Event of the Day: New Zealand versus England
Our event of the day is the 3rd match of the ODI series between New Zealand and England at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington. The five-game series is currently level at 1-1 after the first two contests. England’s response to New Zealand’s tight win by three wickets in Hamilton on Sunday was a convincing triumph by six wickets with more than 12 overs to spare in Mount Maunganui on Wednesday. Now both sides aim to gain advantage in Wellington, where England have never won an ODI – in fact, they lost comprehensively all four previous matches, one against Sri Lanka (in 2015) and three against New Zealand (in 2002, 2008 and 2015).
The hosts also beat them recently in the Trans-Tasman T20 Tri-Nations series at this venue. The Black Caps will be delighted to welcome back captain Kane Williamson who has been given the green light to start after he missed the second ODI due to a hamstring injury. However unfortunately another of their first-choice batsman, Ross Taylor, who scored a century in the first clash, picked up a quad strain at the Bay Oval, so is ruled out for today. This means that Mark Chapman who debuted on Wednesday should keep his place in the lineup. England skipper Eoin Morgan is delighted to have all-rounder Ben Stokes back in the team again – he took two wickets bowling, was involved in two run-outs in the field, and scored 63 runs not out, in the second match. English fast bowler Mark Wood is fit again and is available for selection. Another thrilling matchup is expected at the Westpac Stadium today.
Honourable mentions around the globe go to the UFC 222 event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The headline event is the bout between current champion of the UFC Women’s Featherweight Championship, Chris Cyborg, and former Invicta Fighting Championship Bantamweight champion, Yana Kunitskaya. It’s Day 3 of the 2018 World Indoor Championships in Athletics at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham. It’s the third day of the 1st Test between South Africa and Australia at the Kingsmead Cricket Ground in Durban. In Serie A, Lazio host Juventus at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. It’s Day 4 of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships at the Omnisport Apeldoorn in the Netherlands. It’s Day 5 at both the Abierto Mexicano Telcel at the Fairmont Acapulco Princess and the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships at the Aviation Club Tennis Centre in Dubai. In the NBA, the Houston Rockets take on the Boston Celtics at the Toyota Center in Houston. It’s third day of the WGC-Mexico Championship at the Club de Golf Chapultepec in Naucalpan. The Edinburgh International Swim Meet in Edinburgh enters its third day. In the NHL, there’s a clash between the Washington Capitals and the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C..
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Fixture
Photos by England Cricket; BlackCaps