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Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsHamish Rutherford’s ferocious assault set the tone for a run-strewn night in south London and won him the man-of-the-match award•PA Photos

For a supposedly pointless fixture squeezed rudely into the calendar, this game produced enough wattage to light up a fair proportion of south London. New Zealand were the victors in a match that aggregated 397 runs as a full house at The Oval lapped up a classically rambunctious T20 international.Hamish Rutherford and Brendon McCullum tore up some mediocre bowling on a good pitch as New Zealand posted 201 for 4 and, although Luke Wright muscled a typically busy half-century, England’s middle-order was left with too much to do after Ian Butler and Mitchell McClenaghan struck in successive overs.Butler’s dismissal of Eoin Morgan, via a brilliant, one-handed Ross Taylor catch, leaping high to his right at slip, was as concussive a blow as any. For the captain, McCullum, to insert a slip at that stage was another strikingly aggressive gambit.Although the ground thrummed to the beat of the White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army”, as the crowd chanted in support of their new cult hero, Ravi Bopara, his 30 off 18 balls was not quite enough to complete England’s highest successful chase in T20 internationals.This is what T20 in England is supposed to be about – warm summer evenings, turbo-charged batting and a well-lubricated crowd ready to cheer on whichever team hits the hardest. The T20 series with New Zealand has overshadowed the launch of the Friends Life t20 but there may be hope that the domestic competition can plug in to a similar power source for the next couple of months.The weather will play a big role in that and, after the enforced 20-over affair during a soggy Champions Trophy final on Sunday, for once the sun shone and the skies remained clear for a genuine T20 contest.A side featuring four players in Morgan, Bopara, Jos Buttler and James Tredwell who took on India, as well as several of England’s T20 specialists, may have missed a handful of regulars being protected for the Ashes but they pushed a more experienced New Zealand all the way. The five-run loss had a familiar ring but the circumstances couldn’t have been more different to the cagey affair at Edgbaston.At the end of the Powerplay, England were 67 for 1, which offered a perky comparison with New Zealand’s 54 for 1. Although Michael Lumb was bowled, playing the ball on to his stumps via a boot in the fourth over, he had set the tempo with two crunching leg-side blows for six.His Nottinghamshire partner, Hales, who last made more than 21 six weeks ago and was coming off a run of 11 single-figures score in 13 innings, was afforded the slice of luck he required when a top edge flew high to fine leg and the chasing Rutherford dropped the ball, which then rolled for four.The delivery was also called a no-ball – though McClenaghan may have pointed to Stuart Broad’s crucial dismissal of Kane Williamson in these teams’ Champions Trophy encounter by way of defence – and the over went for 25.A partnership worth 55 with Wright followed before Hales picked out deep midwicket with a mishit slog. Wright reached 50 off 29 balls but after his dismissal the requirement rose to 63 from 30, which for all Bopara’s now-familiar swash and buckle proved beyond England. With 16 needed, Ben Stokes hit the first ball of the final over for six but the bowler, Corey Anderson, held his nerve.The tone for the evening had been set by New Zealand’s second-wicket partnership, worth 114 runs in 67 balls, between Rutherford and McCullum, with the former scoring his first half-century in a limited-overs international. McCullum, unusually, was not quite as belligerent as his partner but he top-scored with 68 from 48 balls in a manner reminiscent of his form against England when these two teams began their 16-round, bi-continental tussle back in February.England inserted New Zealand after Morgan had won the toss and the stand-in captain’s evening was further buoyed by Boyd Rankin, the former Ireland bowler, taking a wicket with his fourth delivery in an England shirt. But the next hour and a half went almost as rapidly downhill as the ball seemed to go forever skyward, Rutherford and McCullum batting with giddy abandon on a true surface as England were forced into using seven bowlers.The pair had evidently not been told this was a glorified exhibition match, albeit a crowd-pulling one, and set about giving England’s reservists a thorough caning. Rankin and Wright apart, the bowlers queued up like naughty schoolboys to be disciplined: Chris Woakes’ only over cost 19, including a lazy flick over deep square leg from Rutherford; Tredwell was sized up for 15 in his first, as Rutherford clubbed him for consecutive, imperious sixes.Tredwell was again smashed into the crowd at long-on in his second over, after Rutherford passed 50 off his 28th delivery. England had reason to rue Bopara’s drop off Jade Dernbach in the fourth over. Rutherford sliced the ball towards point at just above head height, but Bopara seemed to have too much spring in his heels and a straightforward chance deflected away off his wrist.Bopara later conceded 22 from an over and he and Tredwell, who had provided crucial spells with the ball in the Champions Trophy final, bowled four overs at a cost of 64 runs here.Rankin may find it a little harder to get served in The Greyhound, the nearby Irish pub in Kennington, after his inclusion confirmed an anticipated switch to England but there were plenty in the ground who would have willingly bought him a drink after he struck in his first over.His pace and back-of-a-length hostility around off stump made him appear like an imported Steven Finn knock-off and he soon exposed James Franklin, in for the hamstrung Martin Guptill, for the imitation opener that he is – at least at international level – with one that nipped back. With New Zealand 1 for 1 after four balls, England may have felt they had the luck of Irish but they had run out of it by the end.

Asad Rauf, the Pakistan umpire who is under investigation by the Mumbai Police, has denied involvement in any corrupt practices in the IPL, a tournament in which he officiated, and said his withdrawal from the Champions Trophy by the ICC was done with his consent. He said he would be happy to co-operate with the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit should it wish to question him.”I am here in front of the media, after the ICC allowed me to record my statement,” Rauf said at a brief press conference in Lahore. “I strongly deny every allegation levelled against me in India and I have never had any links with any sort of fixing there.”Rauf, one of two Pakistani representatives on the ICC’s Elite Panel of umpires, was withdrawn from the Champions Trophy because of the allegations he is facing in India. His response was to organize a press conference in a local banquet hall, which was attended by both Pakistani and Indian media. At the entrance of the hall was a banner that read: “Stop doing propaganda against the pride of the country Mr. Asad Rauf, ICC umpire.”Rauf asserted at the start that he would not be taking questions and that he was here “only to record his statement and nothing else”. Once he completed his statement in 15 seconds, the media surrounded. “There are so many unanswered question, you have to tell,” someone from the media said in a loud voice. “Why did you leave India without informing the IPL authorities, what about he gifts they found there and what about the Mumbai police investigation there – will you face them?”For a while it appeared Rauf might answer those questions when he returned to his seat in front of the microphone but he then changed his mind. “I am only answerable to the ICC’s ACSU,” he said. “I’m more than happy to talk to them if they constitute any inquiry.”I am satisfied with the ICC’s decision to withdraw me because it may have caused a distraction while performing my role [as an umpire] amid the allegations. They have only withdrawn me from the Champions Trophy, not fired me. So it was their decision, with my consent, for the betterment of both me and the cricket.” He left immediately after that.

Match facts

May 5, 2013
Start time 1600 (1030 GMT)–>

Big Picture

A team that hasn’t lost a single home game this season takes on another that’s yet to lose an away fixture. Either way, on Sunday, one team’s sequence will be broken. Mumbai Indians are back at Wankhede Stadium where they have won all their four games, described as a “fortress” by their captain, Rohit Sharma. After three consecutive victories – during which their batsmen posted scores of above 160 – their batting suffered a rare meltdown against Sunrisers Hyderabad, managing an underwhelming 129 in a heavy defeat. Mumbai have been displaced from the top four following Sunrisers’ win against Delhi Daredevils on Saturday and will look to regain lost ground. Close on their heels is fourth-placed Rajasthan Royals, who also have 12 points, and play later on the evening.Super Kings are all but through to the playoffs, with nine wins from 11 games. Against Kings XI Punjab, they showed they could recover quickly from a rare MS Dhoni failure, courtesy Suresh Raina’s first IPL century that took them to an imposing 186. Though they won by a comfortable 15 runs, the contest was a lot closer than that margin suggested. An area they need to address going forward is the bowling. In their last five games, their bowlers have conceded scores of 185, 186 and 171. Their batting, though, has been consistent and potent. They could be a change at the top of the order, with M Vijay likely to return for Wriddhiman Saha, who was carrying an injury on the eve of the game.

Form guide

Chennai Super Kings WWWWW
Mumbai Indians LWWWL

Players to watch

Michael Hussey hasn’t had a constant opening partner, with Super Kings experimenting with the likes of Saha, S Anirudha and even R Ashwin at various stages. Vijay was the preferred partner, but a finger injury kept him out of the last three games. Saha has scores of 39, 13 and 18 and it’s a chance for him to nail down the position, if given another opportunity. Vijay was also recalled to the India one-day side for the Champions Trophy.Sachin Tendulkar has scored only one half-century in this edition, in Delhi. Save for his 44 against Pune Warriors, he hasn’t fired consistently at his home ground. His dismissal in Hyderabad, bowled by Ishant Sharma, was worrying. Bowlers will look to attack his stumps.

Stats and trivia

• Lasith Malinga needs two more wickets for 200 wickets in T20 matches
• Mumbai have a commanding head-to-head record against Super Kings at the Wankhede, having won all their three games there

Quotes

“The team has not been at its best this year, but is still very much in contention.”
“If you look at some of our fields that have been set, they have been quite different, subtle, but really different. I can tell you we are finding the right fields for different bowlers at certain stages of the match.”

Match facts

Sunday, April 14, 2013
Start time 2000 (1430 GMT)The fast-paced Jaipur wicket should suit Kings XI Punjab’s host of seamers•BCCI

Big Picture

With fitness concerns to key players and a controversy dredged up from the past, Rajasthan Royals have a lot on their plate as they take on Kings XI Punjab on Sunday. Both teams were beaten convincingly in their last game and while they may seem evenly matched, Kings XI hold a slender advantage over Royals.If their dismal bowling against Pune Warriors is anything to go by, Royals missed Rahul Shukla and Shaun Tait and, on a home track that had pace and carry in its first game, the absence will be more acute. James Faulkner bowled well against Warriors but it is Sreesanth’s inconsistency that will worry Royals. Moreover, the fast-paced wicket in Jaipur will favour the Kings XI bowlers, with their line-up of Praveen Kumar, Ryan Harris, Azhar Mahmood and Parvinder Awana. They stifled Warriors in the first game and on a responsive pitch, with their varying styles, can be an effective attack.Their collapse in the last game aside, Royals have a relatively settled look to their batting line-up. Rahul Dravid, Ajinkya Rahane, Brad Hodge and Stuart Binny have been among the runs, making up for the absence of a big-hitter. Their most significant weaknesses are the opening combination – in three games, their highest opening stand is 22, between Rahane and Kusal Perera – and the tendency to lose wickets in clusters towards the end, as was evident against Warriors. With two important bowlers missing from their ranks and Shane Watson injured – though Owais Shah said on the eve of the game that they should have a fully-fit squad to pick from come match day* – they will need to post a substantial total to challenge the Kings XI batsmen Adam Gilchrist, David Hussey, Mandeep Singh and Manan Vohra.

Players to watch

With of string of scores in the 30s, Ajinkya Rahane seems to have found his groove in IPL 2013. He’s been losing his wicket after getting a start and against an opposition that has a challenging pace attack, the Royals will bank on Rahane to play a big innings.In spite of a career riddled with injuries, there are few who doubt Ryan Harris‘s skill or commitment to the game. He took 19 wickets in three first-class matches for Queensland in the Sheffield Shield this year and with a pace that skids on to the batsman, he can be a handful for the Royals’ batsman.

Stats and trivia

• Praveen Kumar shares the record for the most number of maiden overs bowled in the IPL (9)
• Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals have beaten by 10 wickets twice in the IPL.
• Siddarth Trivedi is the most successful bowler for Rajasthan Royals against Kings XI Punjab with nine wickets in seven matches.

Quotes

“Shane Watson was not fit in the last match but at the moment, as far as we have been told, everyone is fit to play. And the coaches and captain will pick [the XI] from a fit squad.”
“We have a lot of youngsters and will take time to settle down in the tournament.”
*06.30GMT, April 14: The preview has been updated after pre-match press conference quotes arrived

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsCombined Campuses and Colleges’ bowlers ensured their team’s place in the final of the Regional Super50, comfortably defending a modest to beat Trinidad & Tobago by 140 runs in a big upset in Bridgetown. CCC batted first, with the openers putting together 45 runs for the first wicket. After Chadwick Walton was dismissed, Anthony Alleyne took over the anchoring role, building a 37-run partnership for the third wicket with captain Kyle Corbin, before putting on an 83-run stand with Nekoli Parris. The T&T bowlers did a good job in restricting the scoring after a belligerent start from the openers. Alleyne ultimately fell in the 48th over, just one run short of a deserved century, after he was given leg before to Yannick Ottley. CCC posted 232 for 7 at the end of their fifty overs, with Ottley picking up best figures of 3 for 37.T&T had a horror start in their reply, being reduced to 19 for 3 by Keswick Williams, before continually losing wickets at regular intervals. Only three batsman were able to get into double digits as the innings was controlled through effective bowling and fielding from CCC. There were a total of three run outs affected in the innings, with Williams picking up fine figures of 3 for 16, and was ably supported by Raymon Reifer (2 for 11) and Akeem Dewar (2 for 14). They were dismissed for 92 in the 32nd over, giving CCC a resounding 140-run victory, and propelling them into the final on Sunday, where they will play the winner between Jamaica and Windward Islands.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMartin Guptill had to go off with a hamstring injury, before returning to take New Zealand home•Associated Press

Martin Guptill, batting on one leg after a hamstring injury, helped his captain Brendon McCullum seal a nip-and-tuck chase in the opening ODI in Hamilton, as New Zealand squeezed home by three wickets with seven balls to spare. McCullum, who pushed himself down to No. 6, played a wonderfully paced innings, but kept losing partners to leave England with their noses in front until the final stages, when Guptill contributed vital boundaries to help limit his running.There were three crucial mini passages of play in the final 12 overs after England had seemingly taken control at 155 for 5. James Anderson, who sent down eight world-class overs, was taken for 17 in his ninth when he started dropping short at McCullum. Then Guptill picked up 10 runs off his first two deliveries back at the crease – including a ramp over third man for six – which was followed by the decisive over, when Chris Woakes was taken for 13 off his last, with Guptill adding two further boundaries as he scored 24 from 10 balls after returning. Such was the adrenalin he sprinted off for runs in the seconds it took for the pain to register.That left 13 needed off 12 balls. New Zealand only needed five more deliveries with McCullum clearing the midwicket boundary off Stuart Broad – all England’s quicks bowled too short to him – before the limping Guptill hit the winning runs. New Zealanders talk of the ‘Kiwi Spirit’ and you will not see a better example as to what it actually means.Guptill had retired hurt in sixth over after pulling up on completing a tight single to mid-off. He tried to carry on – without a runner as per the new regulations – but soon signalled he would have to leave the field. It was announced he would bat if required and with Kyle Mills – a capable lower-order player – still to come he shuffled back out to the middle for what may, depending on the seriousness of the injury, be his last contribution of the series.McCullum’s decision to hold himself back at the fall of Ross Taylor’s wicket reignited the debate about where he should bat. There was already disquiet about him being as low as No. 5, but he is keen to be able to exploit the batting Powerplay and final 10 overs much in the way England try to use Eoin Morgan and Jos Buttler. With a steely glint in his eye, and a never-say-die focus, he showed his judgement to be spot on. However, England will need a debrief over their tactics.What will frustrate Alastair Cook is that the fast bowlers did so much impressive work, yet their poor overs were so costly that the game was lost. Anderson, for his first eight, did not look like a man who had not bowled in anger since mid-December. His inswinger to BJ Watling was perfect and made him England’s most successful international bowler when all formats are combined. Woakes, who has this series to convince he can be the bowling allrounder, nipped out two in the middle order before the latest point on a tough learning curve.The fielding earned a wicket, too, when Ian Bell’s dive at midwicket caused confusion between McCullum and Kane Williamson, who had anchored the chase with a measured 74, and Woakes collected the ball superbly at the stumps. James Franklin was bounced out by Steven Finn, but Nathan McCullum and Andrew Ellis formed important little partnerships to ensure the target was never out of sight.The closing stages of both innings cost England, because with the bat they lost 7 for 68 in the last 9.3 overs as they failed to use up their allocation. Mitchell McClenaghan, who also picked up an injury when he suffered a side strain – which will keep him out of the rest of the ODI series – took four wickets while Mills showed his experience with an accurate 10 overs.England’s innings was constructed in an old-fashioned style: see off the two new balls when they nipped around, consolidate in the middle with the aim of exploding at the end. Only two-thirds of that worked as Morgan fell early and Buttler, after briefly dazzling, was cut off short of a decisive contribution.England’s top four were all having their first knocks of the tour; Bell and Cook arrived last week after not being part of the Twenty20 squad, Jonathan Trott had been rested since the end of the India Test series and Root did not play the warm-ups on this trip and wasn’t needed with the bat in Wellington two days ago. The downtime affected some more than others. Not much can be deduced from Cook’s brief stay, Bell looked in decent touch, Trott struggled early before finding some rhythm and Root was the most impressive of the lot.It was the latest stage in Root’s seamless transition to the top level. Arriving shortly before the midway mark he was busy and alert from his first delivery. There was one moment of fortune. On 32 he was given out caught behind off Mills, as he dropped his hands to a short ball, and immediately called for a review that led to the decision being overturned when the TV umpire decided there was conclusive evidence it had come off his sleeve. Opinions from the ground were split. Still, it was a highly mature innings.While Trott batted in his own bubble, Root worked the gaps and made sure he pushed the fielders. Those attributes made up for the slight lack of power in his game – he also produced the scoop past the keeper – as he went to 50 from 57 balls. But he could not stay to close out the innings and England were at least 20 short of what they should have reached. They were made to pay.