The pitch was certainly baked. There would be more chance of getting seam movement with a tennis ball on a tar-sealed driveway. The swing gods also deigned to create an air pressure vacuum. The main movement was seeing it dispatched in straight lines and parabolas for 40 fours and 13 sixes.
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum won the toss and batted, despite the forecast rain. Who could blame him after inserting England in the first match and seeing the consequences flying around Edgbaston?
New Zealand's total was:
- their second highest ODI score behind 402 for two against Ireland at Aberdeen in 2008.
- their best against a test-playing country.
- the most England have conceded in an ODI, overtaking 387 for five against India at Rajkot in 2008.
Martin Guptill and McCullum provided a high octane start to reach 61 in the eighth over but Kane Williamson (93 from 88 balls) and Ross Taylor (119 not out from 96) put lead in the team's batting petrol. The only thing to run out of gas were the superlatives. Guptill, with 50 off 54 balls, was the only player not to score at better than a run a ball.
No England bowler conceded less than 6.66 runs per over. Chris Jordan equaled Steve Harmison as their most expensive in an ODI, going for 97 runs at a rate of 10.77 from nine overs. Harmison bowled out against Sri Lanka at Headingley in 2006.
Williamson's innings possessed characteristic finesse, highlighted by a series of checked lofted drives through the offside. His first half-century in 10 ODI innings set a platform for the onslaught. However, his dismissal brought conjecture. The umpire signaled a full toss no-ball from Ben Stokes, but it was later established he was checking with his television colleague. If Williamson had treated his trousers in more of a Steve Urkel fashion he might have survived to bring up his century.
Taylor again showed an attacking resurgence to his game. His three hacks into the stand over deep mid-wicket brought to mind legendary axeman Sonny Bolstad faced with a fresh log. The No.4's 13th ODI century took him another step closer to Nathan Astle's New Zealand ODI record of 16. He survived a couple of dropped chances, smashing Liam Plunkett and Ben Stokes through the offside on nine and 40 respectively but Jason Roy at point and Joe Root at cover would have been best served with rump steak-reinforced baseball mitts to execute the takes successfully.
England face a record chase. Their best is hauling in 306 against Pakistan at Karachi in 2000.
