New Zealand v England: Twenty20 betting preview, free tips & where to watch

Cricket tips, best bets and predictions for New Zealand's Twenty20 series against England.

Where to watch

Live on Sky Sports Cricket, 1am Friday

Best bets

England to win series 3-2
2pts 3-1 Betfred

Back this tip with Coral

J Bairstow to be man of the match in first T20
1pt 10-1 bet365, Betfair, Paddy Power

Back this tip with Paddy Power

L Ferguson top New Zealand wicket-taker in first T20
2pts 100-30 general

Back this tip with bet365

Preview

Sequels rarely live up to the original and New Zealand and England’s cricketers face an impossible task in matching the drama of their last meeting.

The pair produced an incredible tied Super Over in the World Cup final in July when England claiming the trophy after hitting more boundaries than the Kiwis.

England have rested several of their World Cup stars for the five-game Twenty20 series in New Zealand and they are 7-4 outsiders.

However, the Black Caps are missing injured captain Kane Williamson – Tim Southee takes the armband – and ace paceman Trent Boult is on red-ball duty with Northern Districts for the first three games as he prepares for the Test series against England.

Those absences are unlikely to dampen the intensity of the contest as fringe players from both sides aim to boost their chances of playing in next October’s T20 World Cup in Australia.

England are 9-2 to add the Twenty20 crown to their 50-over title in 2020 while the Black Caps are also rated serious contenders at 7-1. Hosts Australia are 7-2 favourites from India at 4-1.

Morgan’s 15-man squad includes six uncapped players – Tom Banton, Pat Brown, Sam Curran, Lewis Gregory, Saqib Mahmood and Matt Parkinson – and others, such as James Vince and Dawid Malan, who are bidding to reignite their England careers.

The Kiwis are respected, having beaten India 2-1 in their last home series, but they are not at full strength either and Betfred’s standout 7-4 about England winning the series is well worth considering.

Preference is for a 3-2 away win as Morgan, Jonny Bairstow, Adil Rashid and the Curran brothers provide a classy core to the side.

England are on a five-match winning streak in T20s – a sequence that includes March’s 137-run win in the West Indies in which Sam Billings (87 off 47 balls) and Chris Jordan (4-6) played starring roles.

Both Jordan and Billings are in New Zealand but it could pay to support Bairstow in the opening game in Christchurch.

The Yorkshire opener is a man on the mission, having been left out of the Test squad, and he often plays his best cricket when he feels he has something to prove.

When England had their backs to the wall in the group stage of the World Cup, Bairstow fired successive centuries against India and New Zealand.

He had a superb debut IPL season, scoring 445 runs in ten innings for Sunrisers Hyderabad, and he smashed an unbeaten 78 off 45 balls in the first warm-up game against a New Zealand 11.

At 3-1, Bairstow is a fair price to top-score for England but the 10-1 that he is named man of the match is an even more tempting offer.

Speedster Lockie Ferguson dismissed Banton, Vince and Denly in the Powerplay overs of that first warm-up game and he is worth backing to be the hosts’ top bowler in game one.

Ferguson had a wonderful World Cup – his 3-50 in the final took his wickets tally to 21 in nine games – and he is a serious threat in T20s too, claiming ten scalps in his first five 20-over internationals.

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