During the first T20I clash between England and New Zealand, an unusual incident occurred when the home team took a questionable review despite the ball clearly striking the middle of Glenn Phillips’ bat. Captain and wicket-keeper Jos Buttler made an appeal to the umpire, although bowler Liam Livingstone displayed little interest.

Nonetheless, Buttler proceeded with a review, only for the Decision Review System (DRS) to reveal that the ball had hit the bat and was nowhere near the pads. The peculiar DRS appeal quickly gained traction on social media, with many finding amusement in England’s decision.

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As New Zealand found themselves six wickets down, speculation arose that the home team sought to capitalize on the situation. However, the review ultimately went against their favor. Turning to the match itself, England won the toss and chose to field first. New Zealand encountered difficulties in establishing momentum, with Glenn Phillips being the sole batter to maintain consistency after a promising start.

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Only five of their players managed to reach double-digit scores as the Black Caps set a target of 139 in their first innings. Phillips contributed 41 runs off 38 deliveries, while Luke Wood and Brydon Carse of the Three Lions secured three wickets each.

In response, England’s chase saw Will Jacks making a promising start, but he failed to convert it into a substantial score, accumulating 22 runs off 12 deliveries. Following his departure, Dawid Malan and Harry Brook took charge of the situation. Malan, batting at number three, compiled 54 runs off 42 deliveries, while Brook’s unbeaten 43 runs off 27 deliveries further propelled the home team. The target was successfully chased down in a mere 14 overs.

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Notably, Tim Southee claimed one wicket in the match, propelling him to become the leading wicket-taker in T20I cricket history. Currently leading the team in the absence of skipper Kane Williamson, Southee is at the helm for New Zealand’s campaign in England and aims to stage a comeback in the remaining three matches of the series.