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Prior to the downpour started, England's season start had turned into a lackluster affair. During a cool Canterbury night, their batsmen were caught off guard by seam movement – “You don’t expect that in white-ball cricket, so when it does do a little bit it’s almost a shock,” remarked Harry Brook. They were also stifled by the spin of Mitchell Santner and Bracewell, struggling to five wickets for 81 runs until first Sam Curran appeared to save them, and then the weather definitively took over.

Feeble Start for England

Just a pair of batters scored over twenty runs, and the dismissal of Jos Buttler for twenty-nine, ex-skipper turning into the fifth wicket to go, marking a poor start to the team's innings before Sam Curran's forty-nine boosted their position.

“To have him back in the side, he’s a very valuable player to us now with bat, ball and in the field,” said Brook. “His effort to rescue us from trouble and reach a decent score was impressive. As a left-handed middle-order player, he’s an asset and likely to stay with the team long-term.”

The Batsman's Achievement Overshadowed

Before play, Harry Brook had been presented with a commemorative cap – almost identical to his regular one – to celebrate his 50th appearance in T20 cricket, the skipper becoming the 14th player from England to reach this feat. But, the peak on his headwear was the sole positive of his night, which featured a unsuccessful toss and a similarly unfortunate exit, bowled off his pads just as he found his rhythm after a awkward beginning.

Curran’s Lucky Reprieves

Any good fortune England experienced was greedily hoovered up by Curran, who benefited from three remarkable let-offs. He was on 14 when he lofted a Duffy ball toward the Canterbury sky, from which precipitation had, fortunately, just started to come down. The ball returned slippery and promptly slipped through the bowler’s grasp.

After a brief interruption and seven deliveries later, the batsman, now on 26, lifted the ball to point, where Tim Robinson stood still but still could not handle it. Next, in the subsequent over, he attempted to paddle a Jamieson ball that was overpitched for that action, missed it completely, and was trapped on the leg.

There was little doubt about where the ball was heading, and the official certainly had none, but by this point Curran was the final key batsman and the team had challenges to spare. Upon reviewing at a video, the player was halfway to the pavilion, preparing to leave, when it was established that the ball had pitched beyond leg stump and he was called back. He added 19 more off his last eight balls to push England to 153 for six, at which point the weather resumed to curtail the match.

Team Confidence Stays Strong

But, their failure to handle the challenges presented by the Kiwis' attack does not mean England will be seeking any other options. “Obviously we didn’t get the start we wanted but the message is going to be just double down,” said the batsman. “Our lineup is designed so that in tough spots, someone can always rescue us from difficulty.”

The Opposition's Encouraging View

Despite those two drops, the Kiwis will be encouraged by the way they dismantled England’s theoretically deep order, their attackers claiming a single wicket each. “Not knowing how the game would have played out we can only judge on our performance and I guess we’re happy with where we’re at,” said Jamieson. “I think we made good improvements from when we played Australia a couple of weeks ago. It’s just growth really. As long as we continue along that path that’s a win for us, and that’s what success looks like.”