England vs New Zealand Scorecard Today: 3rd T20I in Auckland — Live Update, Playing XIs, and Series Snapshot

Bassyonni

ago 6 hours

England vs New Zealand

The England cricket team vs New Zealand national cricket team T20 series reaches its finale today at Eden Park, Auckland, with the tourists aiming to seal the series after a commanding win in the previous match. Play began under grey skies, and an early drizzle forced a stoppage with New Zealand 8/0 after 0.3 overs; the match is currently delayed by rain. England won the toss and chose to field, backing their chase-first strategy on one of the world’s most compact grounds.

England vs New Zealand live score (3rd T20I, Auckland)

Toss: England elected to field
Score at rain delay: New Zealand 8/0 (0.3 overs)
Venue: Eden Park, Auckland
Start times: 2:15 a.m. ET (US/Canada), 7:15 a.m. UK (BST)
Status: Play paused due to rain; updates and figures may change once play resumes.

Playing XIs — ENG vs NZ today

England (unchanged): Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook (c), Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Jordan Cox, Brydon Carse, Liam Dawson, Adil Rashid, Luke Wood.

New Zealand (one change): Tim Seifert (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Tim Robinson, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner (c), Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy.
Note: Foulkes replaces Kyle Jamieson for this match.

What happened in the series so far?

1st T20I, Christchurch (Oct 18): Abandoned due to rain after England posted 153/6; no result.
2nd T20I, Christchurch (Oct 20): England 236/4 defeated New Zealand 171 (18 overs) by 65 runs.
- England batting highlights: Phil Salt 85 (56), Harry Brook 78 (35) set up a record team total at the venue.
- England bowling highlights: Adil Rashid 4/32 and Brydon Carse 2/27 closed out a one-sided finish.
  England lead the three-match T20I series 1–0, so a win or washout in Auckland hands them the series; New Zealand must win to level it 1–1.

Live context: England vs New Zealand at Eden Park

Eden Park’s short straight boundaries reward clean hitting and inventive angles, which typically pushes teams toward aggressive Powerplay plans and favoring pace-off variations with the ball. England’s decision to chase fits their white-ball template: maximize batting depth under lights and use Rashid/Dawson to control the middle overs if the ball gets wet. New Zealand’s tweak — bringing in Zak Foulkes — signals a search for change-ups and hit-the-deck options that can still hold length on a skiddy surface.

Key battles to watch (once play resumes)

Powerplay: Seifert/Ravindra vs Wood/Carse
New Zealand need an above-par first six overs to offset England’s chasing strength. Early wickets tilt the balance; a flying start pulls the ground dimensions into play.
Spin control: Bracewell/Santner vs Rashid/Dawson
Whoever wins the middle-overs spin contest dictates tempo. England used spin to choke the chase in Christchurch; New Zealand’s left-arm options can drag England’s right-handers to the big side of the ground.
Finishers: Brook/Buttler vs Henry/Duffy
If it becomes a shortened game, death bowling and boundary denial will decide margins in the final four overs.

Mini scorecard tracker (live, subject to change)

New Zealand innings: 8/0 in 0.3 overs; rain delay.
England bowling: Yet to settle into a rhythm before the stoppage; Wood and Carse primed for new-ball duties on restart.
Figures will be updated by official scorers as play restarts; rain could trigger revised targets under DLS.

Schedule ahead — ENG vs NZ ODIs (subject to change)

1st ODI: Mount Maunganui — Sunday, Oct 26 (2:00 p.m. local; 9:00 p.m. ET Saturday; 2:00 a.m. UK Sunday)
2nd ODI: Hamilton — Wednesday, Oct 29 (2:00 p.m. local)
3rd ODI: Wellington — Saturday, Nov 1 (2:00 p.m. local)

What it means for both teams

England: A series win today would validate a refreshed leadership core and aggressive batting order heading into the ODI leg. Rashid’s form and Salt’s strike power have been decisive; a clean close in Auckland would underline depth across phases.
New Zealand: Forcing a 1–1 result would restore belief after the Christchurch setback and ease pressure on a reshaped attack. A standout night from Seifert, Mitchell, or Chapman — plus a disciplined death spell — is their clearest route to parity.

Keep this page handy during the weather breaks: once the umpires call players back, expect a fast, condensed contest where momentum can flip in a single over.