Whatever the stage or format, England's most recent cricketing encounters with New Zealand have been simply unforgettable.

As the dust settles on the Blackcaps' astonishing one-run win in the final Test of the Three Lions' winter, and as the next chapter of the two sides' story awaits in September, we cast a glance back at a remarkable four years of combat.

Secure your seats for England v New Zealand at Trent Bridge here...

 

T20 thrillers

From the pressure cooker of the World Cup knockout stages to a nailbiting five-match series Down Under, the Three Lions’ most recent twenty-over run-ins with New Zealand have delivered drama in spades.

Most recently, the two sides’ group stage encounter in the 2022 T20 World Cup was, quite simply, a must-win for Jos Buttler’s side.

And it was under that pressure that they produced the form which would ultimately carry them to the world title, as Buttler and Alex Hales helped England to a defendable 179 and Sam Curran closed out the game with a masterful display of death bowling.

It was a victory which came almost one year to the day after English hopes were extinguished in the previous World Cup, as the Kiwis came out on top in a see-saw semi-final.

Two years before that, the two nations had played out a spectacular five-match IT20 series, in which England fought back from 2-1 down to reach parity ahead of the series decider.

In a rain-affected finale, Chris Jordan swatted 12 runs from the final three deliveries to bring about a series-deciding Super Over.

And it would be Jordan who would prevail with the ball in that final over, as Martin Guptill and Colin de Grandhomme were comprehensively outfoxed, falling short by nine runs.

It was England’s greatest triumph in a Super Over since, well…

 

Fifty-over fireworks

The events of 2019 World Cup Final are simply impossible to summarise in a few short lines.

Far better, surely, to sit back and let the key combatants assume centre stage again…

 

 

Test cricket re-invented

In the past year, England’s home and away Tests against New Zealand have seen the birth of Bazball, and its elevation to an art form almost beyond cricket.

When else, after all, has an England team been lauded so widely after suffering defeat?

In the aftermath of New Zealand’s astonishing one-run victory in the most recent clash between the sides at the Basin Reserve – once again, truly the barest of margins – the plaudits have been shared equally between the victors and the vanquished.

From Harry Brook’s run-out to Joe Root’s counter-attack, and from Ben Foakes’ rearguard action to James Anderson’s unexpected, if short-lived, brutality with the bat, this was a final day for the ages.

But in many ways the seeds of England’s revolution were sewn upon the Trent Bridge turf, as Jonny Bairstow shook off the shackles and produced a fourth-innings century the likes of which had never been seen before.

England’s chase of 299 kick-started Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes’ Test revolution, and instantly became the latest in a long line of internationals to enter Trent Bridge folklore.

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England at Trent Bridge

This year, the Three Lions' T20 and One-Day World Champions return to a venue where they make history as standard.

Secure your seats for clashes against New Zealand and Ireland here...