Joe Denly ruled out of England T20I opener as Pat Brown and Sam Curran debuts are confirmed

Denly twisted his ankle in Christchurch as he went to take a catch in the deep during practice ahead of the first instalment in the five-match series

Joe Denly has been ruled out of England’s first T20I against New Zealand after suffering an ankle injury during a training session.

The 33-year-old had been expected to feature for Eoin Morgan’s side, having batted in the middle order and bowled his leg-spin during two warmup matches.

However, he twisted his ankle in Christchurch as he went to take a catch in the deep during practice ahead of the five-match series.

His unbeaten 39 in the second of the pre-series friendlies against a New Zealand XI – a game won by the hosts thanks to a Colin Munro century – appeared to have given Denly the nod over the Somerset pair of Lewis Gregory and Tom Banton.

His absence now is likely to benefit Gregory, whose allrounder status may give him an advantage over the precociously talented Banton.

Gregory struck an 11-ball 29 after coming in with just 14 balls of England’s innings left in the second game, though he was expensive with the ball. With Morgan’s side looking for a finisher amid a wealth of top-order options, it was a cameo that may well help Gregory’s case.

Denly limped out of a training session at Christchurch

Banton, on the other hand, looks set to sit out the first game of the series, with Dawid Malan set to open the batting alongside Jonny Bairstow.

Two debutants have already been confirmed for England, with Worcestershire’s Pat Brown and Surrey’s Sam Curran both set to make their England T20 bows. Denly’s injury, of course, now opens the door for a third – whether Gregory or Banton get the nod.

For Brown, the occasion will represent his international debut, having sprung onto the scene in the last two years with his remarkable prowess in the death overs and an array of variations.

For Curran, meanwhile, it seems remarkable that the allrounder is yet to play for England in the shortest format, having already spent a year in the Indian Premier League with Kings XI Punjab, after being signed in a deal worth £800,000.