Even before the rain fell, the start of England’s winter had become something of a damp squib. On a cool Christchurch evening their batters had been surprised by movement off the seam – “You don’t expect that in white-ball cricket, so when it does do a little bit it’s almost a shock,” said Harry Brook – and becalmed by the spin of Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell. They duly wobbled their way to 81 for five before Sam Curran seemed to rescue them and then the weather definitively did.
Only two batters scored more than 20, with the dismissal of Jos Buttler for 29, the former captain becoming the fifth man to fall, concluding a feeble start to the innings before Curran’s 49 improved their outlook.
