After the rain comes deluge of runs for ruthless tourists

If the first game of this series was ruined by a downpour, the second was won by a deluge.

- Simon Burnton

A 129-run partnership between Phil Salt and Harry Brook powered the tourists towards a score of 236 for four, England smashing 34 boundaries and the record score on this ground, leaving New Zealand a forlorn chase which ended when their last wicket fell with two overs remaining and 65 still required.

The Black Caps demonstrated some mighty power-hitting of their own but they simply could not do it often enough, and too regularly lost wickets in trying, with England's fielding despite a swirling wind as impeccable as their opponents' had been unreliable. Adil Rashid took four wickets, and Jordan Cox three catches, as New Zealand were dismissed for 171.

If Salt's 85 made him the night's leading scorer he was outshone by his captain, who ended with a 35-ball 78 - during their partnership Brook faced one more ball, and scored 32 more runs. "When someone comes out and plays like that, my job is very easy: get them on strike," said Salt, who had appeared to be on course for a fifth international T20 century before Brook started hogging the attention, and the strike.

"The difference between me going on and getting [a century] and not was getting Brooky on strike and 100 times out of 100 I'd like to be at the other end watching that again. You have to take ego out of it. Everything is team first, and that suits me down to the ground."