Centurion Dawid Malan heaps praise on Eoin Morgan after pair wreak havoc in Napier

The result was never truly in doubt after the left-handed duo had inflicted a brutal assault on the home team’s bowling attack

Dawid Malan praised Eoin Morgan for his part in a record-breaking stand as England sealed a comprehensive victory over New Zealand in Napier.

The result, which squares the series at two-apiece with a decider to come at Auckland, was never truly in doubt after the left-handed duo had inflicted a brutal assault on the home team’s bowling attack.

Malan recorded England men's fastest ever T20I century – albeit only the second to reach three figures after Alex Hales, while Morgan made the fastest ever T20I fifty by an England player, beating Jos Buttler’s 22-ball effort by a single delivery.

After coming together in the eighth over following the dismissal of Tom Banton, who also played beautifully on a superb batting surface, the pair put on a partnership of 182 in 74 balls, before Morgan was dismissed in the final over.

“When Morgs started whacking it, I sort of jumped in his slipstream a little and tagged along a bit,” Malan said. “But I’d say when I got to about 80, I thought these boundaries were so small I might as well have a crack [at making a century]. It worked out quite nicely.”

The pair brought up their 50 stand in just 17 minutes, requiring just a further 19 minutes to take it to three figures.

“He played fantastically well,” he added of Morgan. “He came out and the intent that he showed from ball one really helped me early on in my innings.

“The way he just carried on, it’s really good to have a leader like that who plays in a certain way and allows you to play in that way and follow that suit. All credit to him. He set this up for us.”

^{Malan took 28 runs off a single Ish Sodhi over as England piled on a huge total}

For Malan, the knock represented more evidence of his T20 prowess; it was the sixth time in his ten T20I innings that he has passed 50 – no other player has ever made so many at this stage of their international career.

Given England’s top-order options, a performance like this is imperative to remain in touch, such is their depth with the bat.

Malan, Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Morgan, Banton, Alex Hales, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, James Vince and Ben Stokes will all be battling out for space in England’s top six come the T20 World Cup.

“International hundreds don’t come around very often, so to do that makes it very special, and to win the game was good as well,” Malan added. “It was a must-win game for us and to do it at such a crucial time was really pleasing.

“We’ve made silly mistakes along the way, so to get this victory – and the way we did it – is very pleasing.”