New Zealand v England: live Munro b Broad 28 And now a second wicket in the over! Munro plays all around a slow off-cutter and is bowled. OVER 14: NZ 127/4 (Munro 28* Franklin 8*) Tredwell will be annoyed with himself, he's gone for two sixes in that over. The first one, fair enough, good shot down the ground to a decent ball. But a poor full toss off the last ball of the over is a gift on this ground. 16 off the over... a couple more of those and who knows... Broad is bringing himself back on. OVER 13: NZ 111/4 (Munro 20* Franklin 0*) Big wicket for England. Well done Luke. Only seven runs off the over, as well. Five overs, one for 42 from "fifth bowler" combo Samit and Luke. Handy, in the game context. Guptill c Broad b Wright 44 Munro slams Wright for a six - but now here's some drama! The same player drives the ball hard into his own boot and it is caught by the bowler himself. After lengthy replays, the umpires decide that he hit it into the ground - or, at least, they decide that they cannot be sure he didn't. No joy for Wright on that occasion, but this is a good over, with some handy blockhole bowling. Guptill, under huge pressure now from the scoreboard, tries to dig one out and succeeds only in driving it to Broad at long off. England's catching has been as impeccable as New Zealand's was horrid. OVER 12: NZ 104/3 (Guptill 44* Munro 13*) Tredwell rattles through an eight run over. 111 needed from 48 balls OVER 11: NZ 96/3 (Guptill 38* Munro 11*) A very handy bonus for England as Luke Wright gets through four dot balls against Munro. Yes, he does manage to hit a d two and a six off the last two balls of the over, but eight an over is just fine from the fourth seamer/sixth bowler. OVER 10: NZ 88/3 (Guptill 38* Munro 3*) The new batsman, Colin Munro, has the bear's share of five singles with Guptill, but the latter hits Samit for a mighty six over midwicket to make it 11 off the over all told. Kiwis need 127 off the second half of the innings and I'll give you ten to one on them if you like. OVER 9: NZ 77/3 (Guptill 30*) The wicket came off the last ball of the over. 23,000 people in at the ground, a really good atmosphere. That's encouraging for NZ cricket. Ross Taylor c Bairstow b Finn 13 Back to Finn and this is a really good over for England. Guptill clumps a ball down the ground and it is inches short of being a six, but there are only six runs off the first five balls. Maybe feeling the pressure of the scoreboard, Taylor tries to pull Finn off the front foot but doesn't quite get it right. Bairstow has time to steady himself and take a well-judged catch. That's FOW 773/ OVER 8: NZ 71/2 (Guptill 25* Ross Taylor 12*) Awful start from Samit, a legside wide followed by another legside wide, but he recovers pretty well and the batsmen are not able to line him up. A seven run over represents a good escape from that position. 144 runs needed from 12 overs, RRR 12.00 OVER 7: NZ 64/2 (Guptill 24* Ross Taylor 9*) Luke Wright. Just four runs off his first three, but then Guptill launches him down the park for perhaps the biggest six of the day. Two dot balls though, to end the over. Ten off it. The Kiwis plugging away. OVER 6: NZ 54/2 (Guptill 17* Ross Taylor 6*) Jade Dernbach back on, Broad rotating his bowlers like a giddy top. Some good stuff, some excellent stuff and some poor stuff, bit of a Dernbach in microcosm. Beats Taylor with a snorter, and then serves him up a wide one for the batsman to crack away. Four. Eight off the over all told. OVER 5: NZ 46/2 (Guptill 15* Ross Taylor 0*) Earlier in the over, McCullum had pulled Finn away for four, and the bowler had protested to the umpire when a bouncer was called wide. The new batsman, Ross Taylor, gets an enthusiastic ovation on his return to the team. No time for Taylorto play himself back into international cricket: they need 11.25 an over. Brendon McCullum c Morgan b Finn 10 Brilliant catch from Eoin, and that might well be game ball. McCullum goes for a huge shot, gets a big slice on it and it flies very high in the air. Eoin Morgan runs back and catches it at deep backward point, superb catch and great composure.The mighty Brendon falls for ten and England are now red-hot favourites. OVER 4: NZ 38/1 (Guptill 12* Brendon McCullum 5*) The skipper, one of the most dangerous players the format has seen, comes to the crease and immediately pulls Broad away for a savage four. 13 off the over with the wicket. Rutherford c Tredwell b Broad 18 Six and out for the boy Rutherford. Broad gets too full, serves it up in the slot and Rutherford lofts it back over the bowler for six. But his fun is over next ball, trying to pull a ball that was too close to him and he has spooned it up for a regulation catch. OVER 3: NZ 25/0 (Rutherford 12* Guptill 11*) Jade Dernbach into the attack. You never know quite what you're going to get, but in this instance you get a pretty good over. Four good tight balls, one of which beats Guptill outside off. Width off ball five and he's able to cut it away for a couple, and Dernbach offers him width again off ball six, allowing him to cut a four. Even so, seven off the over is useful. OVER 2: NZ 18/0 (Rutherford 12* Guptill 5*) Good over from skipper Broad, only five runs off it. A couple more of those and this mountain of runs will be insurmountable for the New Zealanders. Broad, quite correctly, keeping it short of a length and not giving the batsmen any full balls to swing through. OVER 1: NZ 13/0 (Rutherford 10* Guptill 3*) The Kiwi openers, the experienced Martin Guptill and the new boy Hamish Rutherford, start with a single apiece. Hint of a run out calamity as Guptill turns for a second run but they get back okay. Finn flicks the stumps with his knee third ball (sigh) and Rutherford flicks the ball away off his pads. If Finn does his knee thing again, it will be a dead ball, as per an agreement with the umps prior to the match. Now a good shot from Rutherford, a drive through mid off for four, and with another one and a two, it's a handy start for the Kiwis. 07.40 Here come the Kiwis then, and they face the daunting prospect of chasing down 215. Steve Finn will bowl. ENGLAND 214/7 Quite fun, I suppose, but I personally prefer a bit more balance between bat and ball. On a ground with absurdly short straight boundaries, England were able to bash 16 fours and 15 sixes on their way to their highest T20 score. And given that the last three overs went for four, seven and 12 respectively, it could even have been worse. The Kiwis didn't help their cause by dropping a frankly pathetic five catches. Even still, on this tiny ground on a true, drop-in pitch, New Zealand are maybe not out of it yet. We'll see how they get on in a sec. OVER 20: ENG 214/7 (Buttler 32* Tredwell 0*) Boult is the lucky man to bowl the last over. Decent stuff in the main, a single to Buttler and then... Broad c B McCullum b Boult 4 Skipper Broad goes for the big one, gets a top edge and McCullum makes sure with the gloves, running back to take a good chance. The batsmen cross during that, and Buttler is able to slam a length ball over long on. Now the last ball. he drives it for four - and it's a no ball as well. Oh dear, bowler. Still, he saves face by bowling Buttler with the free-hit delivery and that is the end of that, 12 off the last one. OVER 19: ENG 202/6 (Buttler 21* Broad 4*) StuBo comes in and lofts it down the ground... Franklin runs round and catches it. But he's rightly worried that his momentum is going to carry him over the rope, so he tries to flick it back up.... and ends up just dropping it and booting it over the line for four. That's drop number five. England have now equalled their highest score in a T20. Still, only seven off the over, which is handy enough at this stage. Patel c B McCullum b Ellis 2 It's been a feast today but poor old Samit has only been allowed a bit of Ryvita with low-fat cottage cheese. Couple of singles, but then he smears a ball up in the air and it's easy for the keeper. OVER 18: ENG 195/5 (Buttler 19* Patel 1*) A wicket, but more importantly perhaps, jsut four runs off the over. Very handy in the context of the game. Well bowled, Trent Boult. Bairstow c Guptill b Boult 38 Good over from Trent Boult. He manages to keep England down to three singles from the first four balls, which is about as good as it is going to get on this ground, and then has a wicket when Boult chips it down the ground. Straight down the throat of Guptill and he, unlike some of his fellows, makes no mistake. Fun 38 from Bairstow, England on track for a huge score. Already their highest T20 score against New Zealand. OVER 17: ENG 191/4 (Bairstow 37* Buttler 17*) Two sixes for Buttler, one over cow and one down the ground. I'm not even sure he middled either of them. Is this what people want from their cricket these days? Anyway. One very nice shot in the over, a flat hard cover drive that lands perhaps a foot short of the rope. OVER 16: ENG 173/4 (Bairstow 36* Buttler 0*) The wicket was off ball five, the in-form Jos Buttler comes in and watches Bairstow pinch the strike with a single off ball six. WICKET Morgan c Taylor b Hira 46 Finally! Finally the Kiwis take a catch. Morgan goes for the big drive, slices it off the outside edge and Ross Taylor clings on to a simple dolly. Amused panicky/relieved look from him as he pouches it. FOW 172/4 That's the end of a spanking 26-ball 42 from Eoin. OVER 15: ENG 166/3 (Morgan 45* Bairstow 30*) Oh dear me. What is up with the Kiwi fielding? Morgan gets a thick edge which loops gently to backward point for a regulation chance, a real sitter actually. That's the fourth drop! Perhaps losing it in the sun, McClenaghan just watches it go through his hands. Awful. That goes for four, and Morgan rubs salt in the wound by hitting the next one for six. Grim stuff for bowler Nathan McC. OVER 14: ENG 153/3 (Morgan 33* Bairstow 29*) Ronnie Hira back into the attack, decent stuff apart from one leg-side stinker. A mere nine runs from the over, practically a famine in this little game. OVER 13: ENG 144/3 (Morgan 26* Bairstow 27*) McClenaghan, the pick of the Kiwi bowlers today, completes his set. Good over, varying his lengths well and he manages to keep the batsmen quiet apart from one six, pulled over fine leg by Morgan. Still, four overs 1 for 29 is a good effort in the conditions. OVER 12: ENG 133/3 (Morgan 18* Bairstow 24*) The mayhem continues as Bairstow swings Ellis away for six. Now he Harrow Drives the ball past the keeper for four, hard lines on the bowler. Coupla singles, a bouncer called a wide. And now another drop! The third of the innings, although this was a very tough one, Ronnie Hira charging in and diving in front of him, low. Tough chance at midwicket and Bairstow has his second let-off of the over. OVER 11: ENG 118/3 (Morgan 16* Bairstow 12*) Nathan McCullum is the next lucky man to have a bowl. He'll be reasonably happy with nine off the over: a reverse swept single for JB and a six down the ground are the points of note. OVER 10: ENG 109/3 (Morgan 15* Bairstow 4*) Really poor cricket from New Zealand. The left-arm seamer James Franklin into the attack and he's bowling without a mid off. Therefore, pitching it up is just sheer idiocy. Morgan is able to just pat the first two balls of the over down the ground for easy fours. For variety's sake, he now hits a six down the ground. This is real fish in a barrel stuff. OVER 9: ENG 95/3 (Morgan 1* Bairstow 4*) The new man Jonny B is on his way soon enough with a pulled four. WICKET Lumb c Rutherford b McClenaghan 22 Clever bit of bowling from McClenaghan, who has been impressive on this brief showing. Lumb, who hasn't faced much of the strike, has not really got his timing going and misses with a pull or two. McClenaghan drops it in short and Lumb gloves it to short fine leg. OVER 8: ENG 89/2 (Lumb 21*) The wicket came off the last ball of the over, which went for 18. Morgan comes in, and the Kiwis are turning back to McClenaghan. Wright c Hira b Ellis 42 Oh no, poor Ross Taylor. Got a huge cheer from the crowd when his name was read out, but now he's dropped another! Nice to have you back in the side and all, Ross, but y'know... Andrew Ellis comes on with his medium pace and is promptly lofted down the ground for six by Lumb. Now Lumb hits him down the ground again, and Ross drops the chance at long on. Wright adds insult to injury with a four and a six, both pulled, but now there is some compensation for NZ as Wright nails a ball straight to Hira a deep midwicket, who clings on to a stinging chance. Enjoyable thrash from Wright - just 20 balls for his 42. OVER 7: ENG 71/1 (Lumb 14* Wright 31*) Wright drives sweetly down the ground for six. And is then dropped at cover! The guilty man is Ross Taylor. Hit hard, but still. OVER 6: ENG 62/1 (Lumb 13* Wright 23*) Gosh, who'd be a bowler, eh? These boundaries are tiny. Wright hits Hira for a six down the ground, in fairness this was a top class shot and deserved a six anywhere. But now a heave gives him a four, then a single, before Lumb gets in on the act by simply flipping the ball over square leg for a cheap four, and then chipping down the ground for a gentle six. The powerplay comes to an end with a punishing 21-run over. OVER 5: ENG 41/1 (Lumb 3* Wright 12*) Excellent stuff from Wright! Lofts Boult down the ground for four, and then clubs away a six. OVER 4: ENG 30/1 (Lumb 3* Wright 1*) England's most experienced T20 player apart from the skipper Broad, Luke Wright, is off the mark second ball. Hales st B McCullum b Hira 21 Canny bowling change from Brendon M, he brings the left-arm spinner Ronnie Hira on. Hales drives him for a crisp four but then fails to pick the slower ball. He comes down the pitch, is beaten in the flight and that's a regualtion stumping. Hales goes for an easy-on-the eye 21. OVER 3: ENG 25/0 (Lumb 3* Hales 17*) A second useful over from McClenaghan. Very pleasing drive through off gives Hales four, but Lumb is swinging and missing. OVER 2: ENG 19/0 (Lumb 2* Hales 12*) And that over has got England going! Another left-armer, the debutant Trent Boult, delivers it. He begins inauspiciously: a wide down legside that runs away to the boundary. He's also the victim of a big six from Hales, pulled away mightily over the longest part of the ground. Good recovery from the bowler though, he completes the over with three dots. Run-out half chance as Hales drives to a fielder and sets off. OVER 1: ENG 6/0 (Lumb 2* Hales 4*) Lumb's off the mark right away with a push for one, and now a pleasing back foot drive from Hales gets him three to deep cover. A good over from McClenaghan, nothing in the slot - you cannot really pitch it up with these very short straight boundaries - and Hales endures two dots before smearing a pull for a single. Quite reasonable pace as well, from the 26-year-old seamer, who is playing his fourth T20 international. While at Central DIstricts, he took five for Emerging New Zealand v England Lions (inc Trott and Morgan). Now plays for Auckland. 05.58 First and foremost though, it is over to Alex Hales and Michael Lumb, who stride now to the wicket. The left-armer Mitchell McClenaghan will bowl the first over. 05.55 Also worthy of note: England's keeping will be done by Jos Buttler, Bairstow the other part-time-and-a-bit keeper in the line-up misses out on that role. 05.51 And let's get those teams then that Mr Pringle alludes to: England: Hales, Lumb, Wright, Morgan, Buttler (k), Bairstow, Patel, Broad*, Tredwell, Finn, Dernbach New Zealand: Guptill, Rutherford, B. McCullum* (k), Taylor, Munro, Franklin, N. McCullum, Ellis, Hira, Boult, McClenaghan The eagle-eyed will note the presence in the NZ side of Rutherford. That's Hamish Rutherford, a 23-year-old left-handed batsman who is the son of Ken, attractive if frustrating batting talent for them in the late 1980s/early 1990s. He once scored 199 between lunch and tea at the Scarborough Festival. 05.50 They're expecting 30,000 folks in to watch this game in Auckland. One thing that strikes immediately is how short the straight boundaries are. I believe 55 yards at one end - that's barely more than a little chip with today's bats. Could be a big-scoring game. 05.45 Morning all and welcome to our live blog coverage of England's tour to New Zealand, whose first competitive action will be a three-match Twenty20 series. We're in Auckland, New Zealand have won the toss and they are going to bowl first.