Jonny Bairstow points to T10 impact as England and New Zealand serve up rain-reduced run-fest

Both sides ended their 11 overs with 146 runs, after poor weather and a bleak forecast had initially threatened to ruin any hope of a series decider

Jonny Bairstow acknowledged the impact of the T10 League on some of England’s white-ball stars as Eoin Morgan’s side chased down New Zealand’s mammoth total in a rain-reduced game.

Both sides ended their 11 overs with 146 runs, after poor weather and a bleak forecast had initially threatened to ruin any hope of a series decider.

However, after play did get underway, New Zealand – led by a ferocious opening stand between Martin Guptill and Colin Munro of 83 in just 5.1 overs – gave themselves a tremendous chance of claiming a crucial win.

Yet, despite losing the early wickets of Tom Banton and James Vince in reply, England recovered through a series of partnerships, underpinned by Bairstow’s 18-ball 47.

Even when the game looked to have slipped away from the visitors in the final over, Chris Jordan took 12 from the final three deliveries to force a Super Over.

“It was pretty imposing to try and chase down [147],” Bairstow admitted. “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.’”

In last year’s tournament, which took place in United Arab Emirates, Bairstow, Morgan, Tom Curran, James Vince, Chris Jordan and Sam Billings all took part. In one game, with Bairstow’s Kerala Knights chasing 124 to win, the Yorkshireman struck an unbeaten 84 in just 24 balls.

^{Bairstow struck the first three balls of Ish Sodhi's solitary over for six}

In another, Northern Warriors made 183 for 2 – the highest score of the tournament; Jordan’s two overs went for 33, before he was dismissed for a first-ball duck.

On this occasion, Bairstow used his experience of the competition – and made use of Eden Park's generous boundary sizes; when he was dismissed by Jimmy Neesham with the final ball of the seventh over, England were 100 for 4. The batsman had just plundered 22 runs from Ish Sodhi's only over.

“Obviously, it was nice to get some runs today,” he added. “I don’t feel like I’ve scored potentially as many as I wanted to during the series, so to contribute in a shortened game – the pitch here is quite favourable for the batters – is pleasing.”

Of the continued Super Over drama between the teams, he joked: “We don’t want to keep this happening, I don’t think!

“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. It sets up what’s going to be a fantastic Test series as well.”