NZ vs ENG | We don’t want this to keep happening, quips Jonny Bairstow
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England opener Jonny Bairstow has said that they don’t want the World Cup final getting recreated time and again after the fifth T20I against New Zealand went into another Super Over. The visitors jumped the last hurdle easily and Bairstow walked away with the Man of the Match for his 18-ball 47.
Winning the Super Over comfortably by a margin of 9 runs, England got to lift the T20I trophy in New Zealand. This certainly brought back memories from the World Cup final but Bairstow has attested that England doesn’t want the occurrence of a Super Over this often. Only this time England didn’t need a boundary countback to lift the trophy with Bairstow's 18-ball 47 and an unbeaten 3-ball 8 in the Super Over making a difference in the rain-affected decider game.
"We don't want to keep this happening. I don't think anyone wants to keep that going but it just shows how close the sides are and how close it's been throughout the series and it sets up what's going to be a fantastic Test series as well," Bairstow was quoted as saying on SkySports.
After New Zealand posted a big total of 146-5 in their 11 overs, Bairstow answered with a heavy knock followed by Eoin Morgan and Sam Curran adding some runs. But it was Chris Jordan who hit a last-ball boundary to force the Super Over.
"I don't feel like I've potentially scored as many as I wanted during the series so to contribute in a shortened game, obviously the pitch here is quite favourable for the batters, so to get some runs was pleasing," expressed Bairstow.
"It was pretty imposing to try and chase down 150 but a lot of the guys played in the T10 last year and said, 'look, we're not far off here if we can get within striking distance with the small boundaries, we've got a chance'."
