NZ beat ENG by 3 wickets | England vs New Zealand, Highlights And Cricket Score 1st ODI Match

Should Santner have been the Man of the Match? Was Taylor the right candidate? Doesn't matter as much as the win does for them. A trailer of a film is just a highlight of what is to come. On similar lines if we may think, this game could just act as starters for the main course, i.e., the further games to follow. The teams continue their battle for one-upmanship in the second ODI on February 28, 2018. Mount Maunganui is the venue of that game and it starts at 1400 local time (0100 GMT). Hope to catch you for that one as well. Till then, take care! Adios!

Kane Williamson, the happy winning skipper, discounts the effect of dew as most of the game had been played before it set in. Credits Ross Taylor and Tom Latham for their stand. Admits to the surface being slow and it being difficult to start with the bat. States feeling nice to get across the line in such a pressure game. Is happy that the guys who had been assigned roles in his side came out well. About Tim Southee staying till the end, he says that his experience helped the side. Mentions about England being a good side in this format but his side defeating them being the most pleasing part tonight.

Eoin Morgan, the calm losing captain, reflects on the game and says that there wasn't much to choose between the sides and the end shows that. Credits the opposition for fighting back from 27-3. States that they felt they were in the game after that big breakthrough of Ross Taylor but then the total felt insufficient in the end. About his conversation with the bowlers, he asserts that they are experienced in their own way and he only had to know what they had in mind.

Ross Taylor has been adjudged the Player of the Match for his match-winning ton. He reckons that his stand with Tom Latham was outstanding and feels good as the others finished it off. Admits to be lucky to get a win after the collapse in the middle. Opines that the surface was a bit two-paced. They backed themselves to chase anything about 10 an over towards the end, he reveals.

England's bowlers didn't really bowl that bad. They were largely successful in keeping things under control. Perhaps, the 48th over of the innings, where Adil Rashid disappeared for 16 runs turned the tides. Before that Chris Woakes and Ben Stokes picked up a couple of wickets apiece to drive home the advantage. Tom Curran was also largely impressive, though the numbers don't do justice to his efforts. The tourists would be ruing the dropped chances that gave the batters extra lives. At this stage, it is worthy to remember that earlier, even the home side players dropped as many as 4 catches. Favours returned? Maybe. For now, here's the presentation...

But it was not to be. Mitchell Santner justified his 'all-rounder' tag by showcasing his finishing abilities with the bat. He was involved in an unbeaten 43-run stand off just 21 balls with Tim Southee that sealed the deal for them. He ensured that his returns of 54-2 with the ball earlier in the day and then his team mate Taylor's ton didn't go in vain.

The nucleus of this run chase for New Zealand HAS TO be the 178-run partnership between Ross Taylor and Tom Latham. It came at a time when the side seemed down and out at 27-3. Both of them rotated strike nicely as well as found the boundaries coming in at regular intervals. The former got to a well-compiled ton while the latter got a half. But the southpaw's dismissal seemed to trigger a mini-collapse, that threatened to undo all the hard work.

What a match! What a match! As good as it can get. Although it turned out to be a wonderful thrilling contest, for large parts of the game, it seemed as if both sides are looking to lose. In the end, the hosts opened their account of wins in the series.

Chris Woakes to Mitchell Santner. SIX! Wallop! MITCHELL SANTNER HAS SEALED IT FOR THE HOSTS! We don't want no balls, says the man, we can get it done with the bat. Gets a full delivery in the slot and the destination of the ball is outside the Seddon Park. He clears his front leg and deposits this one way over the deep mid-wicket fence for a massive hit. KIWIS ROMP HOME BY 3 WICKETS WITH 4 BALLS TO SPARE!

Chris Woakes to Mitchell Santner. WIDE! Woakes is choking under pressure. Slower one outside off... WELL outside off. Santner goes for it as well but misses. Wide signaled.

Chris Woakes to Mitchell Santner. FOUR! Bring back that four-letter word! LUCK! Woakes delivers a yorker on point, Santner gets his bat down in time. He gets it off the inner edge through his leg and past short fine leg for a boundary. 5 in 5 needed. Is that it, though?

Tom Curran to Mitchell Santner. Back to the full and straight delivery. Santner smashes it to long off for one. 5 singles and a boundary off this over means that 9 RUNS ARE NEEDED OF THE FINAL OVER.

Tom Curran to Mitchell Santner. FOUR! One bad ball in the over, is this the one that costs England? This is bowled full in length in line of the stumps. Santner gets down and swings wildly. Gets it off the inner half through backward square leg for a boundary. Another look showed that it was the back of the hand slower one. Also, CURRAN HAD OVERSTEPPED BUT IT IS OVERLOOKED! Hush, England have had their way with no balls tonight.

Tom Curran to Tim Southee. Full in length, hit straight to long on for one. 14 off 8 are the relevant numbers at this stage. Nasser Hussain reckons that Southee missed out going big here.

Tom Curran to Mitchell Santner. Another top delivery. A low full toss in an attempt to bowl the yorker. All Santner can do is squeeze it down to long on for one.

Tom Curran to Tim Southee. Southee looks to shuffle across before staying where he is. The English Tom bowls it full on off, the Kiwi Tom blasts it down to long on for one.

Tom Curran to Mitchell Santner. Full on the stumps, dug out over the bowler's head for one. 17 off 11 needed.

Adil Rashid to Mitchell Santner. Short again, pulled down to long on for one. 16 runs off the over, but only 4 off the last 4. 18 needed off the last two. Rashid is done for the night - 10-0-55-1. Though, he would rather be remembered for his 9th over.

Adil Rashid to Tim Southee. Tossed up outside off, punched to sweeper cover for one.

Adil Rashid to Tim Southee. Sensible. Floated on off, pushed back to the bowler.

Adil Rashid to Mitchell Santner. Quicker one on a shorter length, Santner is hurried on in his pull. Gets it through mid-wicket for one.

Adil Rashid to Mitchell Santner. WIDE! Pressure, pressure on Rashid and it's showing. He fires it well outside off, Mitch fails to reach it. The umpire stretches his arms.

Adil Rashid to Mitchell Santner. SIX! The delivery type is different but the result is the same. Rashid darts it in at over 114 kph. Santner has enough room to blast it over long on for another biggie. 12 off the first two balls already.