Positives in defeat for England
England headed south for Auckland today disappointed to have lost their final warm-up match but encouraged by a clutch of impressive individual performances at the Cobham Oval.
Stuart Broad’s second three-wicket return in as many days brought him combined figures of 6-46 after one comfortable win and then a narrow defeat against a New Zealand XI.
England’s Twenty20 captain has, therefore, done as much as reasonably could be expected to prove form and fitness on his return from the heel injury that cut short his Test tour of India before Christmas.
Broad also produced an athletic catch to see off dangerman Colin Munro as England unexpectedly narrowed the margins and, from an unpromising position, took the outcome to the last ball before their hosts overhauled 170 for five with three wickets in hand.
Tom Latham’s career-best 64 helped England’s opponents past a par total that owed plenty to more clean and inventive striking from Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler, who struck 51 apiece, with the former finishing unbeaten.
In a near action-replay of the tourists’ first batting performance at the same venue 24 hours earlier, the middle-order pair were the most telling contributors after a solid but unspectacular start above them.
Michael Lumb was in an upbeat mood despite England's defeat after finding form in the final warm-up encounter against New Zealand XI
There were two differences today, though.
First, it was Michael Lumb rather than Luke Wright who was the pick of the top three - following yesterday’s 25 with 45.
More significantly, despite Broad’s best efforts and a tidy spell too from Samit Patel, this time England’s bowlers were unable to defend a total - and will subsequently begin a three-match series against New Zealand on Saturday with a mixed report from their warm-up campaign.
Lumb, however, took issue with the suggestion that England’s attack leaked too many runs.
“I wouldn’t say we lost it,” he said. “The nature of this game is guys can play well, and I thought they did. We dragged it back to take it deep and get that close.
“You’ve got to give them a bit of credit. I think it was a good score. But one of their guys got in and batted really well.”
Lumb sees this hard-fought encounter as an accurate indication of what is to come.
“I think it will be tight (against New Zealand). A lot of people have written them off, but you can’t take them lightly,” he added. “It would be foolish to do that - they’ve just beaten South Africa in a one-day series over there. They’re a proud nation, and they’ll come really hard at us.”
The left-handed opener for one will start with confidence after getting in twice this week, and with recent runs under his belt too in Australia’s Big Bash League.
“The pitches here are similar to where I’ve been, in Australia, so I should cope all right,” he said. “I think we set it up for Jos and ’Morgs’ - these guys in the middle - and that’s (how to play) Twenty20.
“That’s the gameplan, not losing wickets at the top, and teeing it up and giving them full license to express themselves - as they’ve shown in the last two games.”
Buttler, in particular, has been in outstanding form, smashing 11 fours and five sixes from just 55 balls for 108 runs and once-out in his two innings.
“He’s in superb nick, and he’s very hard to bowl to at the death,” said Lumb. “You don’t know where to bowl to the guy.”
Lumb is heartened too by England’s resilience today - albeit in defeat - and Broad’s evident well-being.
He added: “It was good, especially for the four bowlers, to be put under some pressure - and if it comes down to it in the main games, we’ll have had some experience a couple of times here.
“It’s great to have Broady back. His body is moving well, and he’s bowling nicely. He’s obviously had a few little niggles, but he’s back fit and raring to go. We’re really chuffed with that.”
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