NZ v ENG 2019: World Cup defeat still hurting but have to move on, says Colin de Grandhomme after Nelson T20I win

"Black Caps can't give England an inch" said de Grandhomme.

Grandhomme brutally hist English bowlers | Getty Images

New Zealand batsman Colin de Grandhomme on Tuesday (November 5), after guiding his team to a thrilling T20I win over England in Nelson, admitted that the 2019 World Cup title loss to England is still stinging but the Black Caps have to move on from the heartbreaking defeat.

In the summit clash, England snatched the World Cup trophy away from the Black Caps on the basis of boundary count at Lord’s on July 14 – the day Kiwis could never forget and de Grandhomme as well.

The right-hander’s Player of the Match show – hitting 55 off 35 balls included five fours and three sixes as well as sharing a 66-run partnership with Ross Taylor for the fourth wicket, helped the hosts to beat England by 14 runs in the third match to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match T20I series.

Read Also: New Zealand takes T20I series lead after England collapses badly in Nelson

In his match-winning innings, Grandhomme hit the English bowlers right from the start, which suggested that he found new rivalry with England exciting, but he turned down the talks by saying it's always nice beating the Lions and the hosts would look to keep the pressure on the tourists on the rest of the tour.

De Grandhomme told reporters after the third T20I, “Definitely you can't give them an inch. You've got to keep hitting them hard and try and win every game when you can.”

The all-rounder continued, “They're pretty good lads and they're a good team so it's always nice beating them but we've got to move on from that. Unfortunately, that's how things go. I think the boys are still hurting but some of the boys are good mates with the other boys and they get on well.”

He has established himself as a consistent No. 4 for New Zealand in the shortest white-ball format over the last year, thanks to his great ability to play the role of the accumulator and the big hitter, especially in the powerplay. The Kiwi continued, “Definitely batting up the order in T20 is a lot more, probably, forgiving. You get an opportunity in the top six sometimes when the openers don't do their jobs as well, so it gives me more freedom with the field in.”

In the third match, the all-rounder didn't get a bowl but heaped praise on the Kiwi bowling line-up, who did extremely well to defend a chaseable score against England.

Grandhomme signed off by saying, “We had to bowl well and get a few wickets up top and then we'd put them under pressure. 9-10 an over here is still very gettable because it's only one hit and then five singles, if you like, and it's not that hard but our bowlers executed and did a great job.”

Noteworthy, the two teams will next face each other in the fourth T20I on November 8, Friday at the McLean Park in Napier.

(With ESPN Cricinfo Inputs)

 
 

By Rashmi Nanda - 06 Nov, 2019

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