England take on New Zealand in shadow of 2019 classic

Two years since going toe-to-toe in a thrilling 50-overs World Cup final, England and New Zealand will again seek to deliver a knockout blow when they face each other in the semi-finals of the Twenty20 global showpiece in Abu Dhabi today. The clash pits contemporary cricket's most dominant white-ball team England against arguably the most consistent cross-format side New Zealand, who have reached the final of three of the last four major global tournaments. The most dramatic of those finals was at Lord's in 2019 when Eoin Morgan's England were crowned 50-overs world champions via a now-scrapped boundary countback rule after the match ended in a tie.

Kane Williamson's team finally shed their bridesmaid's tag by winning the inaugural World Test Championship earlier this year and, like England, are now bidding to become reigning champions in two formats. "If England and New Zealand provide a fraction of the drama they did on a glorious afternoon at Lord's in July 2019, then the T20 World Cup might get the spark it desperately craves this week," former England captain Mike Atherton wrote in The Times.