Salt & Brook set up impressive England win over NZ

Second T20, Christchurch

England 236-4 (20 overs): Salt 85 (56), Brook 78 (35)

New Zealand 171 (18 overs): Seifert 39 (29); Rashid 4-32

England won by 65 runs - lead series 1-0

Scorecard

Phil Salt and Harry Brook powered England to a dominant 65-run victory over New Zealand in the second T20, giving the tourists a 1-0 series lead with one match to play.

The pair combined for 129 in 69 balls as the visitors impressively piled up 236-4 - the highest score made at Christchurch's Hagley Oval in T20 internationals and England's fifth highest in the format.

Opener Salt continued his superb form with 85 from 56 balls, but it was captain Brook who was the more destructive in striking five sixes in a 35-ball 78.

He punished an uncharacteristically sloppy New Zealand fielding performance - Jimmy Neesham put down a simple chance to dismiss Brook at long-on - and rendered the Black Caps bowling helpless when in full flow.

Brook's hitting left New Zealand needing their highest T20 chase and they rarely threatened, despite a decent start giving them a platform at 87-2 after nine overs.

The ever-reliable Adil Rashid took 4-32 while England's catching was clinical. The hosts were bowled out for 171 in 18 overs.

England can clinch the series in the third match in Auckland on Thursday.

Brook was keen to stress before this series there would be no talk about next month's Ashes series within his white-ball group, insisting his focus is on preparing for the T20 World Cup in February.

Whether that is true or not is irrelevant, any Brook runs are of benefit to both outfits.

Brook's T20 international record is modest for a man of his talents - an average of 29 and five fifties in 50 innings - but this was one of his best knocks in either white-ball format as captain.

All his sixes were clean strikes over mid-wicket - three off the spin of Mitchell Santner and one each off seamers Matt Henry and Kyle Jamieson - on the same surface his side struggled in the washed out first T20 on Saturday, but which had flattened out.

Salt's knock follows scores of 89 against Ireland and 141 not out against South Africa in his six T20 innings since the start of September. He hit one six but 11 fours, targeting the covers and behind square on the leg side.

Salt and Brook both holed out in the 18th over after which Tom Banton's cameo saw him finish unbeaten on 29 from 12 balls as England romped past the ground's previous high score of 208-5.

Although Jos Buttler hit to mid-off for four and Jacob Bethell found mid-on having stuck four boundaries in a 12-ball 24, England's T20 batting line-up is starting to take shape.

Even with a good batting surface and a strong wind helping six hitting, a successful chase was always a long shot for New Zealand.

They would be better served looking towards the dropped catch of Brook for a reason for defeat.

Wicketkeeper Tim Seifert also spilled a catch when Bethell sent a top-edge high into the wind on seven, while Sam Curran was dropped twice before ending on 49 in Saturday's washout. It is rare problem for a side usually known for its fielding prowess.

Rashid missed a tough caught-and-bowled chance but England held onto 10 catches - eight of which were batters holing out in the deep.

When Seifert and Mark Chapman put on a third-wicket stand of 69 from 48 balls, New Zealand had an outside chance, but Chapman fell to Liam Dawson and Seifert to Rashid in a collapse of four wickets in 3.1 overs.

Dawson's figures of 2-38 were spoiled slightly by one over that cost 23.

Seamer Brydon Carse dismissed Tim Robinson with his first ball and nicked off Rachin Ravindra for eight.

He was impressive in taking a timely 2-27, with Jofra Archer sure to take one of the pace bowling spots when England name their first World Cup XI.

Player of the match Harry Brook: "It felt good out there. It's always nice to contribute and to do it alongside Phil Salt in this new era is nice. We kept each other clam and composed, manipulated the field and keep them under as much pressure as possible.

"It was exactly what we talked about with the ball. So to get another 10 wickets is awesome. It's something we have talked about in my time as captain."

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner: "It was a bit flatter than the other night. England were smart with the way they played - hit to short side and got twos to the big side.

"When you get a 100-run partnership in a T20, it's hard to stop. We threw different options at them but they were able to keep going."