England versus New Zealand. Eoin Morgan vs Kane Williamson. The winner takes all. In an ICC global event. We have been here before, right? It is next to impossible to imagine their matchup without the rivaling atmosphere from the 2019 World Cup finals at Lords. Well, the two formidable rivals are set to lock horns again in the first semi-final of the 2021 T20 World Cup. The following article is a detailed preview of England vs New Zealand T20 World Cup match.
England vs New Zealand Head-to-Head Records
The two super heavyweights have faced off on 20 previous occasions with their last encounter happening on November 10th, 2019, exactly two years ago. England has vastly dominated the rivalry with 13 wins under their belt and a win percentage of 65. The Englishmen also have the upper hand when it comes to their clashes in the T20 World Cup. England has won 3 out of the 5 matches they’ve played against the Blackcaps in the prestigious tournament. Despite the impressive record, England cannot afford to take the Kiwis lightly as they have the habit of punching above their weight.
| Rank | Highest Run Scorers | Highest Wicket Takers |
| 1 | Martin Guptill (467) | Mitchell Santner (16) |
| 2 | Eoin Morgan (424) | Stuart Broad (14) |
| 3 | Ross Taylor (321) | Tim Southee (12) |
Journey in the Tournament
England kicked off their campaign in grand fashion and vastly dominated their group fixtures. They were able to fend off the defending champions West Indies, Bangladesh, and arch-rivals Australia without breaking a sweat. Jos Buttler’s ton paved the way to England’s fourth consecutive win in the group stage against an inspired Sri Lankan unit. However, they did fall short of 10 runs in their last match against South Africa, but it didn’t hamper their qualification chances. England was always considered to be the favorites as their team was stacked with match-winners from top to bottom.
On the other hand, New Zealand had quite an uphill battle throughout the group stage following a humbling defeat at the hands of Pakistan. They got their act straight and handed India a crushing defeat in a virtual quarter-final game. Despite the high stakes, Williamson and his men were able to overcome their next three challenges and seal their spot in the semi-finals. Breaking a billion hearts by knocking India out of the tournament in the process. Both the sides have had quite opposite runs in the tournament and yet somehow, they ended up with the same points. It is as if they were destined to square off one more time with record high stakes.
| Team | First Match | Second Match | Third Match | Fourth Match | Fifth Match |
| England | Won by 6 wickets (West Indies) | Won by 8 wickets (Bangladesh) | Won by 8 wickets (Australia) | Won by 26 runs (Sri Lanka) | Lost by 10 runs (South Africa) |
| New Zealand | Lost by 5 wickets (Pakistan) | Won by 8 wickets (India) | Won by 16 runs (Scotland) | Won by 52 runs (Namibia) | Won by 8 wickets (Afghanistan) |
Players to watch out for
Martin Guptill has been on splendid form as of late as well and the Kiwi would love to avenge the World Cup loss by taking the onslaught to the opposition early. Known to be the man of the big matches, all eyes would be on Dawid Malan. A lot of questions have been raised about his playing style and credibility and Malan has the perfect opportunity to prove the doubters wrong. Given that Abu Dhabi is a haven for batters, England’s Jos Buttler would love to extend his purple patch and prove why he’s one of the best white-ball batters in the world.
England vs New Zealand T20 World Cup Preview
With injuries to Tymal Mills and Jason Roy, both sides look evenly matched on paper. Whoever wins or losses, the actual winners coming out of this riveting encounter will be the fans as this blockbuster encounter promises nothing less. Williamson and his men would love to remove the sour taste of the world cup final defeat, but it would take a whole lot more than excellence than overcoming this English side. Even if the teams provide us with a game half as entertaining as their 2019 encounter, we’re in for quite a rollercoaster ride.
England vs New Zealand Dream 11 Fantasy Predictions
The following players are expected to outperform the rest with due respect to their recent performances and form.
Keeper – Jos Buttler (C)
Batsmen – Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Dawid Malan
All-rounders – Moeen Ali (VC), Jimmy Neesham, Liam Livingstone
Bowlers – Trent Boult, Adil Rashid, Ish Sodhi
Captain – Jos Buttler, Martin Guptill
Vice-Captain – Moeen Ali, Kane Williamson
