England for more sixy cricket

England should again prove too strong for New Zealand when they meet in their second Twenty20 clash at Christchurch on Thursday (start 6am).

The bookmakers have the touring team chalked up at around 4-7 and that looks fair given their superiority in Auckland on Tuesday, when they won by 32 runs.

New Zealand are generally 11-8 to gain their revenge but, with all-rounder James Oram sidelined through injury, look up against it. He was their most economical bowler at Eden Park and then weighed in with a brisk innings of 61.

Kevin Pietersen, who made 43, was England’s top runscorer in the first match and is 3-1 with most firms to repeat the feat.

A better bet, though, could be the 5-6 that Skybet offer against there being 11 sixes or more. There were a dozen in Auckland and that tally could easily have been higher.