T20 World Cup 2022, England vs New Zealand: Key Face-offs

England vs New Zealand (Source: Twitter)

The ICC T20 World Cup 2022 is fast approaching its business end. All the encounters now will have a big hand in determining the fate of the teams in the competition. 

At this juncture, England will be taking on New Zealand at Gabba, Brisbane. This match is absolutely important for England to keep themselves alive in the tournament. On the other hand, the Kiwis will be looking to win this match and make their claim to the top spot in Group 1 even stronger. 

In such a vital match a lot will depend on how individual players hold their nerves on the day. The result will also be decided to a great extent by some player battles or face-offs as we may call it. 

Jos Buttler vs Trent Boult

Jos Buttler (Source: AP Newsroom)

The English innings will be opened by their skipper Jos Buttler. Buttler is known for the explosive starts that he can give his team, but recently he has not been at the peak of his form. 

As he will come out to bat he will face one of the most dangerous bowlers with the new ball, Trent Boult. The left-armer's angle might trouble Buttler, but the history of the two players can give us an idea about what could transpire between the two during the match. 

Buttler vs Boult in T20Is

Balance of the face-off

The balance of this face off is completely tilted towards the batter. Buttler has scored 33 runs from 18 balls against Boult at a strike rate of 180 plus and to add to the batter's advantage he is yet to be dismissed by Boult. So, we can expect Buttler taking advantage of the powerplay today, but given Boult's class, he will also not be conceding the fight easily. 

Kane Williamson vs Mark Wood

Williamson vs Wood (Source: Twitter)

Kane Williamson has been the backbone of the New Zealand batting line up for long now. But in the recent times his batting has been criticised as not suitable for the shortest format. Also with his form blowing hot and cold, Williamson is under a lot of pressure to perform in this match. 

Mark Wood on the other hand has been in a good form with the ball in hand in this tournament. Given that Williamson will be batting at number 3, there is every chance that Wood will be up against him. 

Williamson vs Wood in T20Is

Balance of the face-off

In this case Williamson has the upper hand over Mark Wood. The Kiwi skipper has scored at a strike rate of 250 against Wood and has never been dismissed by him till now. The strike rate is much better for Williamson than his normal scoring rate in T20Is. Hence, we can expect that Williamson will have the mental advantage in this battle and it may help him in getting his mojo back in batting. 

Dawid Malan vs Tim Southee

Tim Southee (Source: Twitter)

Dawid Malan is the anchor of the English batting line up. It is generally Malan who determines the flow of the innings when he gets going. He has the uncanny knack of settling down without using much deliveries and then going after the bowlers. 

Malan will be batting at number 3 and there are chances that he will be up against Tim Southee. Well, speaking of Southee he has been in a very good form with the ball. His ability to deal blows to the opposition early in the innings makes him an asset for his team. The history of this battle might give us an idea how this battle will pan out. 

Malan vs Southee in T20Is

Balance of the face-off

This battle till now has been in Malan's favour. A strike rate of 138.6 speaks of the fact that Malan plays his natural game against Southee. Also, being dismissed only once by Southee makes Malan win this battle. 

Also Read: T20 World Cup 2022, England vs New Zealand: Cricket Exchange Fantasy Tips