Matt Parkinson showed courage in the face of adversity, tossing the ball up despite the violence ©Getty
"When you select a squad like we did, you always run the risk of getting drilled, particularly away from home."
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It was a succinct summary from captain Eoin Morgan, of the gamble England had taken by selecting a second-string squad for the five-match T20I series in New Zealand. Resting a host of first-choice players and selecting a batch of inexperienced, untried replacements did carry risk, particularly with a T20 World Cup just 17 matches away. Morgan knew it. England's players and management knew it.
This trip was anything but a free pass, a Hail Mary tour where the result and the performances were irrelevant. That is never the case in international sport. The pressure may have been different than if England had selected a full-strength squad; then they would have been expected to win. However, it was still in ready supply: for the new players, the pressure to impress, and for the squad as a whole, the pressure to at least compete against a strong New Zealand team. As Morgan put it, the pressure to not get drilled.
Following their 3-2 series victory, sealed with a Super Over win in Auckland on Sunday, England's decision to leave the likes of Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler at home has been totally vindicated. They have beaten a strong team in their own backyard and blooded six new players, giving them a taste of international cricket and what life at the top is all about. Moreover, this series has given them plenty to learn from.
The new players now know what it is like to come back from behind to win a series overseas. They know what it is like to respond to a setback after badly losing the third game. In response, they bludgeoned their way to their highest ever T20I score in game four. After emerging victorious in the Super Over at Eden Park, they now know what it is like to hold their nerve in an effective cup final. Individually, there have been plenty of opportunities for development too.
How did the new players fare? All of them, except perhaps Lewis Gregory, showed glimpses of what they can do. Gregory's lack of impact was more down to a lack of opportunity than anything else. He played all five games but, batting at seven and eight, faced a total of 19 balls and bowled just four overs. He fluffed his one real chance to state his credentials in game three when England needed him to get them over the line in a chase where they were cruising. Unfortunately, he had a hoick and got out for a second-ball duck, failing to close it out.
Lancashire's
