit him outside the line. Morgan steps legside and lofts him over long-on onto the grassy bank, then next ball over cover for four. I think Morgan wants to win this one.

9th over: England 73-2 (Morgan 13 , Malan 19) Morgan whallopps Sodhi high over deep square leg for six, effortlessly, as you do. Ah, and then a great bit of fielding on the boundary, as what was going to be a catch is thrown on the ground because the fielder was going to land on the rope – four runs saved.

8th over: England 61-2 (Morgan 2 , Malan 18) Tis a shame, Banton was looking in entertaining mood. Ah, now they’re showing an aerial shot of the ground, that’s just rubbing it in, we see the glistening south Pacific stretching out forever.

Banton fancies a reverse sweep, he flips round to play the shot, almost cartoon style, and is hit on the back leg, I think, though it’s hard to tell he’s so skewed out of position. Anyway, the original decision is not out, New Zealand review, and Banton is on his way after a stylish cameo.

7th over: England 57-1 (Banton 31 , Malan 17) Malan is not to be outdone, he watches, waits, smoothly swivels and reverse sweeps Sodhi for four. Add five effortless singles to the mix and England are starting to accelerate away.

6th over: England 48-1 (Banton 29 , Malan 10) It’s the last over of the power play and Tom Banton is in the mood. Boom – backwards of square for four. Bash – stand and deliver. Thwack – six, sailing, high, over deep midwicket. “Kevin Pieterseten!” says David Lloyd.

5th over: England 31-1 (Banton 13 , Malan 9) Ah, that’s gorgeous from Banton. His hand speed is so quick, and he sends the ball skimming through for four. Then Malan gets in on the act. 13 from the over.

And a message! From Sam Aldred: “A shout out to 20yr sports journalist Big W on his last day on the job at the NZ Herald.” Good on ya, Winston, raising a glass from here, and good luck on whatever it is you’re going to do next.

4th over: England 18-1 (Banton 8 , Malan 1) Yorkshire’s newest recruit Dawid Malan sees out the over, squeezing a single off Santner’s last ball. He’s been in super form this series, and he’s a man you feel will not waste his opportunities.

First ball of Santner’s spell, a long-hop, and Bairstow lofts him straight into Mitchell’s hands on the deep square leg boundary. He leans on his bat in despair, before trudging off.

3rd over: England 16-0 (Banton 8 , Bairstow 8) An eventful over. Bairstow strides down the wicket and tonks Boult for what looks like a certain four but some super fielding from Southee in the circle stops a run. Next ball, he goes high, straight back down over Boult for a boundary. Then a rather reckless throw of the bat, before Banton is given out lbw, hit high on the back leg, they review, and he is reprieved, the ball pitched outside leg.

2nd over: England 10-0 (Banton 8 , Bairstow 2) Southee squints into the sunshine before starting his first over. A tasty shot from Banton, then Bairstow off the mark with a clip off his toes. Ah, dear me, a terrible near run-out, as Banton stop-starts and Bairstow is forced to dive back towards his crease. Don’t do that to Jonny- he get mad.

1st over: England 5-0 (Banton 5 , Bairstow 0) Welsh Fire’s opening partnership faces up to Trent Boult. Banton gets a tissue of bat onto a swinger from Boult which slides legside for four. He swings and misses at another, and then they run through for a single.

They’re out in the middle, shadows stretching over the pitch, Tom Banton in long sleeves doing knee squats, Bairstow in short sleeves and an arm guard. Here we go…

In the Sky studio they’re discussing boundaries (short, square of the wicket) and the drop in pitch. Do drop me a line if you’re awake, wherever you are. Here’s the scene at Napier.

Ah, New Zealand have won the toss and will bowl – the skies look kind and dazzling.

New Zealand have brought back Boult for Lockie Ferguson as expected, and Daryl Mitchell replaces a slightly off-colour Jimmy Neesham. England bring back Bairstow and Chris Jordan.

New Zealand: 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Tim Seifert (wk), 4 Colin de Grandhomme, 5 Ross Taylor, 6 Daryl Mitchell, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Tim Southee (capt), 9 Ish Sodhi, 10 Trent Boult, 11 Blair Tickner

England: 1 Jonny Bairstow, 2 Tom Banton, 3 Dawid Malan, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Sam Billings (wk), 6 Lewis Gregory, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Tom Curran, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 Matt Parkinson, 11 Pat Brown

Good morning from a sponge-like north of England, slowly sinking at every step. It’s dark, it’s damp and I’m incredibly envious of anyone waking up and stretching for a casual yet cool T-shirt before breakfasting on Kiwi coffee at some kind of funky pavement cafe. And they’ve got Jacinda Ardern. Enough! To Napier, and the fourth IT20 of a five-match season, where England are currently 2-1 down, busted by terrible catching (match 2) and a collapse of 5-19 (match 3).

Jonny Bairstow was yesterday granted a Test reprieve when it was announced that he would stay in New Zealand as cover for Joe Denly and his ankle injury, and we think he’ll play today too. Likewise Tom Banton, who chanced a few flashy shots at Nelson. New Zealand are expected to bring back Trent Boult.