ENG vs NZ: T20I Series – 5 players to watch out for

England will square off in a multi-format series against New Zealand which includes four T20Is and as many ODI matches. The two heavyweights will lock horns for the first T20I on Wednesday, August 30, at the Riverside Ground in Chester-le-Street. Speaking about their head-to-head records in the last five matches, England have a slight upper hand with three wins whereas the Kiwis have obtained wins on two occasions. With the first T20I to be played on August 30, we take a look at the five players to watch out for in the series-

5. Harry Brook

The 24-year-old batter has been in blazing form as his batting exploits were in full display during The Hundred 2023. In his last outing against Welsh Fire, Brook breathed fire as he slammed an unbeaten 42-ball 105, cracking seven sixes and 11 fours at a strike rate of 250.00. The right-hander will look to maintain his purple patch in the forthcoming series and cement his spot in the T20I setup.

4. Mitchell Santner

During the recently concluded three T20Is against the UAE, Kiwi all-rounder Mitchell Santer played a pivotal role with the ball. Santner claimed four wickets in three matches and proved to be quite economical for his side. In addition to this, he can play a few important knocks coming down the middle order which can help his side to stay ahead in the contest.

3. Jos Buttler

England skipper Jos Buttler will look to come all guns blazing against New Zealand just as he did during his campaign in The Hundred. The wicketkeeper-batter slammed 224 runs in his last five matches, compiling impressive scores of 11, 75, 45, 82, and 11 runs, respectively. Moreover, with the ODI World Cup on the horizon, Buttler will look to keep his momentum intact before heading to the marquee ICC event in India.

2. Tim Southee

New Zealand skipper Tim Southee claimed six wickets during the three T20Is against the UAE which included a five-for. In addition to this, the pacer returned with three scalps in his solitary match in The Hundred against Birmingham Phoenix. Southee will look to lead the bowling attack and keep his side ahead in the contest by getting the crucial wickets in the series.

1. Devon Conway

Devon Conway relished a magnificent season in the IPL 2023 with the Chennai Super Kings as he amassed a truckload of runs in the title-winning campaign. Since then, the swashbuckling batter has maintained his purple patch and scored solid knocks on numerous occasions. In his last two appearances in The Hundred, Conway slammed unbeaten knocks of 54 and 51 runs, respectively. It won’t come across as a surprise if he emerges as the leading run-getter in the upcoming series against England.