NZ VS ENG 2ND ODI

Mitchell Santner, the New Zealand skipper, wins the toss and opts to bowl. He says that it looks like a good wicket and with the rain around, he expects it to do a bit with the ball. Adds that there was some help with the ball in the last game, and he hopes the same today.  Shares that it is usually a pretty good cricket wicket in Hamilton, and a chance to wrap the series is always exciting. Mentions that they need to adapt quickly against the strong English side. Signs off by saying that Blair Tickner comes in for Matt Henry.

England (Playing XI) - Jamie Smith, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook(C), Jos Buttler(WK), Sam Curran, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer (in for Luke Wood).

New Zealand (Playing XI) - Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(WK), Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner(C), Nathan Smith, Zakary Foulkes, Blair Tickner (in for Matt Henry), Jacob Duffy.

TOSS - New Zealand have won the toss and opted to BOWL.

UPDATE - 12.47 GMT - Great news, folks! The rain has cleared, the covers are coming off, and we’re not far from the toss.

UPDATE - 12.34 GMT - Moments before the scheduled toss, rain interrupted proceedings. Ground staff rushed in to cover the pitch, and players left the field after their warm-up routines. As a result, the toss has been delayed.

In a major setback for New Zealand, frontline pacer Matt Henry has been ruled out of today’s second ODI due to a calf strain. Henry was unable to take part in training on the eve of the match, and medical assessments later confirmed the injury. The team’s medical staff will continue to monitor his progress to determine his availability for the third and final game of the series on November 1.

So, can England stage a comeback, or will New Zealand maintain their winning momentum? The toss and team news are coming up shortly. Stay tuned!

New Zealand, meanwhile, were clinical with the ball. Zakary Foulkes was outstanding with figures of 4 wickets, supported well by Matt Henry and Jacob Duffy, who shared five wickets between them, while Mitchell Santner picked up one. The chase wasn’t straightforward as the hosts stumbled to 66/4 before a crucial 92-run partnership between Daryl Mitchell and Michael Bracewell steadied the innings. Bracewell made a composed 51, while Mitchell’s unbeaten 78 guided the Kiwis home alongside Santner, securing a four-wicket win. New Zealand will be eager to replicate that all-round performance and clinch the series here in Hamilton. 

In the first ODI, England’s batting faltered as they were bowled out for just 223 inside 36 overs. The top and middle order collapsed to 56/6 before Harry Brook produced a sensational counterattack, smashing 135 off 101 balls. Jamie Overton’s 46 offered brief support, but the rest of the lineup failed to reach double figures. Despite a modest total, England’s bowlers fought back admirably, taking six New Zealand wickets to create pressure. Brydon Carse stood out with three wickets, while Luke Wood and Adil Rashid chipped in with one each. England will now look to put that performance behind them and start afresh in their quest to level the series.

Hello and welcome to our coverage of the second ODI in the three-match series between New Zealand and England, from Seddon Park in Hamilton. After falling short in the opening game, England will be desperate to bounce back, while New Zealand have their sights set on sealing the series with a decisive 2–0 lead. 

…MATCHDAY…

After the Bay Oval opener, the 3-match ODI series now makes a scenic inland journey, swapping the coastal salt-sprayed air of Mount Maunganui for something a bit more raw and grounded. Hamilton doesn't mess around. It punches above its weight. This is the gateway to Hobbiton, that famous Lord of the Rings movie set about 45 minutes out, and the trippy Waitomo Glowworm Caves that'll mess with your head in the best way. The Waikato River, New Zealand's longest, cuts right through the city like a vein, shaping everything from the landscape to the local attitude. Want to get to Seddon Park? You're rolling down Victoria Street, Hamilton's proper main strip, where the bars, eateries, and old heritage spots tell you everything about this place. It's where the city actually lives and breathes, the kind of street that gets you hyped before you even catch sight of the ground tucked away near the heart of town. New Zealand claimed the series opener to seize a 1-0 advantage, crushing England's resistance in the process. The second ODI now stands as a survival mission for the Poms. Skipper Harry Brook put on a masterclass with a brilliant 135, but the rest of the batting order disintegrated like cards scattered by a gust of wind. Brook single-handedly dragged up 60 percent of the total, while everyone else in the top seven failed to even hit double digits. The scorecard read like a telephone directory, exposing just how one-man the show really was through a brittle batting lineup. Joe Root and Jos Buttler, the talismanic maestros, need to fortify the top and middle order, while the likes of Jacob Bethell need to step up, improve their credentials, and justify the trust placed in them. Jamie Overton just needs to keep doing what he does best with those handy lower-order cameos, while also being economical with the ball. On the bowling front, England probably feel they gave it a proper go while defending a below-par total. The pitch had plenty in it for the new-ball bowlers, with the strong westerly blowing across, and they capitalized early, reducing New Zealand to a nervy 66/4, with Brydon Carse tearing apart the top order, but it just proved inadequate at the end of the day. The Blackcaps welcomed back Kane Williamson, but he couldn't deliver the goods, and neither could the rest of the Kiwi top order. Without the middle order bailing them out, New Zealand's batting situation would've looked just as dire as England's. Daryl Mitchell has quietly become their rescue act in this format. He's been relentless, racking up six scores of 40-plus and four fifties in his last nine ODIs. With an average north of 40 this year in ODIs, Mitchell's turned into the man they lean on when things get sketchy, and he delivers. The lower-order partnership of Michael Bracewell and skipper Santner isn't just dependable with the ball, but they're genuine contributors with the bat too, giving New Zealand serious depth down the order. Their pace trio of Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, and Zakary Foulkes delivered exactly what was expected, clinical and effective. Matt Henry, who just happens to be New Zealand's best active operator with the ball at Hamilton, will once again lead the charge on a Seddon Park surface that's built for pace bowlers to thrive. The numbers from 2025 tell a different story, though. Both ODIs at Hamilton this year have averaged over 270 in the first innings, showing there's serious runs on offer for batters willing to stick around. It's not all about the new ball. Then comes England's Hamilton hoodoo. Three ODIs at this ground against the Kiwis, three losses. And they batted first in all three. That's a pattern screaming to be broken. With an aim to level it up and avoid a series defeat, England will definitely come hard this time, while New Zealand will look to wrap things up early and put the series to bed. A cracker of a game at Seddon Park is surely guaranteed.