James Vince hopes his half-century in England's seven-wicket win over New Zealand on Friday boosted his case for inclusion at next year's Twenty20 World Cup.
England won the first T20 game of its five-match series with the Black Caps in Christchurch in what was a repeat of July's Cricket World Cup final, though there was an absence of drama this time as the tourist chased down 154 with nine balls to spare.
After New Zealand had made 153-5, Vince, who was part of that triumphant England ODI squad but only featured in three games when Jason Roy was injured, top-scored for England with a 38-ball 59 as he shared a 54-run partnership with captain Eoin Morgan (34 not out).
READ: Gough to join England coaching ranks in New Zealand
With Roy, Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes among those rested for this series, Vince is keen to grasp his chance as England build towards the T20 World Cup in Australia.
"I'm happy with the contribution and it's great to get off to a winning start as a team," he told BBC TMS.
"I managed to time it well and build a partnership with Bluey [Jonny Bairstow], then got another going with Morgs [Morgan].
"You always feel confident of chasing a total like that. It was a good pitch. It was a solid performance all round. There were not many outstanding performances but a solid display.
"There are some world-class players here, but it gives me and some other guys a great chance to stake a claim with the World Cup next year.
"I don't think there are many spots up for grabs, so it's going to be a tough one to break into. Hopefully it will be nice to get a run of games."
The host, missing the injured Kane Williamson, struggled for fluency with the bat and Daryl Mitchell admitted its below-par total meant it was always up against it.
"We were probably 10 or 15 short to put some pressure on with the ball –160 would have been very tough," Mitchell, who made an unbeaten 30, added.
"The pitch was a bit two-paced. England adapted better than us."
Comments
SHARE