Liam Livingstone hits 95 to push England to 226-7 in rain-reduced 2nd ODI after Boult’s early wicket rush

Liam Livingstone plundered an unbeaten 95 off 78 balls to push England to a respectable 226-7 in a rain-affected second match of its one-day international series against New Zealand on Sunday after Trent Boult obliterated the top order with three wickets in eight deliveries in his 100th ODI.

The match was reduced to 34 overs per team because of morning rain that delayed the start by three hours and, after the New Zealanders won the toss, Boult (3-37 in seven overs) put England in a hole early by removing Jonny Bairstow (6), Joe Root (0) and Ben Stokes (1).

That left England on 8-3 after 4.2 overs and it got even worse when Harry Brook top-edged Matt Henry (2) for a soft dismissal, making it 28-4.

Jos Buttler hit a quickfire 30 off 25 balls but dragged spinner Mitchell Santner onto his stumps, bringing Livingstone to the crease at 55-5.

The big-hitting Livingstone, pushed down the order to No. 7, steadied the innings by sharing partnerships of 48 with Moeen Ali (33) and 112 with Sam Curran (42) and made his second straight fifty of the series, after a 52 off 40 in the first ODI won by New Zealand in dominant fashion on Friday.

It was Livingstone’s third ODI half-century in 12 matches, with a pulled six off Henry getting England past 200 — a milestone that looked beyond the hosts a couple of hours earlier.

England opener Jason Roy (back) missed out again, while spinner Adil Rashid was left out as a precaution with a mild calf strain sustained in Friday’s match.

Boult, Santner and opener Finn Allen — a Twenty20 specialist — came into New Zealand’s team.

Lineups:

England: Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (captain), Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, David Willey, Gus Atkinson, Reece Topley.

New Zealand: Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (captain), Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Matt Henry, Tim Southee, Trent Boult.