New Delhi, March 30 (IANS) New Zealand posted a competitive total of 153/7 in their World Twenty20 semi-final against England at the Ferozeshah Kotla here on Wednesday evening.
The Kiwis should have got a bigger total but England did well to take wickets regularly in the latter half of the innings to restrict their opponents.
Colin Munro played a starring role for New Zealand with the bat, scoring 46 runs off 32 balls with seven boundaries and a six.
Experienced pacer Ben Stokes was the most successful among the England bowlers with figures of 3/26. Talented left-arm pacer David Willey (1/17), Chris Jordan (1/24) and off-spinner Moeen Ali (1/10) got a wicket each.
Liam Plunkett endured severe punishment in his first spell, giving away 21 runs in just two overs, before finishing his four overs with figures of 1/38.
Willey handed England an early breakthrough as Martin Guptill lashed out at one that shaped away only to see the edge carry to Jos Buttler behind the stumps.
Munro and Kane Williamson proceeded to lay the foundation for a competitive total with a 74-run partnership in 50 balls.
Munro was in superb form, smashing the England bowlers to the ropes with monotonous regularity. He was especially harsh on Liam Plunkett, hitting the pacer for three consecutive boundaries in the sixth over.
Williamson perished through an easy caught and bowled effort by Ali after tossing a skier to mid-off. Plunkett had his revenge on Munro in his second spell when the Kiwi left-hander went after a delivery which was well outside off, only to slice it to Ali at third man.
That seemed to slow down the New Zealand run rate a bit. Ross Taylor did not last long, snapped up by Eoin Morgan off Chris Jordan's bowling in the 17th over.
Anderson seemed to be in good knick, scoring 28 off 22 deliveries. But his dismissal in the 18th over ened Kiwi hopes of amassing a big total.
Brief scores: New Zealand 153/7 (Colin Munro 46; Ben Stokes 3/26) vs England.
