Vince top scores for England but former Hampshire colleague Munro smashes century to give New Zealand XI T20 victory
England's final warm-up ahead of their Twenty20 series against New Zealand ended with an eight-wicket defeat as the tourists were undone by former Hampshire batsman’s Colin Munro's belligerent hundred in Lincoln.
Hampshire skipper James Vince top-scored with 46 from 32 balls against a New Zealand XI before Lewis Gregory's entertaining cameo of 29 not out from 11 balls on his first senior appearance for England lifted the side to 188 for five.
Matt Parkinson struck with his third ball in England colours and probably should have had Munro lbw early on, only for the umpire's finger to stay down, before the home side's captain - who played eight T20 matches for Hampshire in 2018 - thumped an unbeaten 107 from 57 balls.
Munro, who has made more than 100 appearances for the Black Caps in all formats, bludgeoned nine fours and seven sixes, the last of which off Saqib Mahmood sealed victory with nine balls to spare.
England's experimental attack contained four bowlers - Mahmood, Gregory, Parkinson and Pat Brown - who have yet to make an appearance on the international stage, while Tom Curran was the most economical with figures of 4-0-27-0.
Vince’s innings - much needed after scoring 17 in Sunday’s win against a New Zealand XI - should see him pencilled in to start the first of five T20s against the Black Caps this coming Friday.
He rode his luck on occasions but also clobbered the left-arm wrist-spin of Blake Coburn for six, only to perish four short of his half-century.